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Writer's pictureEdward D. Andrews
Nov 1210 min read

The False Belief That Jehovah Was Invented



Understanding the Scholars Who Prefer Yahweh Movement’s Claims


The question of whether “Jehovah” is a legitimate pronunciation of the divine name has become a source of debate, particularly among those involved in the Sacred Name movement. Advocates of this movement assert that “Jehovah” is a relatively recent invention, introduced by a Catholic scholar named Galatinus in the 1500s. Scholars who prefer Yahweh emphasize the importance of using what they believe to be the “correct” pronunciation of God’s name, often advocating for “Yahweh” instead. According to them, “Jehovah” was unknown in biblical times, and it was Galatinus who supposedly concocted the form as a hybrid, combining the consonants from the Tetragrammaton (JHVH) with vowels from the title “Adonai.”


This line of reasoning is supported by certain scholars and publications that argue against the use of the name “Jehovah.” For example, one publication cites Joseph Rotherham’s The Emphasized Bible, where he wrote: “The pronunciation Jehovah was unknown until 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus.” Critics of the name Jehovah often quote sources such as The Jewish Encyclopedia, which claims: “The reading Jehovah is a comparatively recent invention. Jehovah is generally held to have been the invention of Pope Leo the 10th’s confessor, Peter Galatin (De Arcanis Catholic Veritates 1518).”


However, upon closer examination, historical evidence reveals that the name “Jehovah” was in use long before Galatinus. The claim that Jehovah was an invention is based on misunderstanding and confusion between various historical figures and sources. This article will systematically address the origin and legitimacy of the name Jehovah, tracing its history, analyzing the role of Galatinus, and demonstrating that the name was well-known and used centuries before his time.



Was the Name Jehovah Known Before Galatinus?


One of the key arguments presented by those who oppose the use of the name Jehovah is the assertion that it was unknown before Galatinus introduced it in the early 16th century. However, historical evidence clearly demonstrates that the name Jehovah was in use long before Galatinus wrote De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis in 1516. Several records, dating back to the 10th century C.E., confirm the presence and use of this pronunciation.


For instance, the form “Jehovah” appears in the works of the 14th-century theologian Porchetus Salvagus. Porchetus’ Victoria Porcheti adversus impios Hebraeos was written in 1303 and contains the form “Jehovah” long before Galatinus. This record alone invalidates the claim that the name was invented in the 1500s. Further, Raymond Martin, in his work Pugio Fidei (written around 1270), also uses the form Jehovah. These instances predate Galatinus by several centuries and prove that the name was known and used by scholars well before the 16th century.


Additionally, various Hebrew texts and translations employed the name Jehovah. The Masoretes, Levites responsible for preserving the Hebrew Scriptures, developed the vowel-pointing system in the early Middle Ages, around the 5th to 10th centuries C.E. The Tetragrammaton, JHVH, was vowel-pointed by the Masoretes as “Jehovah” in the Ben Asher texts, the most authoritative versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. This alone demonstrates that the pronunciation Jehovah was not a recent innovation but a legitimate form that had been used for centuries.


The 13th-century work Pugio Fidei, written by Raymond Martin, contains numerous instances of the name Jehovah, establishing a clear precedent for its usage long before the Reformation era. If Galatinus had invented the name Jehovah, there would be no reason to find it in earlier works by Jewish and Christian scholars.



The Role of Galatinus: Was He the Inventor of Jehovah?


To understand how the myth about the invention of the name Jehovah by Galatinus developed, it is necessary to examine the role of Pietro Colonna Galatino (Latinized as Galatinus) in the history of theology. Galatinus was a Catholic scholar who lived in the early 16th century and served as the confessor to Pope Leo X. In 1516, he authored De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis, a theological work that sought to demonstrate the validity of Christian teachings using Jewish sources, including the Kabbalah.


Sacred-namers claim that Galatinus invented the form Jehovah by combining the consonants of JHVH with the vowels of Adonai. Yet, this assertion is demonstrably false when we consider that the name Jehovah was already in use by numerous scholars centuries before Galatinus. Galatinus did use the name Jehovah in his work, but he did not invent it. Instead, he employed a form of the divine name that was already well-known and accepted by many scholars of his day, both Catholic and Protestant.


