# If Jesus was really named "Yeshua"...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954>\
**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:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/21 "2015-03-16T12:26:43Z")

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Joshua \< Yehoshua‘ - standard Hebrew.  
Jesus \< Yeshua‘ - Galilean dialectal form of same.

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/22 "2015-03-16T12:48:31Z")

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There are several other old Hebrew names that have versions both with and without the h. Yonatan/Yehonatan, for instance, or Yoram/Yehoram.

“Yo” and “Yeho”, of course, are both references to God.

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**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/23 "2015-03-16T16:50:17Z")

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Wait, the book of Joshua is actually the book of Jesus? Obviously, another Jesus, but still.

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**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 16, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/24 "2015-03-16T17:48:38Z")

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> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> Wait, the book of Joshua is actually the book of Jesus? Obviously, another Jesus, but still.

Yes, and in the Apocrypha you’ll find the book of the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach - which mouthful is usually replaced by the slightly more portable _Ecclesiasticus_, not to be confused with _Ecclesiastes_.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/25 "2015-03-18T07:41:36Z")

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> [@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 ( יֵשׁוּעַ ) or Yehoshua ( יְהוֹשֻׁעַ ).

It may be the Modern English version of the Middle English version of the Old French version of the Latin version of the Koine Greek version of either the Aramaic pronunciation of the Hebrew name, or the nickname of the man himself.

But don’t quote me on that.

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-jesus-was-really-named-yeshua/714954/26 "2015-03-18T07:53:07Z")

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The “Immanuel” prophesied in Isaiah seems to point to a different guy. But little details like that didn’t stop Matthew the evangelist from claiming that bits of Tanakh pointed to Yeshua.

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