IAW = IAO, IAWE = IAVE

Eduardo M. Acuna eacuna at mail.giga.com
Sun Feb 18 21:18:50 EST 2001


> This post is the result of a reply in b-hebrew; however, the text is more
> related to b-greek and this is the reason for appearing here.
> 
> 4QLXXLevb translates YHWH as IAW, which is a greek phonetic transcription
> for an inverse (i.e., magic) substitution of the (incomplete) vowels of
> ADONAI : IANODA.
> 
This explanation strongly suggests that this is the origin of the later
masoretic practice for punctuating YHWH with ADONAI´s vowels.
>
> The complete phonetic transcription of the vowels from IANODA, IAWA, was
> not used probably because it could lead common people to the knowledge of
> the magic spell, something occult reserved only for the initiated.
> 
> The incomplete phonetic transcription of the magic spell, the inverted
> ADONAI, is probably the origin for the non pronunciation of the Name YHWH.
> An argument about a temporary restriction for the non pronunciation of
> YHWH in Amos 6:10-11 is found in the post: “IAW Kurios Pantokrator =
> Jehova/YHWH?” http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/97-08/0156.html in
> the same post, the author Rolf Furuli, mentions the LXX Lev 24:16 as an
> argument against pronouncing the Name. However, Lev 24:16 is part of the
> 24:11 as linked by 24:14 and the non pronunciation refers to a blasphemous
> pronunciation.
> 
> In late LXX the complete greek word for ADONAI, KURIOS, was used as a
> replacement for YHWH. It is worth to note that it was not inverted
> (SOIRUK). The abbreviation KS from K(URIO)S may stand as a recognition of
> the abbreviation of Y(HW)H, as YH.
> 
> The complete phonetic transcription: IAWE, is the samaritan pronunciation
> IAVE documented by Photius in his letter 162 to Amphiloque, which is the
> modern Iahveh, Yahveh or Yahweh.
> 
> Petrus Galatinus (De arcanis catholicae veritatis. 1518) provides, in my
> opinion, the correct pronunciation of YHWH: Iehouah, as well as Iehovah or
> Jehovah.
> 
Eduardo M. Acuna.



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