ב The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its name is ‘Beth’ (lit.: ‘house’); so called in allusion to the ancient Heb. form of this letter, representing a house. In PBH it has the numerical value two. ב alternates with מ: cp. e.g. the river name אֲבָנָה and אֲמָנָה; the place name דִּיבוֹן and דִּימוֹן; בָּרִיא (= healthy, fat), and מֽרִיא (= fatling); the place name יַבְנֶה in Heb. and יַמְנִין in Syr. (whence Gk. iamnia, iamneia). ב also alternates with פ: cp. e.g. בזר and פזר (= to scatter); Heb. נשׁף and נשׁב (= to blow); תבר and תפר (= to sew); Heb. בִּקְעָה (= valley) and Syr. פְּקַעַתָּא (of s.m.); Heb. הפך (= to turn), Akka. abāku (= to bring, turn).