Names of False gods

If there are false gods, do any of them have names?

In the past, there have been many names given to the false gods of the Bible as well as referenced to in many religions even till today. Ancient Egyptian deities are the gods and goddesses worshipped in ancient Egypt. The beliefs and rituals surrounding these gods formed the core of ancient Egyptian religion, which emerged sometime in prehistory. Deities represented natural forces and phenomena, and the Egyptians supported and appeased them through offerings and rituals so that these forces would continue to function according to maat, or divine order. After the founding of the Egyptian state around 3100 BC, the authority to perform these tasks was controlled by the pharaoh, who claimed to be the gods' earthly representative and who managed the temples where the rituals were carried out.

The gods' complex characteristics were expressed in myths and in intricate relationships between deities: family ties, loose groups and hierarchies, and combinations of separate gods into one. Deities' diverse appearances in art—as animals, humans, objects, and combinations of different forms—also alluded, through symbolism, to their essential features.

In different eras, various gods were said to hold the highest position in divine society, including the solar deity Ra, the mysterious god Amun, and the mother goddess Isis. The highest deity was usually credited with the creation of the world and often connected with the life-giving power of the sun. Some scholars have argued, based in part on Egyptian writings, that the Egyptians came to recognize a single divine power that lay behind all things and was present in all the other deities. Yet they never abandoned their original polytheistic view of the world, except possibly during the era of Atenism in the 14th century BC, when official religion focused exclusively on the impersonal sun god Aten.

Gods were assumed to be present throughout the world, capable of influencing natural events and the course of human lives. People interacted with them in temples and unofficial shrines, for personal reasons as well as for larger goals of state rites. Egyptians prayed for divine help, used rituals to compel deities to act, and called upon them for advice. Humans' relations with their gods were a fundamental part of Egyptian society. Here is a list of some of the more popular ones (their names & images): Here are 15 major ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, if this is your interest, that you may care to know about - The names are written above the picture that they represent.

1) Nun – The Primeval God

2) Amun, Ra, and Amun-Ra – The Ancient Egyptian gods of Sun and Wind

3) Hathor – The Cow Goddess

3) Hathor – The Cow Goddess

5) Maat – The Goddess of Order

6) Ptah – The Creator God or often referred to as the beetle god.
The gods Ptah and Sekhmet flank the king, who takes the role of their child, Nefertum. Nefertem was, in Egyptian mythology, originally a lotus flower at the creation of the world, who had arisen from the primal waters. Nefertem represented both the first sunlight and the delightful smell of the Egyptian blue lotus flower, having arisen from the primal waters within an Egyptian blue water-lily, Nymphaea caerulea. Some of the titles of Nefertem were "He Who is Beautiful" and "Water-Lily of the Sun", and a version of the Book of the Dead says: Rise like Nefertem from the blue water lily, to the nostrils of Ra, and come forth upon the horizon each day. It was also believed that Khepri was a god of creation, the movement of the sun, and rebirth. The scarab beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung. Then, it rolls the ball along the ground until the young beetles are ready to hatch. When the young beetles are ready, they crawl out of the ball.

7) Isis – The Magic Goddess

8) Osiris – The Dead God

9) Horus – The Falcon God

10) Set – The Antagonist God

11) Anubis – The Jackal God

12) Thoth – The Ibis God

13) Taweret – The Hippo Goddess

14) Aten – The ‘Controversial’ God

15) Honorable Mention – Khepri, The Beetle God


There are many reasons given for the many designs of these mystic gods, but it seems that different pharaoh's and their supporters (some of whom had large imaginations and others that had the ability to draw) got together and puffed up their pharaoh's into believing that these various symbols best represented their kingdoms, making it easier for the masses to worship them. In any event, here's what others have said in their hybolical languages.

This information is taken from Wikipedia:
The beings in ancient Egyptian tradition who might be labeled as deities are difficult to count. Egyptian texts list the names of many deities whose nature is unknown and make vague, indirect references to other gods who are not even named. The Egyptologist James P. Allen estimates that more than 1,400 deities are named in Egyptian texts, whereas his colleague Christian Leitz says there are "thousands upon thousands" of gods.

The Egyptian language's terms for these beings were "god", and its feminine form "goddess". Scholars have tried to discern the original nature of the gods by proposing etymologies for these words, but none of these suggestions has gained acceptance, and the terms' origin remains obscure. The hieroglyphs that were used as ideograms and determinatives in writing these words show some of the traits that the Egyptians connected with divinity. The most common of these signs is a flag flying from a pole. Similar objects were placed at the entrances of temples, representing the presence of a deity, throughout ancient Egyptian history. Other such hieroglyphs include a falcon, reminiscent of several early gods who were depicted as falcons, and a seated male or female deity. The feminine form could also be written with an egg as determinative, connecting goddesses with creation and birth, or with a cobra, reflecting the use of the cobra to depict many female deities.

The Egyptians distinguished "gods", "people", but the meanings of the Egyptian and the English terms do not match perfectly. The term "god" may have applied to any being that was in some way outside the sphere of everyday life. Deceased humans were called gods because they were considered to be like the gods, whereas the term was rarely applied to many of Egypt's lesser supernatural beings, which modern scholars often call "demons". Egyptian religious art also depicts places, objects, and concepts in human form. These personified ideas range from deities that were important in myth and ritual to obscure beings, only mentioned once or twice, that may be little more than metaphors.

Confronting these blurred distinctions between gods and other beings, scholars have proposed various definitions of a "deity". One widely accepted definition, suggested by Jan Assmann, says that a deity has a cult, is involved in some aspect of the universe, and is described in mythology or other forms of written tradition. According to a different definition, by Dimitri Meeks, "god" applied to any being that was the focus of ritual. From this perspective, "gods" included the king, who was called a god after his coronation rites, and deceased souls, who entered the divine realm through funeral ceremonies. Likewise, the preeminence of the great gods was maintained by the ritual devotion that was performed for them across Egypt.

The first written evidence of deities in Egypt comes from the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3100–2686 BC). Deities must have emerged sometime in the preceding Pre-dynastic Period (before 3100 BC) and grown out of prehistoric religious beliefs. Pre-dynastic artwork depicts a variety of animal and human figures. Some of these images, such as stars and cattle, are reminiscent of important features of Egyptian religion in later times, but in most cases there is not enough evidence to say whether the images are connected with deities. As Egyptian society grew more sophisticated, clearer signs of religious activity appeared. The earliest known temples appeared in the last centuries of the pre-dynastic era, along with images that resemble the icono-graphies of known deities: the falcon that represents Horus and several other gods, the crossed arrows that stand for Neith, and the enigmatic "Set animal" that represents Set.

