What Does Your Name Mean?

Bill Lazarus is been a long-time writer, educator and religious historian.  He started teaching when he was 13 year old and has been rarely out of a classroom since.  He hold an M.A. in communication from Kent State University and is a full-time instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  You can write him via this website or www.williamplazarus.com.

I always found names interesting.  See if you can find your name in this list:

AARON   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: ER-un

From the Hebrew name Aharon which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as "high mountain" or "exalted".

ABIGAIL   f

Usage: English, German, Biblical

Pronounced: AB-i-gayl

From the Hebrew name Avigayil meaning "my father is joy".

ADELAIDE

Usage: English

Pronounced: AD-el-ayd

From the Germanic name Adalheidis which was composed of the elements adal "noble" and heid "kind, sort, type". This was the name of the wife of Otto the Great, and also the wife of King William IV of England. A city in Australia bears this name.

AGNES   f

Usage: English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian

Pronounced: AG-nes

Latinized form of the Greek name Hagne, derived from Greek hagnos meaning "chaste".

ALAN   m

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: AL-an

The meaning of this name is not known for certain, though it possibly means either "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton. It was introduced to England by Bretons after the Norman invasion.

ALBERT   m

Usage: English, French, Slovene

Pronounced: AL-burt (English), al-BER (French)

From the Germanic name Adalbrecht which meant "bright nobility", composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". It was introduced to England by the Normans.

ALEXANDER   m

Usage: English, German, Dutch

Pronounced: al-eg-ZAN-dur

From the Greek name Alexandros, which meant "defending men" from Greek alexein "to defend, help" and aner "man" (genitive andros).

ALISON   f,m

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: AL-i-sun (English), a-lee-SAWN (French)

Medieval Norman form of ALICE. It is occasionally used as a masculine name.

ANDREW   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: AN-droo

From the Greek name Andreas, which derives from aner "man" (genitive andros "of a man").

ANTHONY   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: AN-tho-nee

From the Roman family name Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. It is sometimes claimed to mean "flower" from Greek anthos.

ARTHUR   m

Usage: English, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: AHR-thur

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from British art "bear" combined with viros "man", or it could be related to Irish art "stone". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

ASHLEY   m,f

Usage: English

Pronounced: ASH-lee

From a surname which was originally derived from a place name which meant "ash tree clearing" in Old English.

BARBARA   f

Usage: English, Italian, French, German, Polish, Hungarian, Slovene

Pronounced: BAHR-bahr-a (English), BAHR-bra (English)

Derived from Greek barbaros meaning "foreign".

BENJAMIN   m

Usage: English, French, German, Hungarian, Biblical

Pronounced: BEN-ja-min (English), ben-zha-MEN (French)

From the Hebrew name Binyamin which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand".

BEVERLY   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: BEV-ur-lee

From a surname which originally came from a place name meaning "beaver stream" in Old English.

BRIAN   m

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: BRIE-an

The meaning of this name is not known for certain but it is possibly related to the Old Celtic element bre meaning "hill", or by extension "high, noble".

BRITTANY   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRIT-nee

From the name of the region in the northwest of France, called in French Bretagne. It was named for the Briton settlers who fled to France after the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England.

CANDACE   f

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: KAN-das, kan-DAY-see

Sometimes said to mean "incandescent" or "white" from Latin canditia, but it is more likely from an unknown Ethiopic source.

CHARLES   m

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: CHAHR-ulz (English), SHARL (French)

From the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word which meant "man".

CHELSEA   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: CHEL-see

From the name of a district in London meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone" in Old English.

CHERYL   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: SHER-il, CHER-il

Meaning unknown, perhaps a blend of CHERIE and BERYL

CHRISTINA   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: kris-TEEN-a

Feminine form of CHRISTIAN.

COURTNEY   f,m

Usage: English

Pronounced: KORT-nee

From a surname which was derived either from a French place name meaning "domain of CURTIS" or else from a French nickname meaning "short nose".

CRAIG   m

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: KRAYG

From a Scottish surname which was derived from Gaelic creag meaning "crag" or "rocks". The surname originally belonged to a person who lived near a crag.

CYNTHIA   f

Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)

Pronounced: SIN-thee-a

Latinized form of Greek Kynthia which means "woman from Kynthos".

DANIEL   m

Usage: English, Jewish, French, German, Scandinavian, Polish, Czech, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Biblical

Pronounced: DAN-yul (English), dan-YEL (French)

From the Hebrew name Daniyel meaning "God is my judge".

DARRYL   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: DER-el

Derived from French D'Airelle meaning "of Airelle". This was originally a Norman surname denoting one who came from Airelle in France.

DAVID   m

Usage: English, Jewish, French, Spanish, Russian, Czech, Biblical

Pronounced: DAY-vid (English), da-VEED (French)

Possibly derived from Hebrew dod meaning "beloved".

DEBORAH   f

Usage: English, Jewish, Biblical

Pronounced: DEB-or-a, DEB-ra

Means "bee" in Hebrew.

DIANA   f

Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Lithuanian, Roman Mythology

Pronounced: die-AN-a (English)

Probably derived from an old Indo-European root meaning "heavenly, divine", related to dyeus (see ZEUS).

DONALD   m

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: DAHN-awld

From the Gaelic name Domhnall which means "ruler of the world", composed of the Old Celtic elements dumno "world" and val "rule".

DOROTHEA   f

Usage: English, German, Dutch, Danish

Pronounced: dor-o-THEE-a

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Dorotheus, from the Greek Dorotheos, which meant "gift of God" from Greek doron "gift" and theos "god".

EDWARD   m

Usage: English, Polish

Pronounced: ED-wurd

Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "rich, blessed" and weard "guard".

ELIZABETH   f

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: ee-LIZ-a-beth

From Elisabet, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elisheba meaning "God is my oath".

ERIC   m

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: ER-ik (English), er-EEK (French)

From the Old Norse name Eiríkr, derived from ei "ever" and ríkr "ruler". Danish invaders first brought the name to England.

ERNEST   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: UR-nest

Derived from Germanic eornost meaning "seriousness".

ESTHER   f

Usage: English, Jewish, French, Biblical

Pronounced: ES-tur (English), es-TER (French)

Possibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a Hebrew form of ISHTAR, the name of a Persian goddess.

EUGENE   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: YOO-jeen

From the Greek name Eugenios which was derived from the Greek word eugenes meaning "well born", composed of the elements eu "good, well" and genes "born".

EVE   f

Usage: English, French, Biblical

Pronounced: EEV

From the Hebrew name Chavvah, which was derived from the Hebrew word chavah "to breathe" or the related word chayah "to live".

FRANK   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: FRANGK

Refers to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called France and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th century. They derived their tribal name from the name of a type of spear that they used.

FREDERICK   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: FRED-ur-ik, FRED-rik

From a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from frid "peace" and ric "ruler, power".

GABRIEL   m

Usage: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Biblical

Pronounced: GAY-bree-el (English), ga-bree-EL (French)

From the Hebrew name Gabriyel which meant "strong man of God".

GARY   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: GER-ee

Either a pet form of GARETH or else from a surname which was derived from various first names beginning with the Germanic element ger, gar meaning "spear".

GEOFFREY   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: JEF-ree

From an Old French form of a Germanic name. The second element is Germanic frid "peace", but the first element may be either gawia "territory", walah "stranger", gisil "hostage" or god "god"  It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form.

GEORGE   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: JORJ

From the Greek name Georgios which was derived from the Greek word georgos meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements ge "earth" and ergon "work".

GREGORY   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: GREG-or-ee

From the Latin Gregorius, which was from the late Greek name Gregorios, which was derived from gregoros meaning "watchful, alert".

HELEN   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: HEL-en

Possibly from either Greek helene "torch" or "corposant", or Greek selene "moon".

HENRY   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: HEN-ree

From the Germanic name Heimerich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler".

HOWARD   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: HOW-ard

From an Old English surname which can derive from various occupational sources ("high warden" or "ewe herder" or "hog warden"), though another theory states that the surname derives from a Germanic first name composed of the elements hug "heart, mind" and hard "brave, hardy".

ISAAC   m

Usage: English, Jewish, Biblical

Pronounced: IE-zak

From the Hebrew name Yitschaq which meant "he laughs".

ISABEL   f

Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, French, English

Pronounced: ee-sah-BEL (Spanish), ee-za-BEL (French), IZ-a-bel (English)

Most likely a medieval Spanish form of ELIZABETH, although some theories state that Isabel actually derives from an old Semitic name meaning "daughter of BAAL".

