A Brief History of the Second Temple Period Name ‘Hyrcanus’

The late Israelite / early Jewish name ‘Hyrcanus’ has proven an enigma to ancient and modern historians of Judaism, especially in terms of its etymology. With the introduction of a possible Aramaic occurence of the name among the Dead Sea Genesis Apocryphon, ‘Hyrcanus’ is now beset by further complications; some scholars suggesting that the Aramaic form is altogether different than the Greek name, while others assume a direct correspondence. Drawing on a wide array of etymological and historical data, this essay seeks to lay out clearly the various problems and previously proposed solutions in the debate over the name, examining the strengths and weaknesses of each. The result of the study is a new thesis that groups all of the name’s variant morphologies under a single, Egyptian theophore, and thereby sheds light on its employment in Judaism—especially in connection with the Hasmonean dynasty.Copyright © Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies