The Origin of the Quran’s Name for Jesus

Summary

This video delves into the historical and linguistic origins of the name 'Jesus' across various languages, focusing on the Quranic Arabic version, 'Aisa.' The video explores the discrepancy between the Aramaic name 'Yeshua' and its Quranic counterpart, addressing the role of ancient Arabic inscriptions in understanding this transition. Dr. Ahmed al-Jallad’s discovery of a Safaitic inscription sheds light on a Christian invocation from the 4th century, potentially offering the earliest Arabic evidence of Christianity. The video suggests that 'Aisa' may have originated through phonosemantic matching, linking it to Jesus's role as a redeemer in Christian theology.

Takeaways

• 😀 The name of Jesus in English, 'Jesus', is a transliteration of the Greek 'Iesous', which itself is derived from the Aramaic name 'Yeshua'.
• 😀 Most modern languages' names for Jesus come from either the Greek 'Iesous' or the Aramaic 'Yeshua', with one significant exception: the Arabic name for Jesus in the Quran.
• 😀 The Arabic name for Jesus in the Quran is 'Aisa', but this differs significantly from the Aramaic 'Yeshua', both in pronunciation and structure.
• 😀 Linguists are puzzled by the transformation from 'Yeshua' to 'Aisa', as there is no clear linguistic link between the two names.
• 😀 Dr. Ahmed al-Jallad, an expert in pre-Islamic Arabic, discovered an inscription in Northern Jordan that may offer a clue to the origin of 'Aisa'.
• 😀 The discovered inscription, written in the ancient South Semitic script called Safaitic, dates back to the late Roman period and contains a prayer that references a deity similar to the Quranic 'Aisa'.
• 😀 The inscription contains the name 'Aisa' (or close variant), linking it with the Quranic name for Jesus and indicating the use of this name well before Islam.
• 😀 The phrase 'those who deny you' in the inscription suggests that the prayer may have been made by a Christian, as it aligns with Christian themes of the denial of Christ found in the Gospels.
• 😀 Dr. al-Jallad argues that the name 'Aisa' in the Quran may not have evolved from 'Yeshua' directly, but could have been a result of 'phono-semantic matching', where an existing Arabic name was used because it had a similar sound and meaningful connection to the concept of a redeemer.
• 😀 This Safaitic inscription might push back the timeline for the adoption of the name 'Aisa' in Arabic, potentially predating the 6th and 7th centuries and suggesting early Christian influence among Arabian nomads during the 4th century.
• 😀 If the inscription does indeed refer to Jesus, it could be the earliest Arabic evidence of Christianity, providing new insights into the spread of Christianity among pre-Islamic Arab tribes.

Q & A

What is the origin of the name 'Jesus' in the English language?

The English name 'Jesus' is a transliteration of the Greek name 'Iesous', which itself is a transliteration of the Aramaic name 'Yeshua'.

What is the major exception in the name of Jesus in Arabic compared to other languages?

The Arabic name for Jesus, as it appears in the Quran, is 'Aisa', which differs from the expected Arabic form 'Yasur' used by Arabic Christians.

What is the linguistic issue with the Quranic name 'Aisa'?

The name 'Aisa' in the Quran does not have an obvious linguistic connection to the Aramaic 'Yeshua'. The initial letter 'Ain' in 'Aisa' is different from the 'Yod' in 'Yeshua', and the vowels don't correspond either.

How did Dr. Ahmed al-Jallad contribute to solving the mystery of the name 'Aisa'?

Dr. al-Jallad and his team discovered an ancient inscription in Northern Jordan that seems to contain a pre-Islamic version of the Quranic Arabic name for Jesus, 'Aisa'.

What is the significance of the Esophageal script discovered by Dr. al-Jallad's team?

The Esophageal script is an ancient South Semitic script used in southern Syria and Northern Jordan, and it revealed an inscription that might be a reference to Jesus Christ, using the name 'Aisa'.

What did the discovered Esophageal inscription say?

The inscription contained a prayer invoking a deity whose name closely resembled the Quranic 'Aisa', and it included the phrase 'help him against those who deny you', which suggests a Christian context.

What does the phrase 'those who deny you' in the inscription imply?

The phrase 'those who deny you' likely refers to the denial of Christ, a common theme in Christian writings, indicating that the inscription could be a Christian prayer invoking Jesus.

How does Dr. al-Jallad argue that 'Aisa' came to be associated with Jesus in the Quran?

Dr. al-Jallad suggests that 'Aisa' might have been derived through phono-semantic matching, where an existing Arabic name with a relevant meaning, such as 'redeemer' or 'purchaser', was associated with Jesus due to his redemptive role in Christian theology.

What is phono-semantic matching, and how does it relate to the name 'Aisa'?

Phono-semantic matching is when a foreign name is adopted into a language by aligning it with a pre-existing name that sounds similar and has a significant meaning. In the case of 'Aisa', this process may have been used to match an existing name with a meaning that fit Jesus' role as a redeemer.

What does the discovery of this inscription mean for the history of Christianity in the region?

If the inscription indeed references Jesus, it could be the earliest Arabic evidence of Christianity, potentially dating back to the 4th century, and provides insight into the transition from paganism to Christianity in the Arabian Peninsula.