JACOB   m

Usage: English, Dutch, Scandinavian

Pronounced: JAY-kub

From the Latin Jacobus, which was from the Greek Iakobos, which was from the Hebrew name Ya'aqob which meant "holder of the heel" or "supplanter".

JAMES   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: JAYMZ

English form of the Late Latin Jacomus which was derived from Iakobos, the New Testament Greek form of Ya'aqob.

JASON   m

Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical

Pronounced: JAY-sun

From the Greek name Iason, which was derived from Greek iasthai "to heal".

JEREMIAH   m

Usage: English, Jewish, Biblical

Pronounced: jer-e-MIE-a

From the Hebrew name Yirmeyahu which meant "YAHWEH has uplifted".

JESSICA   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: JES-i-ka

This name was first used in this form by Shakespeare in his play 'The Merchant of Venice', where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare probably based it on the biblical name Iscah meaning "YAHWEH beholds" in Hebrew.

JOHN   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: JAHN

English form of Johannes, which was the Latin form of the Greek name Ioannes, itself derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious".

JONATHAN   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: JAHN-a-than

From the Hebrew name Yehonatan (contracted to Yonatan) meaning "YAHWEH has given".

JOSEPH   m

Usage: English, French, Biblical

Pronounced: JO-sef (English), zho-ZEF (French)

From the Latin Josephus, which was from the Greek Iosephos, which was from the Hebrew name Yoseph meaning "he will add".

JUDITH   f

Usage: English, Jewish, French, Biblical

Pronounced: JOO-dith (English), zhoo-DEET (French)

From the Hebrew name Yehudit which meant "woman from Judea".

KATHERINE   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: KATH-u-rin, KATH-rin

From the Greek name Aikaterine. The etymology is debated: it could derive from the earlier Greek name Hekaterine, which came from hekateros "each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess HECATE; it could be related to Greek aikia "torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning "my consecration of your name". The Romans falsely derived it from Greek katharos "pure" and changed their spelling from Katerina to Katharina to reflect this. 

KIMBERLY   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: KIM-bur-lee

From the name of a city in South Africa which was originally named for Lord Kimberley, whose surname means "land belonging to CYNEBURGA" in Old English.

LAURA   f

Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Finnish, Hungarian

Pronounced: LOR-a, LAWR-a, LOW-rah (Spanish, Italian)

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Laurus, which meant "laurel". In ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands.

LAURENCE (1)   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: LOR-ents

From the Roman cognomen Laurentius, which meant "of Laurentum".

LEE   m,f

Usage: English

Pronounced: LEE

From a surname derived from Old English leah "meadow".

LINDA   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: LIN-da

This name could be derived from several sources. It could be from Spanish linda meaning "beautiful"; it could be a short form of BELINDA or MELINDA; or it could be a short form of Germanic names ending with the element linde meaning "soft, tender".

LYNN   f,m

Usage: English

Pronounced: LIN

From an English surname which derives from Welsh llyn "lake". It can also be a short form of LINDA or names which end in lyn or line.

MARGARET   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAHR-gret, MAHR-gur-et

Derived from Greek margarites meaning "pearl".

MARTIN   m

Usage: English, French, German, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Hungarian

Pronounced: MAHR-tin (English), mar-TEN (French)

From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god MARS.

MARY   f

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: MER-ee

Usual English form of Maria, which was the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Mariam or Maria (the spellings are interchangeable), which were from the Hebrew name Miriam. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

MATTHEW   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: MATH-yoo

English form of Matthaios, which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Mattithyahu which meant "gift of YAHWEH".

MELISSA   f

Usage: English, Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek

Pronounced: me-LIS-a

Means "bee" in Greek.

MICHAEL   m

Usage: English, German, Czech, Biblical

Pronounced: MIE-kul

From the Hebrew name Miyka'el which meant "who is like God?"

NATHANAEL   m

Usage: Biblical, English, Scandinavian

Pronounced: nay-THAN-ee-el, nay-THAN-yel

From the Hebrew name Nethane'el which meant "God has given".

NICHOLAS   m

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: NI-ko-las (English), nee-ko-LA (French)

From the Greek name Nikolaos which meant "victory of the people" from Greek nike "victory" and laos "people".

