The Origin and Interpretation of the Tetragrammaton

The Tetragrammaton or Tetragramma in the Jewish religious and Kabbalistic traditions is a four-letter unpronounceable name of God, considered to be God's own name, unlike other titles of God. The problem that the question of the origin and interpretation of the Tetragrammaton poses to the Old Testament historian is one of the most exciting of the many that the Hebrew Scriptures present. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of material to work with. Since non-Old Testament sources are of rather dubious value, the research is based mainly on several statements contained in the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as on the study of the historical development of the political status of the Jews and the religious beliefs of the Jews. The author considers himself fortunate that his teacher, Professor Prince, allowed him to choose this subject for his dissertation. The author also expresses his gratitude to his teacher, Professor F. Brown. The author owes his love for the historical study of the Old Testament to his inspiring teachings. This dissertation was completed in the summer of 1899 and published in this volume in 1901.