One source of confusion stems from the writings of the Dutch theologian Johann Clemens, also known as Drusius or Van Der Driesche. Drusius lived from 1550 to 1616 and was a contemporary of Galatinus. He was the first to attribute the introduction of the name Jehovah to Galatinus, though this claim was based on a misunderstanding. Drusius himself had earlier discovered the name Jehovah in the works of Porchetus and others, but later retracted this fact, perhaps due to pressure or other external influences. His misattribution has since been repeated in scholarly works, contributing to the perpetuation of the myth that Galatinus invented the name Jehovah.



Did Fagius Support the Name Jehovah?


Another figure who played a role in the history of the name Jehovah is Paulus Fagius (1504-1549), a Protestant scholar and Hebraist. Fagius, whose real name was Paul Buechelin, was a professor of Hebrew who studied under the famous Jewish scholar Elijah Levita. Fagius was well-versed in the Hebrew language and taught it at prestigious universities such as Strasbourg and Cambridge.


Fagius supported the use of the name Jehovah, based on the Hebrew Scriptures and the vowel-pointing system of the Masoretes. His understanding of the Hebrew language, along with his scholarship in Jewish sources, provided him with the knowledge necessary to endorse the pronunciation Jehovah. Fagius translated several Hebrew texts into Latin and edited works like the Tishbi and the Meturgeman, making significant contributions to the field of biblical studies. He recognized Jehovah as a legitimate rendering of the divine name and promoted its use in his writings.


Contrary to the claims made by those who oppose the name Jehovah, Fagius was not part of a Catholic conspiracy to promote a “false” name. He was a Protestant scholar who based his conclusions on careful study of the Hebrew texts, not on a desire to propagate a hybrid form of the divine name. His endorsement of Jehovah adds further weight to the argument that this name is both legitimate and rooted in historical scholarship.



The Influence of Higher Criticism on the Name Jehovah


The myth that Jehovah was an invented name gained traction in the 17th and 18th centuries, largely due to the rise of higher criticism in biblical studies. Higher criticism, which seeks to analyze the origins and composition of biblical texts, often introduces skepticism and casts doubt on traditional understandings of Scripture. One of the effects of higher criticism was to challenge the authenticity of the Masoretic Text and the vowel-pointing system it employed.


Ludovicus Capellus, a French Huguenot theologian and Hebrew scholar, was one of the figures who contributed to this trend. In his work Critica Sacra (1650), Capellus argued that the Masoretic Text was defective and that other ancient manuscripts should be preferred. His work laid the foundation for later scholars to challenge the integrity of the Masoretic Text, including the pronunciation of the divine name as Jehovah. Capellus rejected Jehovah on the grounds that it was based on what he considered to be faulty vowel points in the Masoretic tradition.


Capellus’ work was influential in spreading the idea that Jehovah was a hybrid form, and his conclusions were adopted by many later scholars. Over time, his views became part of the critical apparatus used by higher critics to undermine the reliability of the Hebrew text. However, Capellus’ conclusions were not based on objective scholarship but rather on his preference for other manuscripts that he believed were superior to the Masoretic Text.



Drusius and the Spread of the Myth


Johann Clemens Drusius (1550-1616), another influential scholar, played a critical role in spreading the myth that Jehovah was invented by Galatinus. Drusius was a Protestant scholar who, like Capellus, was influenced by the rising trend of higher criticism. He questioned the legitimacy of the name Jehovah and was among the first to claim that Galatinus had invented it.


Despite Drusius’ scholarly reputation, his conclusions regarding Jehovah were flawed. As noted earlier, Drusius himself had discovered the name Jehovah in the works of Porchetus, but he later ignored this fact and promoted the idea that the name was a recent invention. His work in the Critici Sacri series, a multi-volume collection of biblical commentaries, further spread the false notion that Jehovah was an invented name.