OLIVER   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: AHL-i-vur

Norman French form of a Germanic name, possibly the name Alfihar meaning "elf army".

OSCAR   m

Usage: English, Irish

Pronounced: AHS-kur

Means "deer lover", derived from Gaelic os "deer" combined cara "lover".

PATRICK   m

Usage: Irish, English, French, German

Pronounced: PAT-rik (English), pat-REEK (French)

From the Roman name Patricius, which meant "nobleman" in Latin.

PAUL   m

Usage: English, French, German, Romanian, Biblical

Pronounced: PAWL, POL (French)

From the Roman family name Paulus, which meant "small" or "humble" in Latin.

PETER   m

Usage: English, German, Scandinavian, Slovene, Biblical

Pronounced: PEE-tur

Derived from Greek petros meaning "stone".

PHILIP   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: FIL-ip

From the Greek name Philippos which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements philos "friend" and hippos "horse".

PHYLLIS   f

Usage: Greek Mythology, English, German

Pronounced: FIL-is

Means "foliage" in Greek.

RACHEL   f

Usage: English, Jewish, French, German, Biblical

Pronounced: RAY-chel (English), ra-SHEL (French)

Means "ewe" in Hebrew.

RAYMOND   m

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: RAY-mund (English), ray-MAWN (French)

From the Germanic name Reginmund, composed of the elements ragin "advice" and mund "protector".

REBECCA   f

Usage: English, Italian, Biblical

Pronounced: re-BEK-a

From the Hebrew name Ribqah, possibly meaning "a snare" in Hebrew, or perhaps derived from an Aramaic name.

RICHARD   m

Usage: English, French, German, Czech

Pronounced: RICH-ard (English), ree-SHAR (French)

Means "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements ric "power, rule" and hard "brave, hardy".

ROBERT   m

Usage: English, French, Scandinavian

Pronounced: RAH-burt (English), ro-BER (French)

Means "bright fame", derived from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and beraht "bright".

ROGER   m

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: RAH-jur (English), ro-ZHER (French)

Means "famous spear" from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and ger "spear".

RUSSELL   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: RUS-el

From a surname which meant "little red one" in French.

RUTH   f

Usage: English, German, Scandinavian, Biblical

Pronounced: ROOTH

From a Hebrew name which was derived from the Hebrew word re'uth meaning "friend". 

RYAN   m,f

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: RIE-an

From a surname which was originally derived from an Irish first name which meant "little king" (from Irish rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix).

SAMUEL   m

Usage: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Biblical

Pronounced: SAM-yoo-el, SAM-yool

From the Hebrew name Shemu'el which could mean either "name of God" or "God has heard".

SARAH   f

Usage: English, French, German, Jewish, Biblical

Pronounced: SER-a

Means "lady" or "princess" in Hebrew. This was the name of the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament.

SHARON   f,m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: SHER-un

From an Old Testament place name meaning "plain" in Hebrew, referring to a fertile plain near the coast of Israel.

SIMON   m

Usage: English, French, Scandinavian, Hungarian, Slovene, Biblical

Pronounced: SIE-mun (English), see-MAWN (French)

From the Greek form of the Hebrew name Shim'on which meant "hearkening" or "listening"..

STEPHEN   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: STEEV-en, STEF-en

From the Greek name Stephanos which means "crown".

STEWART   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: STOO-art, STYOO-art

From a surname meaning "keeper of the estate" in Old English.

SUSANNA   f

Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Biblical

Pronounced: soo-ZAN-a

From Sousanna, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Shoshannah which was derived from the Hebrew word shushan meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose").

TERENCE   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: TER-ents

From the Roman family name Terentius which is of unknown meaning.

THEODORE   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: THEE-o-dor

From the Greek name Theodoros, which meant "gift of god" from Greek theos "god" and doron "gift".

THERESA   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: te-RAY-sa, te-REE-sa

From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek theros "summer", from Greek therizein "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Thera (the main island of Santorini).

THOMAS   m

Usage: English, French, German, Scandinavian, Biblical

Pronounced: TAHM-as (English), to-MA (French), TOM-ahs (German)

Greek form of the Aramaic name Te'oma which meant "twin".

TIMOTHY   m

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: TIM-u-thee

Means "honouring God" from Greek timan "to honour" and theos "god".

