What does Bethlehem mean in Biblical Hebrew? What does Gethsemane mean in Biblical Hebrew? While it may be hard for many in the modern world to connect with the Jewish origins of Jesus, or perhaps with the Ancient Hebrew context in which he lived, there has been increasingly interest in this topic among many scholars and religious Christians, especially in recent years. Many are now wondering what was the Ancient Hebrew language that Jesus spoke? What was the particular historical context in which Jesus of Nazareth lived? While these questions are complex and require intensive research to more fully understand, one way we can better answer them is by simply learning more about the Biblical Hebrew origins of some common words or concepts found in the Christian Bible. Here are two examples: • Gethsemane - Referred to as the place where Judas betrayed Jesus in an olive grove. You may want to know, what is the meaning of Gethsemane in Biblical Hebrew? The name derives quite clearly from two Ancient Hebrew words. The first word is ?? (gat), meaning “press”, and the second word is ??? (shemen), which is “oil”. We thus learn through Ancient Hebrew that the name of Gethsemane literally refers to the location of an (olive) oil press, which makes sense given the description of the events occurring in an olive grove. The olive grove where Judas purportedly betrayed Jesus are still in existence and you can walk among the same trees when visiting Jerusalem (olive trees may live for hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years!). • Bethlehem – The place of Jesus’ birth is known as Bethlehem in English, but you may be curious to know what does Bethlehem mean in Biblical Hebrew? Just as we saw that Gethsemane is really two Ancient Hebrew words put together, so, too, the name Bethlehem derives from ??? (beit), meaning “house”, and ??? (lechem), meaning bread. We then see that the name Bethlehem, which is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the burial place of Rachel, is made of two words, meaning “house of bread”. By learning the Ancient Hebrew origins of terms familiar from the Christian Bible, it is easy and fun to learn Biblical Hebrew and better connect with Jesus’ Ancient Hebrew origins! Biblical Hebrew Magazine is a unique resource for those who want to learn Biblical Hebrew. You can always find more information, resources and articles at: http://www.bible-hebrew.com/
Related Articles -
biblical hebrew, ancient hebrew, learn biblical hebrew, learn ancient hebrew,
|