James the Just's name Oblias (Ωβλιας)

[Secret Alias]

Here is the whole section with key words in Greek and Syriac:

He used to enter alone into the temple and be found kneeling and praying for forgiveness for the people, so that his knees grew hard like a camel’s because of his constant worship of God, kneeling and asking forgiveness for the people. So from his excessive righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, dtsdyqwth), [James] was called ‘the Just’ (δίκαιος) and ‘Oblias,’ that is in Greek ‘Rampart (περιοχὴ) of the people’ and ‘righteousness’ (δικαιοσύνη)” [Syriac: ‘the Just’ (tsdyqa) and ‘Door (wshurh) of the people’ and ‘righteousness’ (wtsdyqwth)]. Thus some of the [Jews] inquired of him what was the ‘gate (θύρα, tr‘a) of Jesus’ [see John 10.9]… So the Scribes and Pharisees made James stand on the battlement (πτερύγιον, knpa) of the temple and they cried out to him and said, ‘tell us what is the gate (θύρα, tr‘a) of Jesus?’ [James announces Jesus’ Messianic role publicly. Then, the Scribes and Pharisees decide to] “throw him down…. So they went up and threw down the Just, and they said to one another, “Let us stone James the Just,” and they began to stone him since the fall had not killed him… And a certain man among them, one of the laundrymen, took the club with which he used to beat out the clothes and hit the Just on the head, and so he suffered martyrdom… and at once Vespasian began to besiege them.” (2.23.3-18)

[Secret Alias]

I am not sure the author has translated the variant Syriac term correctly. It is still 'wall' but I think we have tracked down a powerful argument that the 'o' in Oblias is a vav ('and'):

šwr, šwrˀ (šūr, šūrā) n.m. wall


1 wall Com. EchRB[1]69(13) : סליק לריש שורא he climbed up to the top of the wall. PTBB12.d:56[2] : אורחא דמאן דמתפרנס {מ}בני ליה שור it is customary for one who supports himself (well) to build a wall for it. P Gn49:6 : ܥܩܪܘ ܫܘܪܐ . BT BB 91b(20) : מריש שורא ועד ארעא from the top of the wall to the ground. (a) city wall, rampart Com. Zak.a10 : whrmw šr mn šr ḥzrk they raised up a wall higher than GN's wall. Ezra4:13 : הֵן קִרְיְתָא דָךְ תִּתְבְּנֵא וְשוּרַיָּה יִשְתַּכְלְלוּן if that city is rebuilt and its walls completed. 4Q537.1:3 : מיא] די להוון נפקין מן קריתא ומן תחות שוריהא the water that will go out of the city or from beneath its walls. TgJ Ez26:4 : וִיחַבְלוּן שוּרֵי צוֹר וִיפַגְרוּן מִגדָלַהָא they shall ruin the walls of Tyre and destroy its towers. AphDem1.20:3 : ܫܘܪ̈ܝܗܿ ܕܐܝܪܝܚܘ . JS_Elisha 117:00 : ܡܲܠܟܵܐ ܕܡܽܘܐܵܒ ܕܲܕܒܲܚ ܒܪܸܗ ܥܲܠ ܫܽܘܪܵܐ the King of Moab who sacrificed his son on the rampart.

2 fig. Com. TN Ex14:29 : שורין דמין walls of water.

Jastrow roots this term in שרר (see next post):

[Secret Alias]

The connection between Jacob (= James) and this word is all the more comprehensible when we remember that the Biblical Patriarch became Israel because he was made strong, or upright (= שרר).

שרר vb. a(u), a to be firm, true
In JBA the afel may have developed into an independent verb, to judge by the spellings with preserved א in the part. and imperf. See DJBA s.v. אשר#2 vb. and s.v. ˀšr.

G View a KWIC


1 to be firm, tight Com-OA-OfA-BA. 4QEnGiantsc19.5 : ו]ש֗ר֗ ק֗ד֗י֗שיכה uncertain. P Acts3:7 : ܫܲܪ ܪܸ̈ܓܼܠܲܘܗ̱ܝ ܘܥܸ̈ܩܒܼܲܘܗ̱ܝ his feet and heels became firm. BT Ber 42b(15) ; .

