Naming God in Early JudaismAramaic, Hebrew, and Greek
Series:
Studies in Cultural Contexts of the Bible, Volume: 2Author: Anthony Meyer
During the Second Temple period (516 BCE–70 CE), Jews became reticent to speak and write the divine name, YHWH, also known by its four letters in Greek as the tetragrammaton. Priestly, pious, and scribal circles limitted the use of God’s name, and then it disappeared. The variables are poorly understood and the evidence is scattered. This study brings together all ancient Jewish literary and epigraphic evidence in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek to describe how, when, and in what sources Jews either used or avoided the divine name. Instead of a diachronic contrast from use to avoidance, as is often the scholarly assumption, the evidence suggests diverse and overlapping naming practices that draw specific meaning from linguistic, geographic, and social contexts.
Copyright Year: 2022
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-3-657-70350-0
Publication: 10 Oct 2022
EUR €92.52Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-3-506-70350-7
Publication: 11 Nov 2022
EUR €92.52
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