# Bible question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2002, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question/119063 "2002-07-15T15:11:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question/119063/21 "2002-07-16T12:38:30Z")
Echoing Zev and CM’s comments about the difference between Ashkenazic Jews (mainly from Eastern Europe) and Sephardic Jews (mainly from the Mediterannean and Middle East). But it is my impression that the custom of not naming the child after a living relative arose much later than biblical times. However, I have no cite for this, only an impression. ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question/119063/22 "2002-07-16T12:46:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > Sephardic Jews, however, have the custom to name after grandparents (living or dead). However, I have not heard of anyone ever naming a child with the name of his living father. I have. There’s one interesting custom that some families have of using two names and reversing them each generation. So that the father might be named Moshe Nissim, and the son Nissim Moshe and the grandson Moshe Nissim etc. > [@](#): > > As for the customs of Jews living 2000+ years ago, one only has to look at the Bible itself. There are no examples in the Jewish bible that I can think of where a child is given the name of his father. There are such examples among non-Jews. Biladan ben Biladon springs to mind. As for Jews, one of the celebrated early _paytanim_ (poets) (author, among other things of the _avoda_ said by _nusach sefard_ on Yom Kippur) was named Yosi ben Yosi (Kohen Gadol). (There is some controversy as to precisely when he lived.) I don’t know if his father was alive at his birth, however. (There is a previous thread about this subject floating around - perhaps I’ll do a search for it if I have time later) ---
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question/119063/23 "2002-07-16T15:24:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UDS \* > \*\* > If she still lived in Magdala, being from Magdala wouldn’t distinguish her from her neighbours, and so calling her “of Magdala” wouldn’t help to identify her. She only gets called “of Magdala” after she has left there and settled somewhere else - Bethany, for example. \*\* Except that whenever the Mary that is from Bethany is mentioned she never is distinguished as being Mary Magdalene. Rather she’s described as being the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Likewise whenever Mary Magdalene is mentioned, no mention is made of Martha or Lazarus. The only connections are made rather haphazardly through such things as equating demons with prostitution and annointing the feet of Jesus with standing at the foot of the cross. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question/119063.md?page=1)