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bsm, bsmˀ (bŭsam, be/usmā) n.m. smell, spice
1
spice, perfume
Common Aramaic
NsaqPap 51.R.11 ?↗ בשם תעזר‏ ; TAD D8.13 R.2↗ כסף ר 3 בשם‏ ; 4QEnc1.12.2↗ ٠٠٠] קניא טביא די בשמא די [٠٠٠٠٠٠חזי]ת̇ קו̇נם בשמא‏ : sweet reeds that the smell was of [ mastic .... I sa]w the spice cinnamon ; TgJ Ez27:22↗ בְרֵיש כָל בוּסמִין וֻבכָל אַבנִין טַבָן‏ : with the finest of all spices and all precious gems ; OS MtSin26:7↗ ܫܛܝܦܬܐ ܕܡܫܚܐ ܕܒܣܡܐ ܕܝܩܝܪ̈ܝܢ ܕܡܘܗܝ‏ : a jar of spiced ointment (i.e., perfume) of precious value ; PJ Gen31:19↗ ומלחין ליה במילחא ובוסמנין‏ : they would salt it with salt and spices
(1)
ointment, muron
CPA
CPA John12:5↗ ܠܐ ܗܕܢ ܒܣܡܐ ܐܙܕܒܢ ܒܬܠܬ ܡ‍[‍ܐܐ‍]‍ ܕܢܪ̈ܝܢ ܘܐܬܝܗܒ ܠܡܣܟܝ̈ܢܝܐ‏ : why was this ointment not sold for 300 dinar and given to the poor people?
(2)
sweet smell
Qumran, CPA, Syr, Man
4QEnc1.12.2↗ ٠٠٠] קניא טביא די בשמא די [٠٠٠٠٠٠חזי]ת̇ קו̇נם בשמא‏ : sweet reeds that the smell was of [ mastic .... I sa]w the spice cinnamon
2
as incense, often pl. tant.
Common Aramaic
TgO Ex30:1↗ קְטוֹרַת בוּסמִין דְאָעֵי שִטִין‏ : spiced incense of acacia wood ; TgJ Hab1:16↗ וֻמַסֵיק בוּסמִין לְסִימָוָותֵיה‏ : he offers up incense to his standards ; TN Ex31:11↗ קטרת בסמניה‏ ; P Ez8:11↗ ܘܥܛܪܐ ܕܬܢܢܐ ܕܒܣ̈ܡܐ ܣ݁ܠܩ‏ : while the vapor of the incense smoke was rising ; PJ Gen50:1↗ ותמן מוקדין רישי בוסמנין‏ : there they were burning the finest incense
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Spelled with śin in pre-classical texts. Plural both simple and with nun expansion, thus ܒܸܣ̈ܡܵܢܸܐ܂ ܒܸܣܡ̈ܘ݂ܢܸܐ‏, Mand. busmania; JBA בסמני . In JLA the form in ānīn seems to mean specifically "different kinds of spices," but in variants there and regularly in LJLA there does not seem to be any consistent semantic difference between the two forms.
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Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 165[80]DJPA: 106bDJBA: 191bJastrow: 147Drower/Macuch: 56aJ. Payne-Smith: 49Levy Ch-W: 1:102Tal Sam: 105DCPA[Schulthess]: 47[27b]Qumran: 40

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Wed, 11 Nov 2026 09:52:45 -0500