Many Egyptologists and anthropologists have suggested theories about how the gods developed in these early times. Gustave Jéquier, for instance, thought the Egyptians first revered primitive fetishes, then deities in animal form, and finally deities in human form, whereas Henri Frankfort argued that the gods must have been envisioned in human form from the beginning. Some of these theories are now regarded as too simplistic, and more current ones, such as Siegfried Morenz' hypothesis that deities emerged as humans began to distinguish themselves from and personify their environment, but this seems difficult to prove.

Pre-dynastic Egypt originally consisted of small, independent villages. Because many deities in later times were strongly tied to particular towns and regions, many scholars have suggested that the pantheon formed as smaller communities became larger states, spreading and inter-mingling the worship of the old local deities. Others have argued that the most important pre-dynastic gods were, like other elements of Egyptian culture, present all across the country despite its political divisions.

The final step in the formation of Egyptian religion was the unification of Egypt, in which rulers from Upper Egypt made themselves pharaohs of the entire country. These sacred kings and their subordinates assumed the right to interact with the gods, and kingship became the unifying focus of the religion.

New deities continued to emerge after this transformation. Some important deities such as Isis and Amun are not known to have appeared until the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BC). Places and concepts could inspire the creation of a deity to represent them, and deities were sometimes created to serve as opposite-sex counterparts to established gods or goddesses. Kings were said to be divine, although only a few continued to be worshipped long after their deaths. Some non-royal humans were said to have the favor of the gods and were venerated accordingly. This veneration was usually short-lived, but the court architects Imhotep and Amenhotep son of Hapu were regarded as gods centuries after their lifetimes, as were some other officials.

Through contact with neighboring civilizations, the Egyptians also adopted foreign deities. Dedun, who is first mentioned in the Old Kingdom, may have come from Nubia, and Baal, Anat, and Astarte, among others, were adopted from Canaanite religion during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC). In Greek and Roman times, from 332 BC to the early centuries AD, deities from across the Mediterranean world were revered in Egypt, but the native gods remained, and they often absorbed the cults of these newcomers into their own worship.

A chart of Names

I love doing Bible research and was studying on the use of God’s name. Have you ever wondered what it was? I know that you know I’ve always used Jehovah as God’s name and quoted Psalms 83:18 in support of that name, but I thought I’d make a chart to assist you in knowing more about Jehovah’s name and the importance of separating your thinking into why we feel it’s important and also why other religions don’t use it or maybe rarely use it.

How many names does God have? - God has just one personal name. It is written יהוה in Hebrew and is usually rendered “Jehovah” in English. (Some Hebrew scholars favor the rendering “Yahweh” or “Jah” for God’s name.) Through his prophet Isaiah, God stated: “I am Jehovah. That is my name.” (Isaiah 42:8) This name appears about 7,000 times in ancient Bible manuscripts—far more frequently than any other term for God or anyone else’s personal name.

Are there other names for God? - Although the Bible refers to God by only one personal name, it uses many titles and descriptions for him. The following list of some of those titles and descriptions shows how each one reveals an aspect of Jehovah’s nature or his personality.

Title: Reference: Meaning:
Allah (None) Derived from Arabic, the word “Allah” is not a personal name but a title meaning “God.” Bible translations in Arabic and other languages use “Allah” as an equivalent for “God.”
Almighty Genesis 17:1
Has irresistible power. The Hebrew expression ʼEl Shad•daiʹ, “God Almighty,” occurs seven times in the Bible.
The Alpha and the Omega Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13
“The first and the last,” or “the beginning and the end,” meaning that there was no Almighty God before Jehovah and there will be none after him. (Isaiah 43:10) Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
Ancient of Days Daniel 7:9, 13, 22
Had no beginning; existed for an eternity before anyone or anything else came into being.—Psalm 90:2.

Creator Isaiah 40:28
Brought all things into existence.
Father Matthew 6:9
Life-giver.
God Genesis 1:1
An object of worship; a strong One. The Hebrew word ʼElo•himʹ is plural, indicating Jehovah’s majesty, dignity, or excellence.
God of gods Deuteronomy 10:17
The supreme God, in contrast with the “worthless gods” worshipped by some.—Isaiah 2:8.

Grand Instructor Isaiah 30:20, 21
Gives beneficial teaching and direction.—Isaiah 48:17, 18.

Grand Maker Psalm 149:2
Brought all things into existence.—Revelation 4:11.

Happy God 1 Timothy 1:11
Characterized by joy and happiness.—Psalm 104:31.


Hearer of prayer Psalm 65:2 - Personally listens to each prayer offered to him in faith.
I Am That I Am Exodus 3:14, King James Version Becomes whatever is needed to fulfill his purpose. This phrase has also been translated “I Will Become whatsoever I please” or “I Will Become What I Choose to Become.” (The Emphasised Bible, by J. B. Rotherham; New World Translation) This description helps to explain the personal name, Jehovah, given in the next verse.—Exodus 3:15.

Jealous Exodus 34:14, - King James Version Tolerates no rivalry in worship. This term has also been translated “does not tolerate rivals” and “known for requiring exclusive devotion.”—God’s Word Bible; New World Translation.
King of eternity Revelation 15:3
His rulership has no beginning or end.
Lord Psalm 135:5

Owner or master; Hebrew ʼA•dhohnʹ and ʼAdho•nimʹ.
Lord of hosts, Lord of Sabaoth Isaiah 1:9, King James Version; Romans 9:29, King James Version Commander of vast forces of angels. The title “Lord of Sabaoth” can also be rendered “Jehovah of armies” and “Lord of the [heavenly] armies.”—Romans 9:29, New World Translation; NET Bible, footnote.
Most High Psalm 47:2
Occupies the supreme position.
Most Holy One Proverbs 9:10
More holy (morally clean and pure) than any other being.
Potter Isaiah 64:8
Has authority over individuals and nations, just as a potter has authority over clay.—Romans 9:20, 21.

Redeemer, Repurchaser Isaiah 41:14; King James Version Recovers or buys back mankind from sin and death through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ.—John 3:16.

Rock Psalm 18:2, 46
A secure refuge and source of salvation.
Savior Isaiah 45:21
Delivers from danger or destruction.
Shepherd Psalm 23:1
Cares for his worshippers.
Sovereign Lord Genesis 15:2
Has supreme authority; Hebrew ʼAdho•naiʹ.
Supreme One Daniel 7:18, 27
The highest sovereign.


Some “place names” (or where God’s name is used in conjunction with a place) in the Bible include God’s personal name, but these are not alternate names for God.
Place Name: Reference: Meaning:
Jehovah-jireh Genesis 22:13, 14
“Jehovah Will Provide.”
Jehovah-nissi Exodus 17:15
“Jehovah Is My Signal Pole,” or “my Banner.” (Today’s New International Version) Jehovah is a God around whom his people can rally for protection and help.—Exodus 17:13-16.

Jehovah-shalom Judges 6:23, 24
“Jehovah Is Peace.”
Jehovah-shammah Ezekiel 48:35, footnote, American Standard Version “Jehovah Is There.”

