# If Jesus was really named "Yeshua"... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954 "2015-03-14T02:50:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/1 "2015-03-14T02:50:07Z")
- then why isn’t every instance of “Joshua” in the Bible translated the same way? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/2 "2015-03-14T03:00:10Z")
We got Jesus in English by way of Greek. And Joshua in English by way of Hebrew. [Related Straight Dope column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/33/what-was-jesus-real-name). And one (of a few that I recall but can’t find) [earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327106) on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/3 "2015-03-14T03:02:10Z")
“Joshua” is from the Old Testament, which was mostly written in Hebrew. “Jesus” is from the New Testament, written in Greek. “Joshua” is the English version of the Hebrew name. “Jesus” is the English version of the Greek version of the Hebrew name. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/4 "2015-03-14T04:17:14Z")
I think Jesus may actually be the English version of the Latin version of the Greek version of the Hebrew name, which is variously given as Yeshua ( יֵשׁוּעַ ) or Yehoshua ( יְהוֹשֻׁעַ ). ---
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/5 "2015-03-14T04:50:32Z")
I’m not sure he even existed honestly, the evidence is surprisingly weak. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/6 "2015-03-14T04:57:46Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I think Jesus may actually be the English version of the Latin version of the Greek version of the Hebrew name, which is variously given as Yeshua ( ) or Yehoshua ( ). While these are variations on the same name, Joshua from the Old Testament is, as I understand it, usually the latter, while Jesus (really Iesous) is the Greek form of the former (or possibly of another variant, Yeshu). ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/7 "2015-03-14T05:00:24Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > I’m not sure he even existed honestly, the evidence is surprisingly weak. “surprisingly?”. I can agree that evidence of his existence is weak (as is evidence of the vast majority of individual people living during that time). But I would question why you would say “surprisingly”. What is surprising about it? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/8 "2015-03-14T05:20:51Z")
You should open a thread to explore this novel and surprising notion. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/9 "2015-03-14T06:02:09Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > You should open a thread to explore this novel and surprising notion. Do you really think people might have anything to contribute to a thread based on that unique idea? ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/10 "2015-03-14T06:12:41Z")
Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be named - Nathanel? (Or sumfink like dat- my Hebrew/Aramaic ain’t all that great) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/11 "2015-03-14T06:37:26Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@protoboard](#): > > I’m not sure he even existed honestly, the evidence is surprisingly weak. There are several other threads where his existence is questioned or debated. Let’s not hijack this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/12 "2015-03-14T07:01:46Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > I’m not sure he even existed honestly, the evidence is surprisingly weak. Even if he were totally fictional, it would still be a valid question. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/13 "2015-03-14T07:21:28Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be named - Nathanel? > > (Or sumfink like dat- my Hebrew/Aramaic ain’t all that great) Immanuel. Matthew 1:22–23 - > [@](#): > > All this happened to fulfill what had been declared by the Lord through the prophet, who said, ‘Look, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will give him the name Immanuel’—which is translated, ‘God with us’ ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/14 "2015-03-14T08:03:29Z")
Yeah, that’s right.\* Immanue\*l it should be. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/15 "2015-03-14T09:00:16Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Yeah, that’s right.\* Immanue\*l it should be. That was His middle name, but “Jesus I. Christ!” doesn’t really flow. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/16 "2015-03-14T09:04:19Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > That was His middle name, but “Jesus I. Christ!” doesn’t really flow. Jesus F. Christ better? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/17 "2015-03-14T13:01:36Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Jesus F. Christ better? Nope. H. for Howard. As in Howard Be Thy Name. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/18 "2015-03-14T13:06:20Z")
Nah, the H stands for “haploid”. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/19 "2015-03-14T13:14:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Nope. H. for Howard. As in Howard Be Thy Name. Ay, but thy King won’t come…on Earth, as it isn’t Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/20 "2015-03-15T23:13:33Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Yeah, that’s right.\* Immanue\*l it should be. [He’s from Bethlehem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kqyev46qyI), you know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954.md?page=2)