The
Old Testament (also called the
Hebrew Bible) contains the legends, histories, laws and prophecies of the ancient Hebrews. It was written between the 12th and 2nd centuries BC. The original
language of the Old Testament was
Classical Hebrew, but it was later translated into
Greek (the
Septuagint),
Latin (the
Vulgate) and other languages.
Names from the Old Testament are almost all derived from Hebrew. Common name elements are el (for example in Elijah) and jeho-, jo-, -jah, -iah (in Isaiah), which refer to the Hebrew God. Most Old Testament names were not regularly used by Christians until relatively recent times, after the Protestant Reformation. Common English names that originate from the Old Testament include:
- Masculine: Adam, Daniel, David, Isaac, Jacob, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Joseph, Michael, Noah
- Feminine: Eve, Leah, Miriam, Rachel, Rebecca, Ruth, Sarah, Sharon
See also New Testament.
On this site
List of Biblical names and meanings
Complete list of Biblical names