The "Mercy Seat" and the Ark of the Testimony: An Age-Old Misnomer?

This short paper investigates the biblical Hebrew word kappōret in relation to languages of the ancient Near East. Taking kappōret to mean in its most basic sense "cover" or "lid," we develop the possibility that a relationship may exist with the Egyptian word kꜣp, variously denoting a "cover," "roof," "shelter," or "canopy." We posit that kappōret may in fact be a loanword from Egyptian, with any loaning having a terminus ante quem of between the end of Seti I's reign and the close of the 20th Dynasty (circa 1279–1077 BCE) based on textual attestations.