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| mktr[1] in hieroglyphs | |||||||
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| Era: Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BC) | |||||||
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| mꜥgꜣdjr[2] in hieroglyphs | |||||
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Migdol, or migdal, is a Hebrew word (מגדּלה מגדּל, מגדּל מגדּול) which means either a tower (from its size or height), an elevated stage (a rostrum or pulpit), or a raised bed (within a river). Physically, it can mean fortified land, i.e. a walled city or castle; or elevated land, as in a raised bed, like a platform, possibly a lookout.
Migdol is a known loanword from Egyptian (mktr), mekter,[1] or mgatir[2] meaning "fort", "fortification", or "stronghold". The corresponding term in Coptic is ⲙⲉϣⲧⲱⲗ meštôl. Figuratively, "tower" has connotations of proud authority.
In archaeology, migdol is a specific type of temple, examples of which have been discovered for instance at Hazor, Megiddo, Tel Haror, Pella and Shechem.
- ^ a b M. Vygus. Middle Egyptian dictionary, p. 627
- ^ a b E. A. Wallis Budge (1920). An Egyptian hieroglyphic dictionary: with an index of English words, king list and geological list with indexes, list of hieroglyphic characters, coptic and semitic alphabets, etc. Vol I. John Murray. p. 290.