VICTOR   m

Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Romanian

Pronounced: VIK-tor (English), veek-TOR (French)

Roman name meaning "victor" in Latin.

VIVIAN   m,f

Usage: English

Pronounced: VIV-ee-an

From the Roman name Vivianus which was derived from Latin vivus "alive".

WALTER   m

Usage: English, German, Scandinavian

Pronounced: WAWL-tur (English), VAHL-tur (German)

From a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army", composed of the elements wald "rule" and heri "army".

WAYNE   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: WAYN

From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon".

WENDY   f

Usage: English

Pronounced: WEN-dee

Probably first used in J. M. Barrie's play 'Peter Pan' in 1904. It was from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, there is some evidence that the name may have been used prior to the play, in which case it could be related to the Welsh name GWENDOLEN or other names beginning with gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".

WILLIAM   m

Usage: English

Pronounced: WIL-ee-am

From the Germanic name Wilhelm, which was composed of the elements wil "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection".

Sage Advice

As related in the book of Acts in the New Testament, opponents of Christianity spoke out against the new religion some 2,000 years ago during a meeting of the Jewish assembly, the Sanhedrin.  They were silenced by Gamaliel, who is not identified in the Bible, but who actually was the foremost Jewish religious leader of his day and son (or possibly grandson) of the greatest of all Jewish sages, Hillel.  

Gamaliel stopped the arguments by insisting that if Christianity was from God, then there was nothing that anyone could do about it.  If not, he said, it would fail of its own accord.

That simple statement has been trumpeted by Christians ever since as proof of divine support.  After all, Christianity survived some traumatic birth pangs and thrives today.  Moreover, they believe that Gamaliel must be accurate because the New Testament is believed to faithfully report the word of God.  However, that statement has a flip side: it actually undermines all faith and even the idea of a deity.

That’s because Gamaliel’s thesis cannot be limited to Christianity.  Using the sage’s logic, all religions still surviving must be from God.  There’s a long list of prominent faiths: Hinduism (about 3400 years old); Judaism (about 2600 years); Buddhism (about 2500 years); Zoroastrianism (about 2500 years); Islam (about 1600 years); and so on.  And that’s not even considering Indian and African beliefs dating back to prehistoric times.  Taking Gamaliel at his word – and there’s some debate whether he actually made such a comment – all of these religions must have God’s stamp of approval.

However, none of them agree completely on even fundamental details.  Buddhism, for example, has no deity.  Hinduism contains thousands.  In Judaism and Islam, God is indivisible.  In Christianity, the father is joined by a son and a holy ghost.   To make matters worse, Christians believe only they are going to heaven via Jesus.  If so, then they must also simultaneously be packing for a trip to Islamic or Zoroastrian hell.  In fact, afterlife must be a logistical nightmare with the dearly departed obligated to be punished for their lack of belief  in a counter religion endorsed by God.

Either God has a strange sense of humor, happily pitting one belief against another without concern of the consequences, or there isn’t any divine figure involved.  There really are no other choices.  No single religion can be correct since the rest should have fallen, supposedly demolished by God’s disapproval.

This topic arose in a discussion with one of my Islamic students, who was questioning his faith after being confronted with the welter of beliefs in this society.  He was born in Saudi Arabia, a country where the Muslim belief pervades society.  He could not imagine that other religions had any validity and was stunned by the diversity in this country.

Because of my books on religious history, he approached me.

I started by asking him what God did.  He said that God created the world.  However, science has proved that effort was not necessary.  Computer models have demonstrated with little fanfare how nothing became a universe.  No divine intervention was necessary.

My student then said God judges mankind.  That presumes the existence of humans.  What did God do before there were humans?  Fossil records make it clear the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but the mammals don’t even enter the picture until around 220 million years ago.  The first human-like creatures probably date to 5 million years ago.  Does that mean God simply waited for billions of years for someone to judge?

Besides, who was he judging?  DNA testing proved that all males are related to a human who lived 150,000 years ago.  All females are descended from a woman who lived 250,000 years ago.  Adam and Eve never met.  Evolution is continuous anyway.  There never was a first human.   As a result, if God judges humans, when did he start the process?  With Australopithecus, the first known hominid?  How about Cro-Magnon, Homo Habilis or Neanderthal?  Will we run into all of them in hereafter, too? (Heaven forbid)  We should  –  God had to wait a long time to judge humans.  Why would he sit on his hands until Homo Sapiens Sapiens (us) showed up only 150,000 or so years ago?

