Names in the Study of Biblical History David, Yhwh Names, and the Role of Personal Names

The study demonstrates the importance of personal names for the analysis of the authorship and composition of the Hebrew Bible. Using specific examples related to the spellings of King David and of the suffix elements of Yahweh on personal names, the study demonstrates how these evolve in both biblical and epigraphic texts. Because the changing forms and spellings of names can be correlated with the dating of the original writings of the texts, it is possible to conclude that these spellings demonstrate an antiquity and authenticity to the biblical texts in which they occur. The work concludes with a selected bibliography for the further study of personal names in biblical and related ancient Near Eastern sources.