Jonathan,
I was reading the plural noun to mean "the descendants of Shashai". You're suggesting the plural might mean "followers of Hjalmar Schacht"? Is there a racial aspect to his economics? If not, then to bring his name up would be a non-sequitur. Not that Pound eschews the non-sequitur.
 
I assume SHASHAI would be pronounced shas-Xai (where X = a velar fricative).  A listening might help, to hear how Pound pronounces the word, to see if he says shas-Xan or shas-Kan. 
 
ALso, there's no indication in Doob of any problem with the manuscript; and Pound knows enough German to know how to make plurals of German nouns; in this instance, the plural would be 'Schachten'.
 
Tim Romano
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jonathan P. Gill <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: Schaschan?
 
 
> The affiliations between Ezra Pound and Ezra the Scribe are very
> intriguing (the latter was resposible for re-establishing Mosaic
> (written) law in Jerusalem after the exile.  He was also responsible, like
> Homer Pound, for establishing proper standards for weighing gold and
> silver.
> 
> However, I don't think broadcast 43's "Schaschan" is the same as "Shashai"
> in Ezra 10:40.  This Shashai is an obscure descendant of Binnui.
> Perhaps we are dealing here with with plural of Hjalmar Schacht, the
> German economist.  Maybe. See broadcast 115 (p. 395 in Doob)
> 
> I wonder if a close listen to the recording would help.
> 
> Jonathan Gill
> Columbia University
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, 18 Nov 1999, Tim Romano wrote:
> 
> > Are the 'Schaschan' to whom Pound alludes at the end of broadcast #43 (31 May 1942) entitled 'Brain Trust: Second Spasm'   --"Who are the Schaschan? I ask you?"--  the _Shashai_ mentioned at the end of the Book of Ezra?
> >
> > Tim Romano
> >
> 
>