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The Divine Name in the New Testament: Tetragrammaton or Surrogate? A. Tim Span orcid.org/ 0000-0002-5966-5854 Thesis submitted for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in New Testament at the North-West University Promoter: Dr Stuart T. Rochester Co-Promoter: Prof Dr Fika Janse van Rensburg Graduation: July 2018 Student number: 24726540 Abstract: George Howard has proposed a theory with far reaching Christological implications. Howard notes that a few pre-Christian LXX/OG manuscripts have the Tetragrammaton in Hebrew characters or in Greek transliteration. From this Howard argues that the New Testament writers also had access to manuscripts of the LXX/OG with the Divine Name in them and used the Tetragrammaton in their New Testament writings. Howard marshals external and internal evidence to corroborate his theory. The original shape of the LXX/OG has some relevance to Howard’s hypothesis. If the Tetragrammaton is original to the LXX/OG this would have a bearing on the question of whether the New Testament also followed in this pattern. This thesis examines the LXX/OG manuscripts: P. Rylands Gk. 458, P. Fouad Inv. 266, 8ḤevXIIgr, and pap4QLXXLevb. Of these, it is found that only pap4QLXXLevb can be considered a true exemplar of the LXX/OG. The Tetragrammaton appears to be a secondary Hebraizing element in the manuscripts 8ḤevXIIgr and P. Fouad Inv. 266. There is a lacuna in P. Rylands Gk. 458 which could fit the Tetragrammaton or just as likely κύριος. In parallel the testimony of the Greek biblical use of surrogates for the Divine Name in Second Temple literature is examined. A distinctive pattern appears in the works of Philo and other writings contemporaneous with the New Testament. Reverence for the Tetragrammaton in Second Temple Judaism expressed itself in avoidance of the Divine Name in spoken and written form. The surrogate κύριος is regularly used as a substitute for the Tetragrammaton. Howard presents a series of New Testament passages as partial proof that the Tetragrammaton stood in the original manuscripts of the New Testament. According to Howard, with the success of the Gentile mission, understanding of the Tetragrammaton diminished and unknowing second- century scribes replaced the Divine Name with the substitute κύριος. The result was that passages that applied to YHWH could now be applied to Jesus. The Christological implication is that some honors that belonged to the Lord God were mistakenly ascribed to the Lord Jesus. The New Testament use of the surrogate κύριος in Old Testament quotations where the Hebrew has the Tetragrammaton follows largely the pattern found in other biblical Second Temple literature. The emerging picture is not an artificial elevation of Jesus through scribal corruption. The use of κύριος in relation to Jesus is early, deliberate, and involving honors of the highest order. Various New Testament examples demonstrate the deliberate referential and titular overlap between the Lord Jesus and the Lord God. The examples that Howard provides as evidence are proven inadequate to support his theory. This thesis also examines the age and relevance of the Hebrew ,אבן בוחן) Gospel of Matthew found in the polemical work Even Bohan “The Touchstone”) by Shem-Tob ben-Isaac ben-Shaprut and its possible contribution to Howard’s theory. In the end, this thesis demonstrates that the Christological importance of using κύριος for the Tetragrammaton in relation to Jesus Christ has far-reaching implications. Keywords: George Howard, Tetragrammaton, Divine Name, YHWH, Lord, κύριος, kurios, kyrios, Shem Tob Opsomming: George Howard het 'n teorie voorgestel met verreikende Christologiese implikasies. Howard wys daarop dat 'n paar voor- Christelike LXX / OG-manuskripte die Tetragrammaton in Hebreeuse karakters of in Griekse transliterasie bevat. Op grond hiervan argumenteer Howard dat die Nuwe-Testamentiese outeurs ook tot manuskripte van die LXX / OG wat die Goddelike Naam bevat, toegang gehad het, en dat hulle die Tetragrammaton in hulle Nuwe-Testamentiese geskrifte gebruik het. Howard benut eksterne en interne getuienis om sy teorie te begrond. Die oorspronklike vorm van die LXX / OG het 'n mate van relevansie vir Howard se hipotese. As die Tetragrammaton inderdaad oorspronklik in die LXX / OG was, sou dit ʼn implikasie hê vir die vraag of die Nuwe Testament hierdie gebruik nagevolg het. