Simon, Peter, and Cephas.

[Ben C. Smith]

I am looking for feedback, both positive and negative (but always polite and inquisitive, please), on a crazy idea: to wit, the names Simon, Cephas, and Peter refer, not only to two different men, but indeed to three different men, later blended together into an amalgam:

• Simon = Galilean disciple.
• Cephas = Judean/Jerusalemite pillar.
• Peter = Hellenistic/Diaspora apostle.

In my judgment, if Cephas and Peter both mean "rock", then the coincidence is probably too great, and this notion falls to the ground (at least in the case of the second and third names on the list). So I would appreciate input on what the Greek for Cephas might be in Aramaic (spin seems to think that qof is more likely than kaf as the initial letter: so what would that be or mean, for example, in Aramaic or Hebrew?).

Also, no need to cite the super obvious passages or verses which identify, say, Peter with Simon (such as in the synoptic disciples lists, which claim that Jesus gave to Simon the surname Peter). Obscure ones which may possess independent value are more than welcome, but the obvious ones would clearly be, ex hypthothesi, later syntheses of two or three of these separate individuals.

Overall, what does such an idea have going for it? What would it help to explain (if anything)? And what does such an idea have standing against it? Does it create intolerable coincidences (of the sort mentioned above, for example, of two men being called "Rock" or "Rocky") or tensions?

Ben.

[MrMacSon]

• later blended together into an amalgam

• as one entity: Peter? of the NT (the Pauline epistles and the Synoptics and other texts)?

[Ben C. Smith]

• later blended together into an amalgam

• as one entity: Peter? of the NT (the Pauline epistles and the Synoptics and other texts)?

As one entity: Peter/Cephas/Simon, seen as an apostle to the Diaspora (1 Peter 1.1), a pillar in Jerusalem (Galatians 2.9), and a disciple of Jesus (Mark 3.16), but in reality three different individuals combined into one (for reasons rather easy to imagine: to make the apostle an eyewitness of the ministry of Jesus, for example).

[Secret Alias]

As much as some might complain a kepha is a small stone, a pebble. Hard to understand what it means.

kyp, kypˀ (kēp̄, kēp̄ā) n.f. rock, stone
Syriac usually ܟܐܦܐ ‏


1 crag Qumran, JLAtg, Sam, LJLA. 11QtgJob 33.9=39:28 : ב]כפא ישכון ויקנ֗ן֗[ ٠٠٠ ‏ it dwells and nest on the crag. TgJ Is57:5 : בְנַחלַיָא תְחוֹת שְקִיפֵי כֵיפַיָא ‏ in the wadis beneath the rocky cliffs . TgJ Jer49:16 : נִשרָא דְשָרֵי בְשִינֵי כֵיפָא ‏ the vulture that dwells on craggy outcroppings. PJ Gen49:22 : ופכרת שיני כיפיא ‏ . (a) large rock Com. TgO Num20:8 : מַיָא מִן כֵיפָא ‏ water from the rock. P Gn29:3 : ܘܡܥܓܠܝܢ ܟܐܦܐ ܡܢ ܦܘܡܗܿ ܕܒܪܐ‏ they were rolling the rock off the mouth of the well.

2 stone Com-OA-OfA-BA. P Nm14:10 : ܠܡܪܓܡ ܐܢܘܢ ܒܟܐ̈ܦܐ‏ to stone them with stones. JBABowl 70.1:2 : כיפי ארעה ‏ the stones of the ground. BT Ket 112a(47) : רבבא מנשק כיפי דעכו ‏ PN used to kiss the stones of GN. (a) as a substance Syr. P Ex31:5 : ܘܒܐܘܡܢܘܬܐ ܕܟܐ̈ܦܐ ‏ stone-work. P Dt9:9 : ܠܘܚ̈ܐ ܕܟܐܦܐ‏ stone tablets.

3 idiomatic usages (a) w. brq, ברד ‏ : hailstone ‏ Syr, JBA. MetTheo 353:a.28 : ܟ̈ܐܦܐ ܕܒܪܕܐ‏ hailstones. (b) w. ܦܐܬܐ‏ : cornerstone‏ Syr. ApocDan.36.21 : ܘܟܬܒ ܟܐܦܐ ܕܦܬܐ ܕܟܝܬܐ ܘܣܼܡ ܥܡܗܘܢ‏ . (c) דנורא ‏ : meteorite, meteor ‏ JBA.

4 pl. jewelry Syr, JBA. JSmem 12:21 : ܐܝܟܐ ܐܢ̈ܝܢ ܟܐܦ̈ܐ ܕܦܕܬܐ ܝܩܝܪ̈ܬܐ‏ where are the precious jewels of the ephod?.

5 pl. : calculi Syr. HippAp 12(21) ; .

6 paved road Sam.

[Charles Wilson]

I am looking for feedback..

Ben --

I respectfully offer the following:

John 13: 6 - 8 (RSV):

[6] He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
[7] Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand."
[8] Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me."

Try to figger out how many characters there are here. Good Support for your Thesis.

Also: I 'm afraid I'm gonna have to offer a bit of the Mishmarot Priesthood in evidence. I apologize, Ben, but the Thesis does offer an immediate explanation of "Rocky". BTW, this has forced me to reconsider a part of the Thesis. To recapitulate: There is a Priest from the Mishmarot Group Immer who is in Service for the Passover of 4 BCE, Immer taking over from Bilgah on the Sabbath.

Immer is "assigned" a Settlement named Jabnit, in upper Galilee. Jabnit is about 20 km from Meiron, the Settlement given to Jehoiarib (...and the Hasmoneans). I found a real, live Prof who had excavated some of Meiron. I asked him about the topography. "Were any large rocks in that area?". His response? "Lots of 'em".

"Rocky" appears to be a word play on the Topography that describes the area in which the character resides.

Respectfully yours,

CW

[Ben C. Smith]

Secret Alias and Charles, what do you make of spin's position that Cephas more likely started with a qof, not a kaf (and thus had nothing to do with rocks), in its Semitic origin?

[Secret Alias]

Yes he might be on to something. I just can't think of what it might be.

[Secret Alias]

As I have noted elsewhere Pitar might well mean 'seer' or 'one who has visions.'

[Kunigunde Kreuzerin]

I am looking for feedback, both positive and negative ... on a crazy idea: to wit, the names Simon, Cephas, and Peter refer, not only to two different men, but indeed to three different men, later blended together into an amalgam:

I know for a fact that they were not only three, but indeed four different men

(but always polite and inquisitive, please),

sorry

[Kunigunde Kreuzerin]

Secret Alias and Charles, what do you make of spin's position that Cephas more likely started with a qof, not a kaf (and thus had nothing to do with rocks), in its Semitic origin?

But earnestly, I think you should ask the other way around. What Cephas might be in Greek and what is with Mark’s "rocky grounds" if there is a difference?