And what will he do when humans become extinct?  About 99 percent of all species on Earth have become extinct.  There’s no reason to think we will escape that fate.  Given global warming, pollution and natural disasters, such as meteor collisions like the kind that wiped out the dinosaurs, we have no reason to believe our time on this planet will last forever.  In fact, futurists give our species less than 1 million years to live.  Discovery Channel program that predicted the future based on scientific principles proposed that  the last hominids would be a monkey-like creature with a long tail.  Humans, the scientists claimed, would have departed for another planet because the Earth would have become inhospitable.

Besides, at some time the Earth will run out of internal heat and die, killing all life.  The Sun eventually will run out of hydrogen to burn and explode, incinerating all planets,.  And, eventually, the universe will run out of energy, too. Extinction is inevitable without God’s involvement.

My bewildered student had no more questions.  He started wandering around in circles, having never considered all of these conditions.   In many ways, he has a lot of company.  Anyone who believes in a God who creates, dictates and officiates human activity should also be pretty dazed. Gamaliel would have been, too, if he had realized the implications of what he said.

Bill Lazarus is been a long-time writer, educator and religious historian.  He started teaching when he was 13 year old and has been rarely out of a classroom since.  He holds an M.A. in communication from Kent State University and is a full-time instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  His latest book, Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols, was published in December 2010 and is available via Amazon.com or on his website www.williamplazarus.com .  

The End of Education

When I was in public school, classes always started after Labor Day.  August was still part of our vacation.  These days, of course, school starts sometimes weeks before the national holiday.  They’d be better off staying on vacation.

I sincerely doubt they are learning much in school.  For starters, for close to a decade, legislators have been imposing standardized tests on the kids as a way of determining the quality of education.  The basic concept behind the testing sees plausible:  make sure that teachers and schools are accountable for their efforts to educate our children.

However, standardized tests hardly do that.  For one reason, some people simply don’t function well on that kind of testing.  I never did.  My scores were invariably low on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).  Despite that, I graduated magna cum laude from Kent State University.  Standardized testing also assumes similarities in culture.  That’s simply not true.  For example, one of my foreign students in high school could not answer a question about cats on the FCAT, because, in her culture, cats are unclean.  She simply declined even to read the question as soon as she saw the word “cat.”

The tests also are incredibly unbalanced.  Students learning English will naturally score very low, even though they are expected to take the same test as native speakers.

To make matters worse, the tests are being used to determine raises and school finances.  The Florida legislature tried that approach in 2010, and it was vetoed.  The new governor has already said he'll sign the bill, which is being fast-tracked through the state legislature.

That is ridiculous, given the fact that schools with a large percentage of foreign-born students can never do as well as schools filled with natives.  Moreover, a new immigrant who learns a simple English sentence has accomplished a tremendous amount.  However, that seemingly pales when compared to a native who pens a jumbled, barely literate essay.  How can anyone measure such disparate results with the same scale?

Worse, teachers have lost all opportunities for creativity because they are forced to teach to the test to buttress their school’s status and their own salaries.  That’s not education.  It’s a return to the rote instruction of bygone schools, long since recognized as stifling and self-defeating.  As a result, No Child Left Behind legislation has left every child behind.  It remains the worst legacy of the previous administration, which is saying something considering two wars that rage on..

New York State long ago solved the problem with its Regency Tests, which test what students are supposed to know after completing a particular education level.  Teachers’ salaries and school finances are not chained to the results.  Neither are teacher imaginations.

To make matters more complicated, society is changing rapidly while education remains bogged down in a different era.  Students today function in an independent environment: they choose when to turn on their computer, what music to listen to, who to talk to on Facebook and other social networks, and more.  Yet, they come into a classroom and are expected to function as a cohesive unit.  No classroom I ever had in public school as either a student or a teacher had computers or the kind of modern technology that students regularly use.

Naturally, as a result, students are bored and disinterested.  Their attention spans have been shortened by the quick editing that infuses television shows and movies, but they are expected to sit in a classroom for as long as 75 minutes without losing concentration.  