Reasons to know and use God’s name
• God must feel that his personal name, Jehovah, is important, because he included it thousands of times in the Bible.—Malachi 1:11.
• God’s Son, Jesus, repeatedly stressed the importance of God’s name. For instance, he prayed to Jehovah: “Let your name be sanctified.”—Matthew 6:9; John 17:6.
• Those who come to know and use God’s name take the first steps in building a friendship with Jehovah. (Psalm 9:10; Malachi 3:16) Such a relationship enables them to benefit from God’s promise: “Because he has affection for me, I will rescue him. I will protect him because he knows my name.”—Psalm 91:14.
• The Bible acknowledges: “There are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords.’” (1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) Yet it clearly identifies the one true God by his name, Jehovah.—Psalm 83:18.

The Angels also had names

What types of angels are there? and a little information and history about them.

First of all, it seems proper to identify what type of spirits there are. The bible says that there are many types of spirits.

1. There is one True God - His name is Jehovah. He not only identifies Himself, but he wants His name known and He wants it to be used.
2. There are good angels - Seraphs, Messenger, Cherubs and The Arch Angel (Michael or later referred to as Jesus).
3. Despite the fact that there are or appear to be billions of angels in the heavens, the only names of angels mentioned in the bible are: Michael & Gabriel,
4. There are bad angels - Satan the devil and his demons.
5. No bad angels including Satan has ever been named. Their given names remain unknown to humans. Satan is not this demons name. Satan is a description or identifying mark of his which means resister, Simply put, the demons are former angels, who have chosen to follow Satan the Devil. Satan means “Resister” and Devil means “Slanderer.” According to the Bible, this former angelic son of God made himself a resister and a slanderer by choosing to rebel against God. In time, he enticed other angels to join him in his rebellious course. These allies thus became demons.—Genesis 3:1-15; 6:1-4;
Daniel 10:13-21 - mentions 3 angels. Mentioned are: Michael, the Prince of the Royal Realm of Persia and the Prince of Greece.
13 But the prince of the royal realm of Persia stood in opposition to me for 21 days. But then Mi′cha·el, one of the foremost princes, came to help me; and I remained there beside the kings of Persia.
14 I have come to make you understand what will befall your people in the final part of the days, because it is a vision yet for the days to come.”
15 Now when he spoke these words to me, I turned my face to the ground and became speechless.
16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and said to the one who stood in front of me: “My lord, I am shuddering because of the vision, and I have no strength.
17 So how can my lord’s servant speak with my lord? For now I have no strength, and there is no breath left in me.”
18 The one who looked like a man touched me again and strengthened me.
19 Then he said: “Do not be afraid, O very precious man. May you have peace. Be strong, yes, be strong.” As he spoke with me I was strengthened and I said: “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
20 Then he said: “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will go back to fight with the prince of Persia. When I leave, the prince of Greece will come.
21 However, I will tell you the things recorded in the writings of truth. There is no one strongly supporting me in these things but Mi′cha·el, your prince.

Who was this ‘prince of Persia’?
The angel was obviously not referring to Persian King Cyrus, who at that time looked with favor upon Daniel and his people. Moreover, how could a mere human king resist a spirit creature for three weeks when it took one angel only one night to destroy 185,000 mighty warriors? (Isaiah 37:36) This hostile ‘prince of Persia’ could only be an agent of the Devil, that is, a demon who was given control over the realm of the Persian Empire.

Who was this ‘prince of Greece’?
Later in the account, God’s angel stated and another demon prince, “the prince of Greece.”—Daniel 10:20. Not much is said about the Prince of Greece in this scripture, but based on other scriptures referencing this description, it becomes obvious that the Prince of Greece is just another demon creature in opposition to Jehovah with his assignments from Satan.

What can we conclude from this?
Simply that there really are invisible “world rulers,” demon princes who share control of the world under the authority of their chief, Satan the Devil. But what has been their aim until now? Well, this question can be discussed in other blogs at a later date, but you can reason on this question by considering Revelation 12:9, 12 & Revelation 11:18; 18:11-17.

Daniel 11:5-9 - Mentions 2 entities: the King of the North and the King of the South
5 “And the king of the south will become strong, that is, one of his princes; but one will prevail against him and will rule with extensive dominion, greater than that one’s ruling power.
6 “After some years they will make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north in order to make an equitable arrangement. But she will not retain the power of her arm; and he will not stand, nor his arm; and she will be given up, she and those bringing her in, and the one who caused her birth, and the one making her strong in those times.
7 And one from the sprout of her roots will stand up in his position, and he will come to the army and come against the fortress of the king of the north and will take action against them and prevail.
8 Also with their gods, with their metal images, with their desirable articles of silver and of gold, and with captives, he will come to Egypt. For some years he will stand off from the king of the north,
9 who will come against the kingdom of the king of the south, but will go back to his own land.

Jude 6 reads - And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.
Matthew 25:41 - “Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go away from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.

Names - continued -
The Arch Angel Michael or later referred to as Jesus,
Michael was of course Jesus Christ whose history is on Biblical record.
Gabriel spoke with Daniel
Gabriel spoke with Mary
Gabriel spoke with Zachariah

Twice Gabriel appeared to Daniel:
first, near the Ulai River “in the third year of the kingship of Belshazzar” to explain Daniel’s vision of the he-goat and the ram (Da 8:1, 15-26);
Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the kingship of King Bel·shaz′zar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that appeared to me previously . . .
Daniel 8:15-18
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and seeking to understand it, suddenly I saw standing in front of me someone who appeared to be a man.
16 Then I heard the voice of a man in the midst of the U′lai, and he called out: “Ga′bri·el, make that one understand what he saw.”
17 So he came near to where I was standing, but when he came I was so terrified that I fell facedown. He said to me: “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
18 But while he was speaking with me, I fell fast

and second, “in the first year of Darius” the Mede, to deliver the prophecy concerning the “seventy weeks.” (Da 9:1, 20-27)

Daniel 9:21-23
21 yes, while I was yet speaking in prayer, the man Ga′bri·el, whom I had previously seen in the vision, came to me when I was extremely weary at about the time of the evening gift offering.
22 And he gave me understanding, saying: “O Daniel, now I have come to give you insight and understanding.
23 When you began your entreaty the word went out, and I have come to report it to you, because you are someone very precious. So consider the matter and understand the vision.

Seraphs
Isaiah 6:2 - Seraphs were standing above him; each had six wings. Each covered his face with two and covered his feet with two, and each of them would fly about with two.
Isaiah 6:6 At that, one of the seraphs flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
The term “seraphs,” meaning “fiery ones” or “burning ones,” suggests that they radiate brightness, yet they hide their faces from the greater brilliance and glory of Jehovah. Seraphs are angels of high rank having special duties.

