BS: Bible people

Subject: BS: Bible people
From: Mr Happy
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 09:38 AM

I've checked out WikiP & elsewhere for this info but to no avail.

Does anyone know if most people living in biblical times had surnames or was this an unusual occurrence?

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:05 AM

In the whole world or just in the area where stories took place?

Old Testament or New?

I'm pretty sure Adam, Eve, Noah and Abraham did not. But they were archetypes possibly not actual people.
Pontius Pilate did have a surname as, I believe Most Roman citizens did at that time. I have a friend who might know. I sent him a note.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:10 AM

Google

surnames in the bible

Answers are there.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:21 AM

don't think surnames as such among the semetics but some had more than one name and some had additional names that distinquished something about them, or from another of the common name.
mary Magdalene, judas Iscariot- the 2nd names derive from their place of residence or birth.
joseph called barnabus =son of consolation..ie distinquished by his character as an encourager.
among other examples

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Allan C.
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:27 AM

There are a number of references that discuss a person being given a first name which was followed by "bar" or "ben" and then either the male parent's name or the town in which they were born. Such traditions continued for centuries thereafter. Thus, only a few hundred years ago there may have been a John, son of Raymond or John of Devon. At some point in order to differentiate one John of Devon from yet another, the male parent's occupation - or even their own - may have been added. From this we may have John Smith (of Devon).

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:38 AM

Mr Happy


Here is the answer from my friend who is a middle eastern antiquities scholar and archeologist associated with the British Museum. As you can see, his answer is in accord with some of the other answers given on this thread.

I think that the answer is, for the most part (and I am speaking of the cultures and languages with which I'm familiar) they did not. They mostly had names of the form 'X son of Y'. Their personal names were usually theophoric, such as 'Wrestler with God'=Israel. They might then have a more general designation, such as a clan or tribal name, or they might be called after the place of origin of their family, such as Joseph of Arimathea. Even in English culture surnames are a fairly late development.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Mr Happy
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:58 AM

Thanks to all for help.

I mainly meant the main players in bible stories

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: gnu
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 03:09 PM

WARNING. The following will get you smited big time if you even just read it......

First name : Jesus

Middle name : Son of God

Last name : Christ

Email address : [e-mail]

Mailing address : J. Christ, 1 Stable Road, Bethlehem, Israel, 000000

Passoverword : Pontius__ 666

Account recovery question : Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 03:14 PM

I don't think that mailing address is current.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 03:21 PM

Rogers.com?

He is 2,000 years old! Canada was only invented a couple of hundred years ago!

Be nice when you finish it. The road from Kicking Horse down to Invermere is a bit of a bugger in the snow. If you could finish that stretch before I get there in April, this old imperialist would be much obliged old chap.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 03:27 PM

"Bethlehem, Occupied West Bank, Palestine" these days.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 03:49 PM

Good one Steve, but there is a catch.

He never lived there. His residency of that town was itinerant. He grew up in Nazareth and his last known address while alive was a Roman jail in Jerusalem, or depending on your beliefs, a tomb just outside the ancient city. I think, if you want to send him a letter all you have to do is write it in your heart and pray.

Musket, perhaps you assume too much. If his email was Rogers in Canada, wouldn't it be rogers.ca?

"Canada was only invented a couple of hundred years ago!"

My Algonquin friends might argue that.

But it is fair to say that Canada Post, is fairly new.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 04:01 PM

I was simply correcting an incorrect postal address.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 04:23 PM

The Amish use a system of identification that I have not seen anywhere else: When they speak of a woman they use the husband's name and then the wife's, like 'Will Anna' and 'Mose Sarah' and 'Sam Wilma'.

In the more populous areas of Amishdom, they use middle initials in addition. For instance, a sister in law of mine has an uncle who is 'Clemons C. B. Miller' while another one may be just 'Clemons Miller' or even 'Clemons C. Miller'.

It works for them- Amish oral histories are fairly coherent.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 04:31 PM

"From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 04:01 PM

I was simply correcting an incorrect postal address. "

With a touch of political commentary? I like your commentary. I was just playing.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Allan C.
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 05:16 PM

Drifting a bit further from the original topic we can ponder the evolution of such names as Thomson or Samuelson or Reddleman.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 05:54 PM

If Isla St Clair married Barry White, divorced him, then married Bryan Ferry, would she be called Isla White-Ferry?

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 06:02 PM

I can guess the first two pretty easily Allan.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Eldergirl
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 08:12 PM

Isla White-Ferry!! LOL!!

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 14 - 10:34 PM

G'day Allan C,

Presumably, (Mr ... ? ...) Reddleman sold red dye materials ( to spinners, weavers & c...

Regard(les) BobB

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 02:40 AM

Note that raddle is the dye that was used by farmers/shepherds applied to rams in order for the detection of which ewes had been serviced. Nowadays there seem to be several different colours in use.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 05:32 AM

Lots of Mathers in England.

There again, my Dad had a bike.








Lots in Southern India too. Turns out a missionary called Mather went round baptising and lent his name to everyone he recruited to the cause.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Mr Happy
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 06:47 AM

Thomson or Samuelson or Reddleman are in the bible?

Agreed, Thomas was an apostle, so Thom's son


Samuel, an ancient leader of Israel mentioned in OT

Reddleman? Can't place him/her

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 08:40 AM

Just to be slightly useful.

At a King James exhibition at Hereford Cathedral the other year, I read that many translators and editors over the last 1800 years have sometimes given contemporary names to characters, using terms familiar to them.

It also suggested that Fred of Barnsley, Fred son of Harold and Fred the Window Cleaner have been common, and we still use the latter albeit static for a few generations.

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Mr Happy
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 09:01 AM

translators and editors of?

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 09:41 AM

John D. Baptist?

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 11:47 AM

Even without considering surnames, there are some strangely-named folk in the Bible. I particularly like 'Abaddan', who most appropriately is/was a Devil. Then there's 'On', a son of Peleth. (Maybe his twin, 'Off', died young?) What about 'Dodo', or 'Ham', or (another favourite of mine) 'Mash'? I bet he was a fearsome chap; a James Bond villain maybe. But the best is IMO a son of Isaiah called 'Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz'. With forenames like these, who needs a surname?

Subject: RE: BS: Bible people
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 05 Feb 14 - 11:51 AM

Regarding On, I can imagine him asking his mate, "Fancy a pint down the pub?" and the reply, "You're On!"