New Hebrew Names in the Second Temple Period: A By-Product of Biblical Exegesis

• Autores: Aaron Demsky
• Localización: ‘Names and Their Environment’: Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Onomastic Sciences, Glasgow, 25-29 August 2014 / Carole Hough (ed. lit.), Daria Izdebska (ed. lit.), 2016, ISBN 978-0-85261-947-6, págs. 44-51
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Biblical names are a vital historic-linguistic aspect of Hebrew culture in Antiquity. This paper will discuss biblical personal names and name giving practices that evolved in the Second Temple period (539 BCE-70 CE). Personal names reflect such dramatic historic processes, as the canonization of the Bible and its early exegesis. The clarification of the biblical text resulted in the creation of new personal names, e.g. from misread genealogical terms (Ahian, Vashni, Avihu), misunderstood foreign words (Ḥen) or paleographic errors (Yinnon for yikkon), as well as the reinterpretation of the sacred texts (Avigdor, Malachi). Other synchronic onomastic developments that will not be dealt with in this paper include a renewed popular religious commitment (Yosef>Yehosef), the growing influence of Aramaic and Greek cultures that led to the adoption of non-Hebrew names as well as the fashion of giving double Hebrew and vernacular names. On the other hand, the increased frequency of papponymy reduced the number of unique names known from an earlier period. All of these onomastic developments enriched and invigorated the Jewish reservoir of Hebrew names that would continue to develop up until our own times.