˘Nefə˘lim, -lə̇m OR ˘Nĕphī ˘līm: 

That is the question!

This month Lovett Memorial Library’s inspirational book group will meet from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, July 28 at Hampton Village, 1517 Alcock, in Pampa, Texas. So, um, HVBC members  — a.k.a. Hampton Village Book Club members — will be discussing Patrick Heron’s “The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse.”

According to the book cover, Heron’s recommended pronunciation of nephilim includes two long “i” sounds for the last two letter ‘i’ vowels. According to Merriam-Webster Online (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nephilim), the pronunciation with the two long vowel sounds is the accepted Hebrew pronunciation of the term, otherwise, the online dictionary unequivocally nixes and therefore entirely banishes the two long ‘i’ vowel sounds from the somewhat tricky word (ˈnefəˌlim, -lə̇m).

Personally, this blogster favors the pronunciation with the two long ‘i’ sounds. Ah well, tə-ˈmā-tō/tə-ˈmä-tō (tomato), pə-ˈtā-tō/pə-ˈtä-tō (potato) and all that …

Whilst reading “The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocalypse,” this blogster relied heavily upon another online resource called BibleGateway.com (https://www.biblegateway.com/). BibleGateway.com allows visitors to access a plethora of Biblical translations and other reference materials through a lovely little drop-down menu at the top of the page next to a basic search engine.

The drop-down menu option is defaulted to New International Version and includes KJV, TLB, MSG, and scads more versions along with other reference materials. BibleGateway.com permits users to sign-up for daily scripture quotations dubbed its “Verse of the Day.” The site also encompasses links to an online store as well as to devotionals, Bible reading schedules, and much, much more.

Never forget to check out the site’s “About” feature (https://www.biblegateway.com/about/). Web users can usually find this feature at the bottom of a site’s main page. The about feature will inform visitors as to the core mission, goals, background, etc., of a Web site and its sponsoring organization or organizations.

Hampton Village Book Club is offered through Pampa’s Lovett Memorial Library, 111 N. Houston, and is open to — and indeed, welcomes — visitors. For more information, call the library at 806.669.5780.