Friday, April 15, 2011

Obscure Biblical Names: Xerxes

Springfield, MA
emigrated to Ohio in 1798

Ok, Xerxes is not that obscure. There is limited choice in X names in the Bible, though.

This is somewhat interesting, though, because the name Xerxes does not appear in the KJV or Geneva Bibles — the KJV renders the king's name as Ahasuerus, while the Geneva Bible says Ahashuerosh. Modern translations give the king his Greek name — Xerxes. So where did Xerxes Paulk get his name? He was a Baptist preacher, and, while the 18th-century Baptists were not known for their learning, someone in his family may have been an educated man with access to a Greek testament or Herodotus.

Again, a terrible name for a Christian child.

Obscure Bible Names Alphabet

Note: There are no W names in the KJV.

4 comments:

J. L. Bell said...

As I recall, many copies of the ubiquitous New-England Primer reading textbook included the couplet:

Xerxes died,
And so shall I.

What would it have been like for young master Paulk to encounter that in reading school?

Jim Blachowicz said...

A shame not to have a "W": non-Biblically, we have:
Wrestling Brewster (d1810, Brewster, MA) & Wrastling Alden (d1813 in neighboring Duxbury). Anyone know the origin here?

Robert J. said...

Non sequitur: a sad story from Townsend:

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_17862826

Peter Fisk said...

"Names on the stones were unable to be identified ..."
Editor, stat!