Cherubs
Genesis 3:24 - "So he drove the man out, and he posted at the east of the garden of E′den the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning continuously to guard the way to the tree of life."
Exodus 25:18-20 -
18 You are to make two cherubs of gold; you will make them of hammered work on the two ends of the cover.
19 Make the cherubs on the two ends, one cherub on each end of the cover.
20 "The cherubs are to spread out their two wings upward, overshadowing the cover with their wings, and they will face each other. The faces of the cherubs will be turned toward the cover."
Exodus 26:1-33 -
26 “You are to make the tabernacle with ten tent cloths of fine twisted linen, blue thread, purple wool, and scarlet material. You are to make them with embroidered cherub designs,
32 You will hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold. Their hooks are to be of gold. The pillars are set on four socket pedestals of silver.
33 You will hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the Testimony there within the curtain. The curtain will make a division for you between the Holy and the Most Holy.
Two cherubs of oil-tree wood overlaid with gold stood in the Most Holy of that temple. (1Ki 6:23, 28, 29) The molten sea rested upon 12 copper bulls, and the sidewalls of the copper carriages for temple use were decorated with figures of lions, bulls, and cherubs. (1Ki 7:25, 28, 29) Twelve lions lined the steps leading up to Solomon’s throne.—2Ch 9:17-19. These representations, however, were not idols for worship. Only the officiating priests saw the representations of the tabernacle interior and, later, of the temple interior. No one but the high priest entered the Most Holy, and that only on the Day of Atonement.

2Chronicles 3:6-13 -
6 Further, he overlaid the house with precious stone for beauty; and the gold was gold from the gold country.
7 And he went on to cover the house, the rafters, the thresholds and its walls and its doors with gold; and he engraved cherubs upon the walls.
8 And he proceeded to make the house of the Most Holy, its length in relation to the width of the house being twenty cubits, and its own width being twenty cubits; and then he covered it with good gold to the amount of six hundred talents.
9 And the weight for the nails was fifty gold shekels; and the roof chambers he covered with gold.
10 Then he made in the house of the Most Holy two cherubs in the workmanship of images, and overlaid them with gold.
11 As for the wings of the cherubs, their length was twenty cubits, the one wing of five cubits reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing of five cubits reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12 And the wing of the one cherub of five cubits was reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing of five cubits was in contact with the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubs were spread out twenty cubits; and they were standing upon their feet with their faces inward.
14 Further, he made the curtain of blue thread and wool dyed reddish purple and crimson and fine fabric, and worked in cherubs upon it.
1. (cher′ub). An angelic creature of high rank having special duties, distinguished from the order of seraphs. The first of the 92 times they are mentioned in the Bible is at Genesis 3:24; after God’s driving Adam and Eve out of Eden, cherubs (Heb., keru·vim′) were posted at the East entrance with a flaming blade of a sword “to guard the way to the tree of life.” Whether more than two were stationed there is not disclosed.

Representative figures of cherubs were included in the furnishings of the tabernacle set up in the wilderness. Rising above each end of the Ark’s cover were two cherubs of hammered gold. They were facing each other and bowing toward the cover in an attitude of worship. Each had two wings that spread upward and screened over the cover in a guarding and protecting manner. (Ex 25:10-21; 37:7-9) Also, the inner covering of tent cloths for the tabernacle and the curtain dividing the Holy from the Most Holy had embroidered cherub figures.—Ex 26:1, 31; 36:8, 35.

These were not grotesque figures fashioned after the monstrous winged images worshiped by pagan nations round about, as some contend. According to the unanimous testimony of ancient Jewish tradition (the Bible is silent on this matter), these cherubs had human form. They were finest works of art, representing angelic creatures of glorious beauty, and were made in every detail “according to . . . the pattern” Moses received from Jehovah himself. (Ex 25:9) The apostle Paul describes them as “glorious cherubs overshadowing the propitiatory cover.” (Heb 9:5) These cherubs were associated with the presence of Jehovah: “And I will present myself to you there and speak with you from above the cover, from between the two cherubs that are upon the ark of the testimony.” (Ex 25:22; Nu 7:89) Hence, Jehovah was said to be “sitting upon [or, between] the cherubs.” (1Sa 4:4; 2Sa 6:2; 2Ki 19:15; 1Ch 13:6; Ps 80:1; 99:1; Isa 37:16) In symbol, the cherubs served as “the representation of the chariot” of Jehovah upon which he rode (1Ch 28:18), and the wings of the cherubs offered both guarding protection and swiftness in travel. So David, in poetic song, described the speed with which Jehovah came to his aid, like one who “came riding upon a cherub and came flying” even “upon the wings of a spirit.”—2Sa 22:11; Ps 18:10.

The detailed architectural plans for Solomon’s magnificent temple called for two huge cherubs in the Most Holy. They were made of oil-tree wood overlaid with gold, each standing ten cubits (4.5 m; 14.6 ft) high. They both stood facing the E on a N-S line running presumably through the center of the room. Although standing ten cubits apart, one wing of each cherub reached to touch the tip of the other’s extended wing in the center of the room, overshadowing the ark of the covenant and its poles, which rested beneath. The outer wings of each cherub touched the N and S walls respectively. Thus the wings of the cherubs spanned the 20-cubit width of the room. (See TEMPLE.) Engraved carvings of cherubs, overlaid with gold, also decorated the walls and doors of the temple. Likewise the sides of the copper water carriages were ornamented with cherubs. (1Ki 6:23-35; 7:29-36; 8:6, 7; 1Ch 28:18; 2Ch 3:7, 10-14; 5:7, 8) In a similar manner, carved cherubs ornamented the walls and doors of the temple that Ezekiel envisioned.—Eze 41:17-20, 23-25.

Ezekiel also relates a number of visions in which symbolic cherubs of unusual description were seen. After speaking of them as “living creatures” (Eze 1:5-28), he later identifies them as “cherubs.” (Eze 9:3; 10:1-22; 11:22) In these pictorial visions the cherubs are intimately associated with the glorious personage of Jehovah and constantly attendant upon him.

In his prophetic book Ezekiel was also told to “lift up a dirge concerning the king of Tyre,” in which he calls the king a glorious covering cherub that was once “in Eden, the garden of God,” but who was stripped of his beauty and made as ashes upon the ground. “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: . . . ‘You are the anointed cherub that is covering, and I have set you. On the holy mountain of God you proved to be. In the midst of fiery stones you walked about. You were faultless in your ways from the day of your being created until unrighteousness was found in you. . . . I shall put you as profane out of the mountain of God, and I shall destroy you, O cherub that is covering [“O protecting cherub,” Vg].’”—Eze 28:11-19.

2. (pronounced ke′rub). A city in Babylonia from which certain exiles returned to Jerusalem in 537 B.C.E.; they were unable to trace their genealogy and therefore could not prove whether they were Israelites.—Ezr 2:59; Ne 7:61.