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die volgende LXX / OG manuskripte: P. Rylands Gk. 458, P. Fouad Inv. 266, 8 HevXIIgr, en pap4QLXXLevb. Slegs pap4QLXXLevb kan egter as 'n egte weergawe van die LXX / OG beskou word. Dit blyk dat die Tetragrammaton in die manuskripte 8 HevXIIgr en P. Fouad Inv. 266 'n sekondêre verhebreeusing is. Daar is 'n lacuna in P. Rylands Gk. 458 wat óf die Tetragrammaton óf κύριος kan wees. Insgelyks word die getuienis van die Griekse Bybelse gebruik van surrogate vir die Goddelike Naam in die Tweede Tempel-literatuur ondersoek. In die werke van Philo en ander geskrifte kontemporêr met die Nuwe Testament blyk ʼn eiesoortige verskynsel. Eerbied vir die Tetragrammaton in Tweede Tempel Judaïsme het tot gevolg die vermyding van die Goddelike Naam in gesproke en geskrewe vorm. Die surrogaat κύριος word gereeld as plaasvervanger vir die Tetragrammaton gebruik. Howard toon 'n reeks Nuwe-Testamentiese gedeeltes aan as gedeeltelike bewys dat die Tetragrammaton in die oorspronklike manuskripte van die Nuwe Testament was. Volgens Howard het begrip van die Tetragrammaton verminder namate die sending na die Heidene suksesvol was, en dit het tot gevolg gehad dat onkundige tweede eeuse oorskrywers die Goddelike Naam met κύριος vervang het. Die gevolg was dat gedeeltes wat op YHWH van toepassing was, nou op Jesus toegepas kon word. Die Christologiese implikasie is dat sommige eerbetonings wat op die Here God van toepassing was, verkeerdelik toegeskryf is aan die Here Jesus. Die Nuwe Testament se gebruik van die surrogaat κύριος in Ou- Testamentiese aanhalings waar die Hebreeus die Tetragrammaton het, volg grootliks dieselfde werkwyse as ander Bybelse Tweede Tempel-literatuur. Wat algaande duidelik word, is dat daar geen sprake is van kunsmatige verheffing van Jesus as gevolg van oorskryffoute nie. Die gebruik van κύριος met verwysing na Jesus is vroeg, berekend en dit behels die hoogste vorms van eerbetoning. Verskeie Nuwe-Testamentiese voorbeelde laat die berekende verwysings- en titeloorvleueling tussen die Here Jesus en die Here God blyk. Daar word aangetoon dat die voorbeelde wat Howard as bewys aanvoer, onvoldoende is om sy teorie te ondersteun. Laastens ondersoek die proefskrif die ouderdom en relevansie van die Hebreeuse Evangelie van Matteus wat deel uitmaak van die polemiese Die toetssteen") deur Shem-Tob ben-Isaac" ,אבן בוחן) werk Even Bohan ben-Shaprut, asook dié Evangelie se moontlike bydrae tot Howard se teorie. Uiteindelik is die gevolgtrekking dat die Christologiese belangrikheid van die gebruik van κύριος vir die Tetragrammaton met verwysing na Jesus Christus verreikende implikasies het. Sleutelwoorde: George Howard, Tetragrammaton, Goddelike Naam, YHWH, Here, κύριος, kurios, kyrios, Shem Tob Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and State of Research ..................................................... 1 1.2 Problem Statement .............................................................................. 3 1.3 Aim ..................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Objectives ........................................................................................... 4 1.5 Central Theoretical Argument ............................................................ 4 1.6 Methodology ....................................................................................... 5 1.7 Schematic Presentation of Research Questions, Objectives, and Methods ...................................................................................................... 6 2.0 The Tetragrammaton in LXX/OG Manuscripts .............................. 7 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 7 2.2 Pre-Christian LXX/OG Manuscripts .................................................. 7 2.3 Hebraizing in LXX/OG Manuscripts................................................ 10 2.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 18 3.0 Attitudes Toward the Divine Name in Second Temple Judaism .. 21 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 21 3.2 Divine Name Avoidance in the LXX/OG ........................................ 21 3.3 Divine Name Avoidance Among the Rabbis ................................... 22 3.4 Divine Name Avoidance in Qumran and Masada ............................ 24 3.5 Surrogates for the Divine Name in Philo .......................................... 29 3.6 Surrogates for the Divine Name in Josephus .................................... 35 3.7 Surrogates for the Divine Name in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha ........................................................................................ 36 3.8 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 39 4.0 The Tetragrammaton in the New Testament .................................. 41 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 41 4.2
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