2 to be true Com-OA-OfA-BA-MA. AphDem8.164:3 : ܕܬܬܩܝܡ ܘܬܫܪ ܠܢ ܣܗܕܘܬܐ ܕܬܪܝܢ . P Je44:29 : ܕܫܪ̈ܢ ܡ̈ܠܝ . (a) to be fulfilled, come to pass, be proven true Syr. LSt.75:2 : ܬܘܢ̈ܝܐ ܕܗܿܢܘܢ ܕܫܪܘ ܚܠܡܝ̈ܗܘܢ ܘܩܨ̈ܡܝܗܘܢ stories about those whose dreams and omens came true. P 2S17:23 : ܘܐܚܝܬܘܦܝܠ ܚܙܐ ܕܠܐ ܫܪ ܡܠܼܟܗ Ahitophel saw that his advice was not put into practice. P Je44:29 : ܕܬܕܥܘܢܼ ܕܫܪ̈ܢ ܡ̈ܠܝ ܥܠܝܟܘܢ ܠܒܝܫܬܐ .

3 + ḥyl_ : congratulations to Gal, Sam, Syr, JBA, Man, LJLA. BR 582:3(1) ; . PRK178.1 ; . EchRB[1]49(10) : אמר ליה יישר חילך . IshPs 178(14) : ܐܝܟ ܥܝܕܐ ܕܒܥܠܡܐ ܕܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܚܨܘ̈ܕܐ ܘܠܦܠܚ̈ܝ ܐܪܥܐ܃ ܐܫܪ ܚܝܠܐ like the universal custom of saying to reapers and those who work the land: 'job well done'. BT Git 36b(31) : האי קאמ׳ אי איישר חיל . TgTospr Isaiah.57:15 : ישר חילך דנצחתא לסטן בממלל פומך good for you that you defeated Satan with the speech of your mouth. (a) ellip. אישר alone Gal, JBA. PTShvi35.b:25[2] : אישר מאן דאמ׳ אישר . PTTan64.b:55[2] : נפקון לגביה אמרון ליה אישר ולא אגיבון they went out to him and said 'greetings', but he didn't answer them. BT Ber 42b(15) ; . BT Pes 53b(38) ; .

4 impersonal: Syr. (a) ܫܸܪܲܬ ܠܸܗ : to be firmly established Syr. AphDem9.184:8 : ܗܟܢܐ ܬܫܪ ܠܟ ܡܠܬܐ ܗܕܐ thus this matter should be firmly established for you. (a.1) w. eth. dat. of person: to be certain Syr. AphDem11.207:19 : ܘܬܫܪ ܠܟ ܚܒܝܒܝ . (b) ܫܸܪܲܬ ܒܲܝܢܵܬܗܘܿܢ : to be agreed among Syr.


D View a KWIC


1 to establish firmly, institute Qumran, Syr. PagPhil.216.16 : ܐܡܬܝ ܕܠܥܠܡܐ ܟܠܗ ܫܪܪ ܗܘܐ ܒܨܒܝܢܐ when he established the entire world by his will. (a) ܥܲܠ : to persuade Syr.

2 to affirm Syr. AS1 app51(11) : ܐܢ ܢܟܬܘܒ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܝܬܩܐ ܘܢܫܪܪܢܗ ܢܡܘܣܐܝܬ ܠܥܝܢ ܫܒܥܐ ܣܗ̈ܕܝܢ If a man writes a will and legally affirms it before seven witnesses. (a) to speak the truth Syr.

3 to make something strong or rigid CPA, Syr, JBA. P 2K12:13 : ܟܘܠ ܡܕܡ ܕܢܦܩ ܥܠ ܒܝܬܐ ܠܡܫܪܪܘܬܗ everything for expenses to reinforce the temple. P Ps18:35 : ܘܫܪܪ ܐܝܟ ܩܫܬܐ ܕܢܚܫܐ ܕܪ̈ܥܝ he made my arms as strong as a brazen bow. BT AZ 38a(31) : דלשרורי מאנא to strengthen the utensil [i.e. the coulter]. (a) to bite strongly (ellipt. for ܫܪܪ ܢܝܒ̈ܐ) Syr. KwDW 395:7, 9 : ܘܟܕ ܛܿܥܡ ܠܕܡܐ ܕܡܢ ܦܘܡܗ ܪܿܕܐ܂ ܝܬܝܪܐܝܬ ܚܿܐܨ ܦܘܡܗ ܘܡܫܪܪ ܥܠ ܓܪܡܐ when he was tasting the blood flowing from his mouth, he was tightening his mouth all lthe more and biting down strongly on the bone.