Judges 13:8-21 Often the angels did not reveal themselves to humans.
8 Ma·noʹah pleaded with Jehovah and said: “Pardon me, Jehovah. Please let the man of the true God whom you just sent come again to instruct us about what we should do with the child who will be born.”
9 So the true God listened to Ma·noʹah, and the angel of the true God came again to the woman while she was sitting in the field; her husband Ma·noʹah was not with her.
10 The woman quickly ran and told her husband: “Look! The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.”
11 Then Ma·noʹah got up and went with his wife. He came to the man and said to him: “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said: “I am.”
12 Then Ma·noʹah said: “May your words come true! What will be the child’s manner of life, and what will be his work?”
13 So Jehovah’s angel said to Ma·noʹah: “Your wife should keep herself from everything that I mentioned to her.
14 She should not eat anything that the grapevine produces, she should not drink wine or anything alcoholic, and she should not eat anything unclean. Everything that I commanded her, let her observe.”
15 Ma·noʹah now said to Jehovah’s angel: “Please stay, and let us prepare a young goat for you.”
16 But Jehovah’s angel said to Ma·noʹah: “If I stay, I will not eat your food; but if you wish to present a burnt offering to Jehovah, you may offer it up.” Ma·noʹah did not know that he was Jehovah’s angel.
17 Then Ma·noʹah said to Jehovah’s angel: “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
18 However, Jehovah’s angel said to him: “Why are you asking about my name, seeing that it is a wonderful one?”
19 Then Ma·noʹah took the young goat and the grain offering and offered them on the rock to Jehovah. And He was doing something amazing while Ma·noʹah and his wife were looking on.
20 As the flame ascended from the altar heavenward, Jehovah’s angel ascended in the flame from the altar while Ma·noʹah and his wife were looking on. At once they fell with their faces to the ground.
21 Jehovah’s angel did not appear again to Ma·noʹah and his wife. Then Ma·noʹah realized that he was Jehovah’s angel.


Isaiah 37:16 - “O Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, sitting enthroned above the cherubs, you alone are the true God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.
Hebrews 9:5 - "and above it were the glorious cherubs overshadowing the propitiatory cover. But now is not the time to speak of these things in detail."
Cherubs are also angels of high rank having special duties. They are different from seraphs. This seems to indicate that there are angels that are created not to be Seraphs or Cherubs, but the Bible does not indicate other ranks or positions by name.

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not a spirit per se. The Holy Spirit is Jehovah's active force doing His will. Like the electric in a power cord. There is a source of power (Jehovah) and an intended target (whatever it is sent to do, it accomplishes). The Holy Spirit is the power that is sent from Jehovah through the cord to do its job. It has no personality, no gender,

Revelation 19:10 says during a conversation with the Apostle John, "At that I fell down before his feet to worship him. But he tells me: “Be careful! Do not do that! I am only a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who have the work of witnessing concerning Jesus. Worship God! For the witness concerning Jesus is what inspires prophecy.”

Jehovah spoke to the prophets who in turn spoke to His people and gave them laws and instructions.
Acts 3:19-24 19 “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, so that seasons of refreshing may come from Jehovah himself 20 and he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus. 21 Heaven must hold this one within itself until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old. 22 In fact, Moses said: ‘Jehovah your God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. 23 Indeed, anyone who does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’ 24 And all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed him, as many as have spoken, have also plainly declared these days.

In further reading I find these names: Be·el′ze·bub, Ad′don, Abaddon, Apollyon,
(Be·el′ze·bub) [possibly an alteration of Baal-zebub, meaning “Owner of the Flies,” the Baal worshiped by the Philistines at Ekron. Alternately, Beelzeboul and Beezeboul, possibly meaning, “Owner of the Lofty Abode (Habitation)”; or, if a play on the non-Biblical Heb. word ze′vel (dung), “Owner of the Dung”].

“Beelzebub” is a designation applied to Satan the prince, or ruler, of the demons. The religious leaders blasphemously accused Jesus Christ of expelling demons by means of Beelzebub.—Mt 10:25; 12:24-29; Mr 3:22-27; Lu 11:15-19; see BAAL-ZEBUB.

•2 Kings 1:2, "And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness."
•2 Kings 1:16, "Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'"
•Matthew 10:25, "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!"
•Matthew 12:24, "But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."
•Mark 3:22, "The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul,' and 'He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.'"
•Luke 11:15, "But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

Ad′don
Some have attributed the name Addon to a biblical name of an angel, but my research shows that apparently Addon is either an unidentified location in Babylonia, from which some returning to Jerusalem in 537 B.C.E., at the end of the 70-year desolation of Judah, where those returning were unable to establish their genealogy from the public records. As a consequence, they were disqualified from serving in the priesthood. Other scholars think Addon was an individual who was unable to prove his ancestry.—Ezr 2:59-62; Ne 7:61-64.


Abaddon (‎6 occurrences) (A·bad′don) [from Heb., (Re 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1) “The angel of the abyss” called Abaddon is also represented by a star. ... Re 9:1, 11; Revelation In Hebrew his name is A·bad′don, but in Greek he has the name A·pol′lyon.

Additional Research pending it-1 p. 12



Apollyon I found (‎2 occurrences)
The Greek name used by the apostle John to translate the Hebrew “Abaddon” at Revelation 9:11. ... Compare Re 19:11-16; Lu 8:31;

Additional research pending.

Honor Jehovah's great name 3-15-13 p.24

By and large, Christendom's churches have distanced themselves from God's name. For example, the revised standard version of the Bible states in its preface: "The use of any proper name for the one and only God . . . is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church."

Jehovah's Witnesses, on the other hand, are proud to bear God's name and to glorify it. Psalm 86:12, Isaiah 43:10. Furthermore, we count it a privilege to understand the meaning of that name and the universal issue involving its sanctification. Matt 6:9, That, though, is a privilege that we must never take for granted. Accordingly, let us consider 3 important questions:
1) What does it mean to know God's name?
2) How has Jehovah lived up to his great name, thus adding to its glory? and
3) How can we walk in Jehovah's name?

So, 1) What does it mean to know God's name? - To know God's name involves much more than merely being acquainted with the word "Jehovah." it includes knowing Jehovah's reputation, as well as his qualities, purpose, and activities as revealed in the Bible, such as his dealings with his servants. Of course, Jehovah grants this insight progressively, according to the outworking of his purpose. (Prov 4:18) Jehovah revealed his name to the first human pair; thus, Eve used it after giving birth to Cain. (Gen 4:1) The faithful patriarchs Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew and used God's name. Moreover, their appreciation for it grew as Jehovah blessed them, cared for them, and revealed aspects of his purpose to them. Moses was granted special insight into God's name.

