Orthography of the Relative Pronoun -שה in the Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods

Abstract

It is generally assumed that the letter he may be used in Hebrew words during the Second Temple and Tannaitic periods to mark a medial vowel ε. In this article it is argued that the conditioned use of medial he, which is found primarily after the relative pronoun -ש is related to the realization of the relative pronoun: š + ε + CC. It would appear that scribes associated the gemination following a proclitic particle  (e.g., the definite article) with the written he that preceded it.