The entire model of education has to change to recognize the reality of today’s world.  The days of lectures are over.  Students must be able to choose what they want to focus.  They can learn to read and write that way.  History becomes relevant within that context.  So does math.  Socialization will occur in the normal way outside of class or by having students with similar interests work together.

Teachers’ roles will not change.  They still must direct students, but they must show wider contexts so a student does not become so focused on the single topic.  As an example, consider horses, a common delight of many students.  For history, a good teacher will help the student understand how horses were used to tame the American West, were part of the Spanish Conquistadors success and were a crucial element in Scythian and other ancient culture’s warfare.  At the same time, horses would be used in math: determining size, speed, feed etc.  In short, the student’s interest becomes the focus of wide-ranging educational opportunities. 

In the regimen, students would eagerly learn all they could about a subject they care about while, at the same time, be happy to share the information with classmates.   They would also be able to shift subjects as their interests changed.  The computer would help them find the information they need and assist teachers as well.  Every student will learn at his own pace with the teacher facilitating and guiding, not following some ironclad format.

This would be a major change in education, but one that would enhance learning while breaking the testing manacles gripping today’s schools.

Besides, it’s not as if schools haven’t changed in the past.  Just look at the calendar.

Bill Lazarus is been a long-time writer and educator.  He started teaching when he was 13 year old and has been rarely out of a classroom since.  He hold an M.A. in communication from Kent State University and is a full-time instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  You can write him via www.williamplazarus.org or this blog.

Ageless in America

My father turned 90 this year in June.  My mother reaches that milestone in May 2010.  Both are in excellent health, and exercise regularly and religiously.  With modern medicine, good genes – my father’s parents both lived into their 90s – and multiple activities, they can look forward to joining the fastest growing element of the American population – people who are more than 100 years old.  

Still, it’s unlikely they’ll match Methuselah who, the Bible reports, lived 969 years.  That lifespan, the longest recorded in the Good Book, did earn a skeptical question in Porgy and Bess, the famed Gershwin musical of the 1930s: “Who calls that livin’ when no gal will give in to no man who’s 900 years?”  Someone didn’t mind when Methuselah was 187.  That’s when his first child was supposedly born.

Noah holds the record in that department.   According to the Bible, he was 500 years old when his first son was born.  Noah would go on to live another 450 years.

Long lives were not unusual for the pre-flood generations.  The average lifespan before the flood was 912 years.   After the deluge, however, people lacked the same kind of stamina.  Their life spans averaged only 222 years, led by Shem, Noah’s son, who enjoyed his 600^th birthday before kicking the bucket. 

Lengthy lives are not limited to Biblical patriarchs.  The ages of ancient Sumerian kings, for example, stretched thousands of centuries.  On monarch,  Alulim of Eridu, endured for 28,800 years.  He was an infant compared to En-Men-Lu-Ana of Bad-Tibira whose life extended for 43,200 years. 

Imagine the size of that last birthday cake to hold all the candles.

The lengthy claims naturally raised questions.  After all, even the Bible (Gen:6:3) notes that the human lifespan is 120 years.

These exercises in hyperbole probably served several functions:

·                They emphasized the importance of often-mythical people.

·                       They pushed back the origin of a country and its religion, giving both added significance. 

Other explanations abound:

·         1. One scholar noted that the Sumerians used base 60.  Later Jewish writers borrowed the lengthy years – they also buried other stories from Sumeria, such as the Garden of Eden – and simply didn’t know the dates needed to be converted to base 10.

·         2. The long years served to bridge the years between the ancient world and the time when the Bible was written.

·         3. The authors simply didn’t know how long anyone lived.  

·         4. The world was different before the flood, so people could live longer.

By the time of King  David around 1000 B.C.E., lifespans had dropped to what would be considered typical: three score and 10.  Even that total surpassed the average lifespan of humans well into the 1900s.  In Classical Greece, the lifespan has been estimated at 20 to 30 years.   That was true for Rome, too.  Even in the early 20^th century, life spans averaged 30 to 40 years.

That doesn’t mean everyone died young.  Early American leaders like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, for example, all lived into their 80s.  However, so many children died young that the numbers were skewed.  Modern medicine has caused a huge jump.  Today, the average life span for an American male is 74 years; women can expect to live until 80.