Ex 3:10-15 says: 10 And now come and let me send you to Phar′aoh, and you bring my people the sons of Israel out of Egypt.” 11 However, Moses said to the [true] God: “Who am I that I should go to Phar′aoh and that I have to bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 To this he said: “Because I shall prove to be with you, and this is the sign for you that it is I who have sent you: After you have brought the people out of Egypt, YOU people will serve the [true] God on this mountain.” 13 Nevertheless, Moses said to the [true] God: “Suppose I am now come to the sons of Israel and I do say to them, ‘The God of YOUR forefathers has sent me to YOU,’ and they do say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 At this God said to Moses: “I SHALL PROVE TO BE WHAT I SHALL PROVE TO BE.” And he added: “This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘I SHALL PROVE TO BE has sent me to YOU.’” 15 Then God said once more to Moses: “This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘Jehovah the God of YOUR forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to YOU.’ This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation.

When Moses was 80 years old, God gave him a weighty command: “You bring my people the sons of Israel out of Egypt.” Moses responded respectfully with a question, one of profound significance. In effect, Moses asked: ‘What is your name?’ Considering that God’s name was long known, what was the point of Moses’ question? Evidently, he wanted to know more about the person represented by the name—facts that would convince God’s people that He really would deliver them. Moses’ concern was warranted, for the Israelites had been slaves for some time. They would likely wonder whether the God of their forefathers could deliver them. Indeed, some Israelites had even taken up the worship of Egyptian gods!—Ezek. 20:7, 8.

How did Jehovah reply to Moses’ question? In part, he said: “This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘I SHALL PROVE TO BE has sent me to you.’” * Then he added: “Jehovah the God of your forefathers . . . has sent me to you.” God revealed that he will become whatever he chooses to become so as to accomplish his purpose, that he will always prove true to his word. Hence, in verse 15 we read that Jehovah himself said: “This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation.” How that revelation must have strengthened Moses’ faith and filled him with awe!

2) How has Jehovah lived up to his great name, thus adding to its glory?
Shortly after commissioning Moses, Jehovah fully lived up to his name by ‘proving to be’ Israel’s Deliverer. He humiliated Egypt with ten devastating plagues, at the same time exposing the Egyptian gods—including Pharaoh—as impotent. (Ex. 12:12) Then Jehovah opened up the Red Sea, led Israel through it, and drowned Pharaoh and his military force. (Ps. 136:13-15) In the “great and fear-inspiring wilderness,” Jehovah proved to be a Preserver of life as he provided food and water for his people, perhaps numbering from two to three million or more! He even caused their garments and their sandals not to wear out. (Deut. 1:19; 29:5) Yes, nothing can stop Jehovah from proving true to his incomparable name. He later stated to Isaiah: “I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.”—Isa. 43:11.

Moses’ successor, Joshua, also witnessed Jehovah’s fear-inspiring deeds in Egypt and in the wilderness. Hence, near the end of his life, Joshua could with heartfelt conviction say to his fellow Israelites: “You well know with all your hearts and with all your souls that not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.” (Josh. 23:14) Yes, in no uncertain terms, Jehovah fulfilled his word—he ‘proved to be.’

Likewise today, Jehovah is ‘proving to be.’ By means of his Son, he foretold that during the last days, the Kingdom message would be preached “in all the inhabited earth.” (Matt. 24:14) Who else but God Almighty could foretell such a work, see that it is done, and use many “unlettered and ordinary” people to accomplish it? (Acts 4:13) Hence, when we share in this work, we actually share in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. We honor our Father and show that we really mean it when we pray: “Let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matt. 6:9, 10.

HIS NAME IS GREAT
Shortly after Israel’s Exodus, Jehovah became something new to his people. By means of the Law covenant, he became their “husbandly owner,” willingly taking on all the responsibilities associated therewith. (Jer. 3:14) The Israelites, in turn, became his figurative wife, his name people. (Isa. 54:5, 6) As they willingly submitted to him and kept his commandments, he would prove to be the perfect ‘Husband.’ He would bless them, keep them, and assign peace to them. (Num. 6:22-27) Jehovah’s great name would thus be glorified among the nations. (Read Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Psalm 86:7-10.) Indeed, throughout Israel’s history, many foreigners were drawn to true worship. They, in effect, said what the Moabitess Ruth said to Naomi: “Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”—Ruth 1:16.

For some 1,500 years, Jehovah’s dealings with Israel revealed many new facets of his personality. Despite the nation’s waywardness, over and over Jehovah proved to be “a God merciful” and “slow to anger.” He was a God of extraordinary patience and long-suffering. (Ex. 34:5-7) Jehovah’s patience, nevertheless, did have a limit, and that limit was reached when the Jewish nation rejected and killed his Son. (Matt. 23:37, 38) The fleshly descendants of Israel ceased to be God’s name people. In the main, they became spiritually dead, like a withered tree. (Luke 23:31) How did this affect their attitude toward the divine name?

History indicates that, in time, the Jews developed a superstitious attitude toward God’s name, viewing it as something that they should not pronounce. (Ex. 20:7) God’s name gradually became disassociated from Judaism. It no doubt hurt Jehovah to see his name treated so disrespectfully. (Ps. 78:40, 41) However, God, “whose name is Jealous,” clearly would not forever attach it to a people who had disowned him and whom he had disowned. (Ex. 34:14) This fact should impress upon us the importance of treating our Creator’s name with great respect.


A NEW PEOPLE CALLED BY GOD’S NAME
Through Jeremiah, Jehovah revealed his purpose to establish “a new covenant” with a new nation, spiritual Israel. All its members, “from the least one of them even to the greatest one of them,” Jeremiah foretold, would “know Jehovah.” (Jer. 31:31, 33, 34) That prophecy began to be fulfilled at Pentecost 33 C.E. when God established the new covenant. The new nation, “the Israel of God,” which included Jews and non-Jews, became “a people for [God’s] name,” or “people who are called by my name,” said Jehovah.—Gal. 6:16; read Acts 15:14-17; Matt. 21:43.

As “people who are called by [God’s] name,” the members of that spiritual nation used the divine name, certainly doing so when quoting from the Hebrew Scriptures. * Thus, when the apostle Peter addressed an international audience of Jews and proselytes at Pentecost 33 C.E., he used God’s name a number of times. (Acts 2:14, 20, 21, 25, 34) The early Christians honored Jehovah, so he, in turn, blessed their efforts in the preaching work. Likewise today, Jehovah blesses our ministry when we proudly proclaim his name and show it to interested ones, in their own Bibles if possible. We thus introduce them to the true God. What a privilege—for them and for us! That introduction may in some cases be the beginning of a wonderful relationship with Jehovah that will grow ever stronger and last forever.

