The Name of God Y.eH.oW.aH Which Is Pronounced As It Is Written I_Eh_Ou_Ah: Its Story [Paperback]

Gérard Gertoux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0761822046 | ISBN-13: 978-0761822042

God's name is fundamental to all monotheistic religions. Paradoxically, religions prefer to translate God's name as Yahweh "He Is," Adonay "my Lord," Allah "The God," rather than a transcription of the name, which is more usual. However, the key to unlock this mystery was provided by the famous Maïmonides, 800 years ago, when he wrote that the Name "is read as it is written." Name of God Y.eH.oW.aH Which is Pronounced as it is Written I_Eh_oU_Ah is Gérard Gertoux's examination of the paradox of the correct pronunciation. To learn more about this book, please visit the author's website at http://divinename.net.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This detailed treatment of the Name is useful for those who are interested in the history of its translation of the centuries.>>>> (Won W. Lee Religious Studies Review )

This detailed treatment of the Name is useful for those who are interested in the history of its translation of the centuries. (Won W. Lee Religious Studies Review )

About the Author

Gérard Gertoux is Professor of National Education in France.

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: University Press Of America (March 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761822046
• ISBN-13: 978-0761822042
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,936,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a Nameless God, November 29, 2003

By 

George L Pullman (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Name of God Y.eH.oW.aH Which Is Pronounced As It Is Written I_Eh_Ou_Ah: Its Story (Paperback)

Plato taught that God has no name (Timaios 28b,c). Philo, the Gnostics, Justin Martyr, and Clement of Alexandria likewise considered God nameless or unnameable. However, Jerome, translator of the Latin Vulgate, wrote in his Prologus Galeatus: "And we find the name of God, the Tetragram, in certain Greek volumes even to this day expressed in ancient letters." Due to the fact that these Hebrew letters were consonants, and there were originally no written characters for the vowels, it is held that the pronunciation of God's name is lost to us. Or it is thought God's name should be pronounced "Yahweh" due to the weight attached to the evidence of the Egyptian Elephantine Papyri. Gerard Gertoux in quite convincing fashion demonstrates the inaccuracy of these concepts in the light of compelling linguistic and historical evidence. Gertoux asks (p.114), "Was there really a prohibition on pronouncing the Tetragram in the first century? The answer is no, as, according to the Talmud this prohibition appeared from the middle of the second century." Gertoux readily exposes a solidly entrenched factoid (p.3): "that Jehovah is a barbarism originating from a wrong reading. As unbelievable as it may seem, this last affirmation is known to be false among scholars. This crude error has been denounced by Hebraists of all confessions, and with the support of the Vatican's Congregation of propaganda, but without result." Worthwhile reading, for as Gertoux quotes Maimonides, "it is impossible to have a deep relationship with a nameless God."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Importance of the name of God., March 24, 2011

By 

James H. Ammon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Name of God Y.eH.oW.aH Which Is Pronounced As It Is Written I_Eh_Ou_Ah: Its Story (Paperback)

Although technical in substance, this book was fascinating. It contained excellent facts while sticking to the accuracy of the Bible. Must reading for any Bible student.

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite a complexed and flawed book..., January 7, 2005

By 

Neburo - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Name of God Y.eH.oW.aH Which Is Pronounced As It Is Written I_Eh_Ou_Ah: Its Story (Paperback)

Note: the stars do not match the rating with how I currently feel about this book!

Gerard Gertoux goes from the beginning of time til the present and explains (in his opinion) why Jehovah is the "closest in form" to the original pronunciation.

However, it is written from a scholar's point of view, and therefore very hard to understand. The man is obviously a Frenchman and expresses his thoughts in a French style. Even when someone credits his research at the start, if it's a Frenchmen, he keeps the quote written in French! I assumed the book was written in English...

He obviously doesn't understand that "Yah" and "Yahu" are abbreviations (shortened forms) for the divine name Jehovah. He gets the term "abbreviation" confused with subsitute! Lord and God are substitutes, but certain not "Yah" or "Yahu!"

I think if this book had a pronunciation key of the various forms of the divine name in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, that would make it a lot easier to understand what he meant.

However, I don't want to "push all the negatives," because not all the information in this book is incorrect. He does cover a lot of territory, goes into a lot of depth into the languages with their grammar (speakers of various semitic languages would probably find this book a gem in that regard and would get the most out of it), uses a few diagrams and so forth, so in that respect, maybe I am saving this review for 3 stars from my earlier more positive review.

I did research on the early Church Fathers and apparently their form is more like Yahweh which he touches on in his book but seems to disguise the evidence from his audience. However the more you read it the more (I believe) his arguments for Yehowah are flawed.

This would probably be one of the most difficult books to understand and needs to be put in more layman's terms... I read this book 2-3 times and the more I read it the more I misunderstood and disagreed with him and crazy as that sounds. Ironically, the form Yehowah (Jehovah) does not seem to go on a lot of evidence. I now believe that "Yahweh" is more accurate that "Jehovah." And I no longer believer this notion that the original Hebrew had a "J" in it and I think even though "Yahweh" is more acceptable, I think like most people that NO ONE REALLY KNOWS THE TRUE PRONUNCIATION!