From Jerusalem to Āl-Yāhūdu

Abstract

This paper presents the study of 265 names from the first generations of Judean exiles found in documents from Babylonia dated from 572 to 477 B. C. E. Many of these exiles resided in Āl-Yāhūdu and its vicinity. The names were first analyzed based on their theophoric elements, most common roots of predicative elements, geography, and chronology. They were then compared with personal names in artifacts from archaeological excavations, from Israel and Judah, dating from the Iron Age II. The results revealed that the Iron Age II onomastic trends in Judah continue to prevail among the first generations of Judean exiles in Babylonia. These onomastic trends include a high percentage of theophoric names, mainly Yahwistic names; rare occurrences of divine names other than YHWH or El; and שלם as the most common root in names.