Apostasy later began to infect the early Christian congregation, especially after the death of the apostles. (2 Thess. 2:3-7) False teachers even adopted the Jewish tradition of not using God’s name. But would Jehovah allow his memorial name to be erased? Never! Granted, its exact pronunciation cannot now be determined, but the name has endured. Over time, it has appeared in various translations of the Bible, as well as in the writings of Bible scholars. For example, in 1757, Charles Peters wrote that “Jehovah,” in contrast with God’s many titles, “seems to be the most expressive of his essence.” In a 1797 book on the worship of God, Hopton Haynes began chapter 7: “JEHOVAH the proper name of GOD among the Jews; whom alone they worshipped; as also did Christ and his Apostles.” Henry Grew (1781-1862) not only used God’s name but also recognized that it had been reproached and must be sanctified. Likewise, George Storrs (1796-1879), a close associate of Charles T. Russell, used God’s name, as did Russell himself.

The year 1931 was particularly noteworthy, for in that year the International Bible Students, as God’s people were then called, adopted the Scriptural name Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Isa. 43:10-12) They thus announced to the world that they were proud to be servants of the only true God, to be “a people for his name,” praising that name. (Acts 15:14) These developments call to mind Jehovah’s words found at Malachi 1:11: “From the sun’s rising even to its setting my name will be great among the nations.”

3) How can we walk in Jehovah's name?
The prophet Micah wrote: “All the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.” (Mic. 4:5) That Jehovah allowed the Bible Students to adopt his name was more than just a great honor. It was also a reassuring indication of his approval. (Read Malachi 3:16-18.) What, though, about you personally? Are you making every effort to “walk in the name of Jehovah”? Do you appreciate what that involves?

Walking in God’s name involves at least three things. First, we must proclaim that name to others, recognizing that only those who ‘call on the name of Jehovah will be saved.’ (Rom. 10:13) Second, we need to reflect Jehovah’s qualities, especially his love. And third, we walk in God’s name when we joyfully submit to his righteous standards, lest we bring reproach on our Father’s holy name. (1 John 4:8; 5:3) Are you determined to “walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite”?

Soon all who ignore or defy Jehovah will be forced to recognize him. (Ezek. 38:23) That includes individuals who are like Pharaoh, who said: “Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice?” How quickly he found out! (Ex. 5:1, 2; 9:16; 12:29) We, though, have willingly come to know Jehovah. We are proud to bear his name and to be his obedient name people. Hence, we look to the future with confidence in the promise recorded at Psalm 9:10: “Those knowing your name will trust in you, for you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah.”

YHWH used as early as the 14th century B.C.E.

HOW early in history does the divine name, Jehovah, or Yahweh, appear in sources outside the Bible? Some scholars confidently answer: As early as the 14th century B.C.E. Why do they say that?

By about the year 1370 B.C.E., the Egyptians had conquered many lands. The Egyptian ruler of the time, Pharaoh Amenhotep (Amenophis) III, built a magnificent temple at Soleb, in Nubia, now known as Sudan. When archaeologists discovered that temple, they found an Egyptian hieroglyphic that appears to show the Hebrew Tetragrammaton—YHWH, or Jehovah. That engraving is older by 500 years than the famous Moabite Stone—previously the oldest known occurrence of God’s name. Why does the name of the God of the Bible seem to be engraved in an Egyptian temple?

Hieroglyphics decorating the bases of columns in one of its halls list the names of territories that Amenhotep claimed to have subjugated. Each territory is represented by a prisoner, his hands tied behind his back and bearing a shield upon which the name of his land or people is inscribed. The lands of a number of the so-called Shasu, or Shosou, people figure among those hieroglyphics. Shasu was the generic name that the Egyptians gave to the Bedouin, despised tribes who lived beyond the eastern border of Egypt. The lands of the Shasu covered southern Palestine, southern Transjordan, and Sinai. Some researchers say p. 22that the lands described as belonging to the Shasu extended as far north as Lebanon and Syria. The list of subjugated lands displayed at Soleb includes one that has variously been read “Yahwe in the Shosou land,” “The Shasu land of Jahu,” or “Land of the Shasu-yhw.” Egyptologist Jean Leclant says that the name that appears inscribed in the shield at Soleb “corresponds to the ‘tetragram’ of the god of the Bible, YHWH.” Some scholars question whether this hieroglyph implies that the Shasu “were followers of the god Yahweh.” They believe that the otherwise unknown name of this land might bear only a coincidental, but curious, similarity to the name of the God of Israel.

Unlike the names of other gods that appear in ancient inscriptions, the name of the God of the Bible, Jehovah, is still widely used and revered. For example, in over 230 lands, more than seven million of Jehovah’s Witnesses devote their lives to helping others not only learn that name but also draw close to the God who bears the unique name Jehovah.—Psalm 83:18; James 4:8.

Moabite Stone & the Lachish Letters

Non-Biblical sources point to everyday use of the divine name in ancient times was The Moabite Stone which was one of the earliest discoveries of importance in the area East of the Jordan. Found in 1868 by the German missionary F. A. Klein and later became known as The Moabite Stone at Dhiban, North of the Arnon Valley, it presents Moabite King Mesha’s version of his revolt against Israel. (Compare 2 Ki 1:1; 3:4, 5.) In part the inscription says: “I (am) Mesha, son of Chemosh-[. . .], king of Moab, the Dibonite . . . As for Omri, king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years (lit., days), for Chemosh [the god of Moab] was angry at his land. And his son followed him and he also said, ‘I will humble Moab.’ In my time he spoke (thus), but I have triumphed over him and over his house, while Israel hath perished for ever! . . . And Chemosh said to me, ‘Go, take Nebo from Israel!’ So I went by night and fought against it from the break of dawn until noon, taking it and slaying all . . . And I took from there the [vessels] of YHWH (Yahweh, later known in English as Jehovah) dragging them before Chemosh.” (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. B. Pritchard, 1974, p. 320) Thus the stone not only mentions the name of King Omri of Israel but also, in the 18th line, contains God’s name in the form of the Tetragrammaton.

The Moabite Stone also mentions numerous places referred to in the Bible: Ataroth and Nebo (Nu 32:34, 38); the Arnon, Aroer, Medeba, and Dibon (Jos 13:9); Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, Jahaz, and Kiriathaim (Jos 13:17-19); Bezer (Jos 20:8); Horonaim (Isa 15:5); Beth-diblathaim and Kerioth. (Jer 48:22, 24) It thus supports the historicity of all these places. Most of the pieces were recovered. The stone is now preserved in the Louvre, Paris, with a copy in the British Museum, London.