C View a KWIC


1 to establish, affirm (rule, law, tax) Palmyrene, Jud, Syr, Man. PAT991:1.10 : wʾp ʾšrw [dy l]ʾ yšlṭ ʾnš . Trf 1.1.9 : 4130111009 wyktb lmdʿmʾ mdʿmʾ mksh dy mn ʿydʾ wmdy ʾšr lʾgwrʾ for every single item let its customary tax be written as well as what it stipulated for the assessor. Trf 2.3.120 : hyk bnmwsʾ whyk dy ʾšr qrblwn kšyrʾ bʾgrtʾ dy ktb lbrbrs as in customary law and as most excellent PN affirmed in the letter he wrote to PN. pYadin15.37 : יהודה בר כתושין אדון בבתה בקמי השרת בבתה . P Neh10:33 : ܘܐܫܪܢ ܥܠܝܢ ܦܘܩܕܢܐ ܕܢܗܘܐ ܝܗܿܒܝܢ ܬܘܠܬܗܿ ܕܐܣܬܪܐ ܒܫܒܬܐ܂ ܠܦܘܠܚܢܐ ܕܒܝܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܢ we have affirmed the commandment to give a third of a stater on the Sabbath for God's Temple service. P 2Ch30:5 : ܘܩܡܘ ܘܐܫܪܘ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܠܡܥܒܕܗ . (a) to keep a promise Syr. AphDem4.61:17 : ܟܕ ܐܫܪ ܠܗ ܐܠܗܐ ܡܘܠܟܢܐ ܕܒܪܐ ܡܬܝܠܕ ܠܗ when God kept the promise that a son would be born to him. P Neh9:8 : ܘܐܫܿܪܬ ܡ̈ܠܝܟ ܥܡܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܙܕܝܩ ܐܢܬ .

2 to make firm, tighten Syr. (a) to hold on firmly Man. (b) as co-verb : to do something firmly Man.

3 to speak the truth, to be true Syr. JoshStyl 66.1 : ܐܘܿ ܕܠܫܡܥܐ ܕܓܠܐ ܐܬܛܿܦܝܣܬ ܕܐܿܫܪ܂ or that I was convinced that a false report was true. (a) (gram.) to signify correctly Syr. BHGr2 7(7) : ܟܠ ܫܡܐ܂ ܐܢ ܥܠ ܚܕ ܒܠܚܘܕ ܡܫܪ ܩܢܘܡܝܐ ܗܘ܂ ܘܐܢ ܥܠ ܚܕ ܘܥܠ ܟܠܿܡܐ ܕܕܡܐ ܠܗ ܡܿܫܪ ܓܢܣܢܝܐ ܗܘ every noun, if it signfies one thing alone, it is personal, but if it signifies one thing and everything similar to it , it is generic.

4 to believe Syr. PhiloxGaugal1 153:12 : ܗܿܘ ܕܠܐ ܡܫܿܪ ܕܚܕ ܡܢ ܬܠܝܬܝܘܬܐ ܗܼܘ ܗܿܘ ܕܐܨܛܠܒܼ܂ he who does not believe that one of the Trinity is the one who was crucified. (a) to have confidence in Syr. LSt.124:10 : ܘܐܢܗܼܘ ܕܠܐ ܡܲܫܲܪ ܐܢܬ ܠܝ but if it is the case that you do not have confidence in me (that I will give 20% to charity). (b) to attribute truth to Syr. IshIsa 42:27 : ܠܢܗܝܪ̈ܐ ܕܫܡܝܐ ܡܫܪܝܢ ܟܠ ܣܘܥܪܢ they attribute every event to the heavenly luminaries.


Dt View a KWIC


1 to be made firm CPA, Syr, JBA. IshGen 24:11 : ܪܩܝܥܐ ܩܪܝܗܝ ܡܛܠ ܕܡܼܢ ܟܝܢܐ ܪܦܝܐ ܕܡܝ̈ܐ ܐܬܪܩܥ ܘܐܫܬܪܪ He called it "firmament" because it was tightened and made firm from the loose nature of the water. (a) to be in force Syr. (b) to be confirmed Syr. (c) to be affirmed Syr.