That is definitely not the limit.  Joice Heth, who was exhibited by showman P.T. Barnum in 1835, was said to be 161 years old.  Actually, she was probably 80.  The oldest document age is 122, recorded by a French woman, Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997.  

That really gives my parents something to shoot for.  I hope I’m around to celebrate with them when they get there.

Bill Lazarus is been a long-time writer, educator and religious historian.  He started teaching when he was 13 year old and has been rarely out of a classroom since.  He hold an M.A. in communication from Kent State University and is a full-time instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  You can write him via this website or www.williamplazarus.com

To Build or Not to Build

At this writing, Muslim leaders in New York are still hoping to build a community center and mosque some two blocks away from Ground Zero, the now-sacred ground that once held the World Trade Center.  The WTC was demolished when Islamic terrorists commandeered planes and flew them into the buildings.  More than 3,000 people died in the horrific attack.  

No one recorded the religion of the victims, but best estimates are that 400 to 500 were Jewish.  Other religions represented included Muslim, Hindu and, of course, Christian.  A Hindu friend of mine worked in the Towers and survived because he was going to his office later than usual that day.  Many of his friends and colleagues did not.

The religion matters because the idea of a mosque next to such a site has enflamed the conservative sector of our society.  The complaints are vicious, laced with anti-Islamic sentiment and downright hatred.  

One friend wrote that the mosque was no different than building a monument to Adolf Hitler.  I respectfully disagreed.  No one is talking about building a memorial to the Islamic zealots who died in the plane crashes.  In fact, the leader of the moment to build the mosque is renowned for his interfaith efforts and was openly appalled—as were virtually all American Muslims—by the nefarious actions of their co-religionists.

There are compelling reasons to allow the mosque planners to go ahead.

1)      It’s legal.  Even opponents agree there’s nothing wrong with the plans.  How logical is it to defy the law to prevent the construction?  Does one illegal act, however awful, warrant a parallel response?

2)      It falls under constitutional guidelines.  The Puritans who founded Massachusetts came here for religious freedom.  That basic concept helped created Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Maryland, and is enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution.  It is the basic cornerstone of our country and the one thing that separates us from other lands.  We cannot discard it simply because of objections to the murderous actions of some members of a particular faith.  No religious is free of so odious behavior.  You can bet no one would object if the plans called for a church and/or synagogue, despite egregious behavior by some members of each in support of religious beliefs.  Rabbi Meir Kahane was hardly a pacifist, for example.  Neither is the Hutaree, a self-proclaimed Christian terrorist group arrested in March, arrested and charged with plotting to kill police officers around the country in support of their extremist views.

3)      It divides.  Refusing to allow a mosque simply drives a wedge between Muslims and American society.  Ironically, that’s exactly what the terrorists were trying to do: they believe Islam was the superior belief and wanted to rid it of Western influence.  That puts opponents to the mosque on the side of the terrorists. 

Our country has always been inclusive: there’s room for everyone.   The Statue of Liberty proclaims that in the immortal words of Emma Lazarus (no relation): 

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Isolating one element of society in response to this terrible event only undermines our society and encourages anti-Americans.

I’ve heard people compare the events of 9/11 to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  They do not correspond.  The 1941 bombing was the deliberate act of a nation hoping to undermine America’s ability to wage war.  In contrast, the four hijackings in 2001 were the result of a conspiracy of a small group of terrorists bent on creating as much havoc as possible in misguided defense of their religious ideas.  The only thing the two landmark situations shared was that our country was less vigilant than it could have been, but, other than that, the events have nothing in common.

Unlike our war with Japan, we cannot easily strike back against the 9/11 plotters.  Some died in the crashes.  The rest are in hiding.  They were Pakistani and Saudi Arabian.  In our zeal for revenge, we attacked Iraq and Afghanistan, creating more deaths among innocent people and more animosities.

This has to cease sometime.  There is precedent: Germany and Israel are now allies, less than 70 years after the Holocaust ended.

One way to speed up that eventuality this time and heal the rift between the Muslim community and the rest of American society would be by welcoming the mosque.  Let’s make it a center of peace and understanding, rather than the subject of bitter controversy. 

Bill Lazarus is been a long-time writer, educator and religious historian.  He holds an M.A. in communication from Kent State University and is a full-time instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. You can contact him via his website: www.williamplazarus.com or wplazarus@aol.com.