The Lachish Letters. The famous fortress city of Lachish is mentioned more than 20 times in the Bible. It was located 27 miles [44 km] west-southwest of Jerusalem. The ruins have been extensively excavated. In 1935, in a guardroom of the double gatehouse, there were found 18 ostraca, or pieces of pottery inscribed with writing (3 more were found in 1938). These turned out to be a number of letters written in ancient Hebrew characters. This collection of 21 is now known as the Lachish Letters. Lachish was one of the last strongholds of Judah to hold out against Nebuchadnezzar, being reduced to a pile of charred ruins during the period of 609-607 B.C.E. The letters reflect the urgency of the times. They appear to be letters written from remaining outposts of Judean troops to Yaosh, a military commander at Lachish. One of these (letter number IV) reads in part: “May YHWH [Tetragrammaton, for “Jehovah”] let my lord hear even now tidings of good. . . . we are watching for the fire signals of Lachish, according to all the signs which p. 335 my lord gives, because we do not see Azekah.” This is a striking confirmation of Jeremiah 34:7, which mentions Lachish and Azekah as the last two fortified cities left remaining. This letter apparently indicates that Azekah had now fallen. The divine name, in the form of the Tetragrammaton, appears frequently in the letters, showing that the name Jehovah enjoyed everyday usage among the Jews at that time.

Another letter number III commences as follows: “May YHWH [that is, Jehovah] cause my lord to hear tidings of peace! . . . And it has been reported to your servant saying, ‘The commander of the army, Coniah son of Elnathan, has come down in order to go into Egypt and to Hodaviah son of Ahijah and his men he has sent to obtain [supplies] from him.’” This letter appears to confirm that Judah went down to Egypt for assistance, in violation of Jehovah’s command and to her own destruction. (Isa. 31:1; Jer. 46:25, 26) The names Elnathan and Hoshaiah, appearing in the complete text of this letter, are also found at Jeremiah 36:12 and Jeremiah 42:1. Three other names mentioned in the letters are also found in the Bible book of Jeremiah. They are Gemariah, Neriah, and Jaazaniah.—Jer. 32:12; 35:3; 36:10.*

The Nabonidus Chronicle. In the latter half of the 19th century, excavations near Baghdad produced many finds of clay tablets and cylinders that threw much light on the history of ancient Babylon. One of these was the very valuable document known as the Nabonidus Chronicle, which is now in the British Museum. King Nabonidus of Babylon was the father of his coregent, Belshazzar. He outlived his son, who was killed on the night that troops of Cyrus the Persian took Babylon, October 5, 539 B.C.E. (Dan. 5:30, 31) The Nabonidus Chronicle, a remarkably well-dated record of the fall of Babylon, helps to establish on what day this event occurred. Following is a translation of a small part of the Nabonidus Chronicle: “In the month of Tashritu [Tishri (September-October)], when Cyrus attacked the army of Akkad in Opis on the Tigris . . . the 14th day, Sippar was seized without battle. Nabonidus fled. The 16th day [October 11, 539 B.C.E., Julian, or October 5, Gregorian] Gobryas (Ugbaru), the governor of Gutium and the army of Cyrus entered Babylon without battle. Afterwards Nabonidus was arrested in Babylon when he returned (there). . . . In the month of Arahshamnu [Marchesvan (October-November)], the 3rd day [October 28, Julian], Cyrus entered Babylon, green twigs were spread in front of him—the state of ‘Peace’ (sulmu) was imposed upon the city. Cyrus sent greetings to all Babylon. Gobryas, his governor, installed (sub-)governors in Babylon.”*

It may be noted that Darius the Mede is not mentioned in this chronicle, and thus far, no mention has been found of this Darius in any non-Biblical inscription, nor is he mentioned in any secular historical document prior to the time of Josephus (Jewish historian of the first century C.E.). Some have therefore suggested that he might be the Gobryas mentioned in the above account. While the information available concerning Gobryas seems to parallel that regarding Darius, such identification cannot be considered conclusive.* In any event, secular history definitely establishes that Cyrus was a key figure in the conquest of Babylon and that he thereafter ruled there as king. There are picture images of these letters online, but nothing that I found yet are worthy of posting, but here's what I found for now:


The Cyrus Cylinder. Some time after he began ruling as king of the Persian World Power, Cyrus’ capture of Babylon in 539 B.C.E. was recorded on a clay cylinder. This outstanding document is also preserved in the British Museum. A part of the translated text follows: “I am Cyrus, king of the world, great king, legitimate king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four rims (of the earth), . . . I returned to [certain previously named] sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris, the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time, the images which (used) to live therein and established for them permanent p. 336sanctuaries. I (also) gathered all their (former) inhabitants and returned (to them) their habitations.”*

The Cyrus Cylinder thus makes known the king’s policy of restoring captive peoples to their former places. In harmony with this, Cyrus issued his decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of Jehovah there. Interestingly, 200 years previously, Jehovah had prophetically named Cyrus as the one who would take Babylon and bring about the restoration of Jehovah’s people.—Isa. 44:28; 45:1; 2 Chron. 36:23.

Why important?

Why is it important to know and use God’s personal name? -
Do you have a close relationship with anyone whose personal name you do not know? For people to whom God is nameless he is often merely an impersonal force, not a real person, not someone that they know and love and to whom they can speak from the heart in prayer. If they do pray, their prayers are merely a ritual, a formalistic repetition of memorized expressions.

True Christians have a commission from Jesus Christ to make disciples of people of all nations. When teaching these people, how would it be possible to identify the true God as different from the false gods of the nations? Only by using His personal name, as the Bible itself does.—Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Cor. 8:5, 6.

Ex. 3:15: “God said . . . to Moses: ‘This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, “Jehovah the God of your forefathers . . . has sent me to you.” This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation.’”

Isa. 12:4: “Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high.”

Ezek. 38:17, 23: “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said, ‘ . . . And I shall certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.’”

Mal. 3:16: “Those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name.”

John 17:26: “[Jesus prayed to his Father:] I have made your name known to them [his followers] and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”

Acts 15:14: “Symeon has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name.”

Although many Bible translations have removed the name of God, many translators deemed it inappropriate for God to be called by a personal name. Jehovah’s Witnesses both pronounce it and prefer using the New World Translation which restores the divine name more than 7,000 times. In ancient Hebrew manuscripts, the personal name of God (still seen in certain translations such as the original King James Version in Psalm 83:18) was originally written with four Hebrew consonants called the Tetragrammaton. While many did not translate it or use it because they felt that such was not showing proper reverence for the holiness of the name or because we do not know exactly how that name was originally pronounced, Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that scriptures like John 17:6 and 26 along with Joel 2:32 highlight the importance of God’s name and the fact that it was used by faithful Jews and even Christ himself. They also argue that not knowing the original pronunciation of God’s name should not stop people from using it, just as our not knowing the exact pronunciation of Jesus’s Hebrew name has not stopped modern Christians from using it.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not claim to be the first to use the form “Jehovah,” acknowledging that some earlier renditions render the Tetragrammaton as “Yahweh.” However, the modern rendition best recognized is “Jehovah” as previously noted by William Tyndale, Bible scholar Joseph Bryant Rotherham, and translations like 1901′s American Standard Version.