2 to believe to be true Syr. IITim3:14 : ܐܲܢ̱ܬܿ ܕܸܿܝܢ ܩܲܘܵܐ ܒܿܲܐܝܠܸܝܢ ܕܼܿܝܠܸܦܼܬܿ ܘܸܐܫܬܿܲܪܲܪܬܿ as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believe. ActsThom 211:15 : ܝܬܝܪܐܝܬ ܢܫܬܪܪܘܢ ܒܐܠܗܐ ܗܿܘ ܕܡܢܟ ܡܿܬܟܪܙ . (a) to be persuaded Syr. Rom14:5 : ܟܿܽܠܢܵܫ ܕܸܿܝܢ ܒܿܡܲܕܿܥܵܐ ܕܿܢܲܦܼܫܸܗ ܢܸܫܬܿܲܪܲܪ . (b) ܥܲܠ : to be informed about Syr. Jul 7:27 : ܐܝܼܠܦ ܘܐܫܬܪܪ ܡܢ ܣ̈ܓܝܐܐ ܥܠ ܛܪܘܢܐ ܕܗܼܘ ܡܡܠܟ he learned and was informed by many about the tyrant that he was ruling.

3 w. ܥܡ : to strive with Qumran, Syr. 4QEnGiantsc22.5 : ٠٠٠٠ ולא ]מ֗שכח אנה עמן לאשתר֗רה I am unable to strive with them. P Gn32:29 : ܕܐܫܼܬܪܪܬ ܥܡ ܡܠܐܟܐ you strove with an angel.


Ct View a KWIC


1 to be confirmed Syr.

2 to be believed Syr.

3 חיל : to be congratulated LJLA.

The LXX assumes that Jacob was named Israel because of this same word play - https://books.google.com/books?id=ddQUA ... 22&f=false so the assumptions are very old. More work is needed here but something of use may come of this.

[Secret Alias]

The unusual nature of the expression 'shwrh of the people' makes me suspect that 'wall' is a mis-translation (the second follows viz. 'the gate of Jesus'). It makes much more sense if James is the shwr (= ox) who is sacrificed to commence the start of a new ministry. Look at the language of Leviticus 9:18 "shwr ... of the people' is there too. What follows is a description of the beginning of Aaron and the priests ministry in Israel:

The unusual nature of the expression 'shwrh of the people' makes me suspect that 'wall' is a mis-translation (the second follows viz. 'the gate of Jesus'). It makes much more sense if James is the shwr (= ox) who is sacrificed to commence the start of a new ministry. Look at the language of Leviticus 9:18 "shwr ... of the people' is there too. What follows is a description of the beginning of Aaron and the priests ministry in Israel:

On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. 2 He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering[a] and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. 3 Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.’”

5 They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. 6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

7 Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.”

8 So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. 9 His sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. 10 On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the Lord commanded Moses; 11 the flesh and the hide he burned up outside the camp.

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. 13 They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 He washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat for the people’s sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one.

16 He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way. 17 He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.

18 And he killed (וַיִּשְׁחַ֤ט) the ox (הַשּׁוֹר֙) and the ram as the peace-offering for the people (לָעָ֑ם). His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar.19 But the fat portions of the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver— 20 these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. 21 Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

23 Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

[Secret Alias]

James Alphaeus might well be rooted in the same concept (= ox)

ˀlp n.m. ox, cattle


1 ox Sam, Syr.

[MrMacSon]

...It makes much more sense if James is the shwr (= ox) who is sacrificed to commence the start of a new ministry. Look at the language of Leviticus 9:18 "shwr ... of the people' is there too...

This seems to be similar to this

http://theapologeticsgroup.com/wp-conte ... ESSION.pdf

and aspects of what James Frazer wrote in the Golden Brough about the creation of pseudo-kings who would fill the position of the real king for a day, before being sacrificed in his place.

[DCHindley]

I just discovered an interesting variant in the Syriac recension of Eusebius. Instead of the Greek text:

the Just, and Oblias, which signifies in Greek Defence of the People, and Justice, in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him

the Syriac text reads:

‘the Just’ (tsdyqa) and ‘Door (wshurh) of the people’ and ‘righteousness’ (wtsdyqwth), in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him

William Wright and Norman McLean, The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius in Syriac https://archive.org/details/WrightAndMc ... usInSyriac

Thanks for the Syriac. We're back to "door" talk in place of "bulwark" (encircling walls). As in "What is the Door of Jesus?"

DCH

[Secret Alias]

But shur isn't a door. It means wall, ox or jump. But not door.

[DCHindley]

But shur isn't a door. It means wall, ox or jump. But not door.

Shur isn't (I have not investigated the truth value of Secret's statement, so this is just joking around - duh). Perhaps the ox jumped over the wall.

DCH

[Secret Alias]

I have not investigated the truth value of Secret's statement ...

http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/showjastrow.php?page=1541
http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/showjastrow.php?page=1542