...As a Christian who does know Jesus personally (but to discuss that would be off topic for this list), I would like to add that the statement "Ναζωραιος [Nazoraios] is a Greek word which means "an inhabitant of Nazareth"" is a controversial one. The more regularly formed Greek word for "an inhabitant of Nazareth", Ναζαρηνος (Nazarenos), is also used of Jesus in the New Testament. The form Ναζωραιος [Nazoraios] may have a quite different origin, although the two words have clearly become conflated in meaning and are used more or less interchangeably in the gospels. One of the possible derivations of Ναζωραιος [Nazoraios] is from the same Hebrew word נזיר [nazir] as used for "Nazirite". One possible explanation is that נזיר [nazir] was understood as a Messianic title, on the basis of Genesis 49:26 and Deuteronomy 33:16. On the surface these references are both to Joseph, who of course was not a Nazirite. Another possible derivation is from נצר [netser] "branch", also understood as a Messianic title on the basis of Isaiah 11:1, and this explanation ties up better with the Hebrew form נוֹצְרִי [notzri] - but then the latter could also be derived from נָצְרַת [Natzerat] "Nazareth".
As for Notzri/Netzari/Nazoraios, etc, Ναζωραιος [Nazoraios] is a Greek
word which means "an inhabitant of Nazareth" (Ναζαρετ or Ναζαρεθ). The
name of Nazareth in Hebrew is נָצְרַת [Natzerat]. The Hebrew word for
"Christian" is נוֹצְרִי [notzri], and Jesus is often called (based on
the assumption that he is the same person spoken of in the Talmud) ישו
הנוצרי [Yeshu ha-Notzri] or ישוע הנוצרי [Yeshua ha-Notzri].
...
Not being a Christian, this is all the information that I can give you
about Jesus' name or life. I don't know much about him personally, but
I hear these discussions a lot. This is what I have to offer. Hope it
helps.
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