The Divine Name as a Characteristic of Divine Identity in Second-Temple Judaism and Early Christianity

This essay explores the significance of Jewish and Christian textual evidence for figures such as the Son of Man, Yahoel, the Logos, and Jesus possessing the divine name YHWH. It is argued that, for ancient Jewish writers, possession of the divine name was an important characteristic for communicating the identification of a figure close to or within the mystery of the God of Israel. This evidence is contrasted with evidence of the divine name being shared with or placed upon humans, such as the High Priest or the baptized, which does not signify as close an identification.