Drusius’ conclusions were picked up by later scholars, including Louis Cappel and the compilers of the Critici Sacri, who helped solidify the myth that Jehovah was a recent creation. These works became widely accepted in academic circles, and the myth that Jehovah was invented continued to spread.



Bottcher and the Oxford Gesenius


In the 19th century, the myth that Jehovah was invented in the 16th century reached its peak with the publication of Wilhelm Bottcher’s works. Bottcher, a German scholar, stated in 1866 that “the pronunciation of Jehovah was unknown until 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus.” Bottcher’s conclusions were not based on original research but were derived from earlier works such as those of Drusius and Capellus. He simply repeated the claims that had already been made by these scholars, contributing to the perpetuation of the myth.


The Oxford Gesenius, published between 1892 and 1900, also propagated the idea that Jehovah was a modern invention. Edited by scholars such as Brown, Driver, and Briggs, the Oxford Gesenius included the same flawed reasoning found in earlier works, asserting that the pronunciation of Jehovah was unknown before the 16th century. This publication, along with the work of Bottcher, became a key source for those who opposed the use of the name Jehovah.



The Jewish Encyclopedia and Rotherham’s Influence


In the early 20th century, the myth continued to gain traction with the publication of The Jewish Encyclopedia (1907) and Joseph Bryant Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible (1902). Both works repeated the claim that Jehovah was a hybrid form invented by Galatinus in the 1500s. Rotherham, in particular, was influential among sacred-namers, as his translation emphasized the importance of using what he believed to be the correct name of God.


However, Rotherham’s conclusions were based on earlier scholarship that had already been shown to be flawed. He relied on sources like Bottcher and the Oxford Gesenius, which themselves were influenced by higher criticism and the faulty conclusions of Drusius and Capellus. As a result, Rotherham’s work further entrenched the myth that Jehovah was a modern invention.


The Jewish Encyclopedia also contributed to the confusion by conflating the names of two scholars, Paulus Fagius and Johann Clemens Drusius. The encyclopedia stated that Fagius and Drusius were responsible for propagating the use of Jehovah, when in fact these were two separate individuals with differing views on the matter. The incorrect attribution of Fagius’ support for Jehovah to Drusius only added to the misunderstanding surrounding the name.



The Masoretic Tradition and the Legitimacy of Jehovah


The historical and linguistic evidence supports the conclusion that Jehovah is a legitimate rendering of the divine name, based on the Masoretic tradition. The Masoretes, who were responsible for preserving the Hebrew Scriptures, developed the vowel-pointing system that allowed the correct pronunciation of Hebrew words to be transmitted accurately. The name Jehovah, as it appears in the Masoretic Text, is the result of this careful preservation.


The vowel points inserted by the Masoretes reflect an ancient tradition of pronunciation that had been passed down through generations. The claim that these vowel points were deliberately altered to obscure the true pronunciation of God’s name is not supported by any historical evidence. In fact, the Masoretes were known for their meticulous attention to detail and their desire to preserve the Hebrew text as accurately as possible.


The pronunciation Jehovah, far from being a modern invention, is rooted in this ancient tradition. The Masoretic Text, finalized around 980 C.E., consistently points the divine name as Jehovah. This form of the name was known and used by scholars long before Galatinus, and it continues to be supported by the structure of the Hebrew language itself.



Final Reflections on the Name Jehovah


The historical and linguistic evidence overwhelmingly supports the legitimacy of the name Jehovah. The myth that it was a modern invention, introduced by Galatinus in the 16th century, has been thoroughly debunked by a careful examination of the available sources. From the Masoretic Text to the works of scholars like Raymond Martin and Porchetus Salvagus, the name Jehovah has been known and used for centuries.


Despite the claims of sacred-namers and critics, Jehovah remains a valid and historically attested pronunciation of the divine name. The careful preservation of the Hebrew Scriptures by the Masoretes, along with the testimony of early Christian and Jewish scholars, affirms that Jehovah is not a fabrication but a true representation of God’s name as it appears in the Hebrew text.


About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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