Biblical Hebrew Forum

["atombomb AT sirius.com" <atombomb AT sirius.com>]

CHRIST IS RISEN!

peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG wrote:

> 2. The name YESHUA seems to be used interchangeably, in later texts, 
> for the longer name YEHOSHUA [Y:HOW$W.A(, Y:HOW$UA(]. The LXX
> equivalent of both forms is nearly always IHSOUS. The first to have
> this name was Moses' successor; his name is nearly always given in the 
> long form, but in Neh 8:17 as Y"$W.A(. The post-exilic high priest is 
> Y:HOW$UA( in Haggai and Zechariah but Y"$W.A( in Ezra and Nehemiah.
> Other individuals have the longer form of the name in Samuel and Kings 
> and the shorter form in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. The division is 
> strictly by books, except that the longer form is used for Moses'
> successor in 1 Chr 7:27.
>
> Thus I conclude that the shorter form should be considered an
> abbreviation of the longer one which was preferred by the Chronicler, 
> the LXX translators and in later times.

Thank you, Peter, for your analysis, which is perceptive.

A question:  Do we know whether there was any practice of using formal 
names for ceremonial functions in the Judaism of the period?  People 
in Greece call me Yanni or Yanno.  As in America, I can even use this 
on some legal forms, if I want.  But when I go to communion, I must 
give my real, baptismal name: IWANNHC.  Even more, in Russia I have 
all kinds of nicknames like Vanya, Ivanka, etc; but in formal 
situations I am IVAN.  Yet even though my formal secular name is IVAN, 
when I go to communion I have to give my name in ancient Slavonic 
(IWANN').  And if that weren't enough, if I were ordained, I would 
cease being IVAN altogether, and be (Father) IWANN' all the time.

Now, Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemia are not only later than the other 
books you mentioned, but they are also considered less "important" or 
however y ou describe that difference, by the Jews.  generally:  
Torah is the Holy of Holies, Prophets (Former and Later) are Holy; 
some of the Writings (Psalms, etc) are Holy, but the others
(Chr-Ezr-Neh) 
are the Court of Israel; and the 'Apocrypha' are even somewhat less.  
I don't remember the exact terms used, and I am a little fuzzy on
where some of the divisions fall, in the Writings.  But as I recall, it
has something to do, with how you may comment on a given
passage.  

So do we know that the "IVAN" form of the high priest's name, etc, 
was not simply a less formal appellation, whereas his real or sacred
name 
was, in fact, YEHOSHUA, as in the more ancient or more sacred 
sources?  And perhaps also with Jesus.....?  Were rabbis, for example, 
ever addressed in some special way, like our priests are?

Your conclusion is plausible, but... naming conventions are tricky! 
Do we actually have any hard evidence of those conventions for the 
period and place, or are we still speculating, educated though our 
guess may be?

Indeed he is risen!

John Burnett, m.a.