Thanks to the Genferret, Cathy Boyle, and others for posts explaining the importance of the Geneva Bible to the Separatists. May I ask, please, what is a "KJV" search? And "Never Before in History" sounds like a book one should read. Is it? Author's name, please? With thanks from insatiably curious Mignon Cameron ----------------------------------------------- In a message dated 2/22/03 4:57:48 PM, cboyle@ViaFamily.com writes: << Cathy wrote: P.S. In a KJV search using the keyword of "Abijah," it appears that in both Chronicles & Kings, the name Abijah was used for BOTH genders. What do you think? Hmm.. <scurrying off to find some sources> In the KJV, Abiah was 3 times a male and once a female. In the KJV, Abijah has 20 references, most of which refer to King David's son Abijah. King Hezekiah's mom's name was Abijah. (2 Chronicles 29:1). She was the only female listed as Abijah. As to naming practices, I found this.... In Never Before in History, the authors devote a whole chapter to New England nomenclature. On page 103, we read:" Of the first generation settlers in Plymouth, the majority of whom were born prior to 1600, 41 percent had traditional Norman or Anglo-Saxon names like William and Katherine? In contrast, in the second generation only 10 percent had such names...."In the first generation, only three individuals, or about 4 percent, had descriptive names: Humility, Desire, and Faith. Of the children, fifteen had such names, or about 17 percent of the second generation." The author attributes such a shift to the following; "Two factor's lead to an increase in biblical naming: a readily available translation of the Bible into English and the rise of Puritanism with its emphasis on the Bible. IN 1650 the Geneva Bible was printed. This was the first English Bible widely available to the common people. At the same time, Puritanism became a significant force in England." I believe another lister has already alluded to the importance of the Geneva Bible, but <hiding face in shame> I can't remember who it was who said it. The authors also mention that the English Puritan leader Thomas Cartwright, in 1565, gave guidelines for how Puritans should name their children. "They which present unto baptism ought to be persuaded not to give those that are baptized the names of God or Christ.nor such as savour of paganism..but chiefly such whereof there are examples in the Holy Scriptures, in the names of those who are reported in them to have been godly and virtuous." The author's source is Thomas Cartwright, Perkins and Cartwright, Keith Sprunger, ed. (Wichita, Kansas, Bethel Press, 1982), 20. IHG, Cathy B.

--- MABCam@aol.com wrote: > Thanks to the Genferret, Cathy Boyle, and others for > posts explaining the > importance of the Geneva Bible to the Separatists. > May I ask, please, what is > a "KJV" search? There are many websites where one can do word searches in texts of the Bible. One for the King James Version is here: http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/kjv/simple.html There are many others--a Google search should turn up many--and others will search other versions, provide commentaries, cross references and so on. These are intended to aid in Bible study, of course. > > And "Never Before in History" sounds like a book one > should read. Is it? > Author's name, please? Courtesy of the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) and the American taxpayer: Brief Description: Amos, Gary T. Never before in history : America's inspired birth / by Gary Amos and Richard Gardiner ; William Dembski, academic editor. Dallas, Tex. : Haughton Pub. Co., c1998. ix, 213 p. : ill. (some col.), map ; 24 cm. CALL NUMBER: E188 .A54 1998 It has been said by people who are paid to know these things that the early Plymouth colonists also tended to use biblical names which corresponded to the social status of the family--for instance, names of biblical kings would not be used by people of lower social status. Names were said to have been chosen for the moral qualities asociated with the biblical figure--humilty, devotion, faith, etc., the more "modest" sorts of qualities one would expect to be valued in Plymouth Colony. Of course previous use in the family tended to be of greatest importance, but when the biblical names were first being used these other factors seem to have had weight. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/