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  • From: Richard Fellows <rfellows AT shaw.ca>
  • To: Corpus-Paul <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Double names in Antioch
  • Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:28:17 -0800

Some time ago, some listers raised the question of the frequency of double
names in the ancient world. Some statistics for Jews are provided by Tal
Ilan (Lexicon of Jewish names in Late Antiquity, Palestine 330 BCE - 200
CE). She classifies 10% of recorded male Jews as possessors of 'nicknames'
or double names. This 10% comprises only the cases that we know about, so
the true figure is sure to be much higher.

There seems to have been an unusually high incidence of double names among
the first century Christians associated with Antioch. We know of some 14
Christians who lived in or visited Antioch at this time:

Simeon-BarJohn-BarJonah-Cephas-Peter-Simon
Joseph-Barnabas
Mark-John
Silvanus-Silas
Paul-Saul
Judas-Barsabbas
Ignatius-Theophorus
Rheus Agathopous
Niger-Simon
Agabus
Manaen
Lucius
Evodius
Titus

It can be seen that at least 9 of these 14 individuals had double names. I
see two reasons for this high proportion. Firstly, people were often given
new names when they received a religious calling or were appointed to a new
task in the believing community. Secondly, this Diaspora community straddled
the cultural divide between Jew and Gentile, so it was natural to have both
a Jewish name and a Gentile name.

Now, the 9 cases given above should cause us to look with suspicion at the
other 5.

As I mentioned before, the name 'Agabus' means 'Locust' and is otherwise
probably unattested. It is surely a nickname given to this OT-style prophet
who warned of the famine.

'Manaen' means 'comforter', which is a very appropriate name for a
teacher/prophet so this may well be a new name given to this individual
because of this role in the church.

Lucius of Cyrene had probably lived in Judea and was among those from Cyrene
who came to Antioch (Acts 20). He probably adopted a Jewish name when he
resided in Judea, because the name 'Lucius' is Roman and would have been too
closely associated with the occupation forces.

It is possible that Evodius took the name 'Theophilus'.

Titus sounds, looks, and smells like Timothy. The many cases of double
names among the believers in Antioch, and their parallels with the
hypothetical Titus-Timothy, should lay to rest any doubts about the
plausibility of that name combination. Even though Titus's father had been a
Gentile, his allegiance was to a Christ-believing community in which it was
common to receive a name with religious or cultural significance. I see no
reason to suppose that such a name would not be offered to Titus, or that he
would refuse it.

Some more detailed discussion of the double names of these 14 individuals is
available on the web:
http://members.shaw.ca/rfellows/index.htm
I welcome thoughtful comment.

Richard.






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