Hebrew is Greek

An article by linguist Konstantinos Efstathios-Georganas, based on the groundbreaking book: Hebrew is Greek, by Joseph Yahuda, LL.B., whereby he seeks to prove that not only are Hebrew words Greek in origin, but that various symbols, internationally recognized as being Hebrew, are also Greek.


Linguist and researcher J. Yahuda, the author of "Hebrew is Greek," manages to prove with scientific accuracy that both Hebrew and Arabic are Greek in origin. This revelation broke a three thousand-year-old misconception. Having great knowledge of Hebrew, Arabic, French and English, as well as knowing the Old Testament and half the Koran by heart, Jahuda studied the translation of the Septuagint and Homer. He made a detailed comparison of these languages over the course of 30 years. He then published his book in 1982. The work of J. Yahuda, which has been analyzed by Davlos in the past, documents the Greekness of the Hebrew language. Realizing the importance of his discovery, Yahuda has worked hard to elevate his people by attempting to prove a relationship with the Greeks. He convincingly demonstrates that 90% of all Hebrew and Arabic words are Greek, and, had he continued his research, would have proved this for 100% of the language.. Not only are the words Greek, but the various symbols that are internationally recognized as Hebrew, are, according to this well-documented study, also Greek.

[What follows are some examples of additional "Hebrew" words and symbols not covered in J. Yahuda's book, but are of unquestionable Greek origin as well. ed.]

The "Hebrew" national emblem

The Hebrew national emblem is Greek. An extensive article was published in the English Encyclopedia of Man, Myth & Magic, under the title "Judaism," by Louis Jacobs, a rabbi at the New Synagogue in London, and a lecturer at Leo Baeck College on rabbinical education. On page 1528 of the weekly issue No, 55, Louis Jacobs' resume is published. He is pictured with a great six-point star in the background. On page 1538 of the article, reference is made to the six-point star, and Rabbi Jacobs states that "the star of David [in Hebrew, "the shield of David", Magen David] was adopted as an emblem of the Zionist organization in 1897 and today is part of the flag of the State of Israel."

The use of the six-point star, as a symbol of the Zionists in 1897 A.D., does not testify to its Jewishness. Nowhere [in ancient Jewish writings] is this symbol mentioned. Just as the so-called "Seal of Solomon" is also never mentioned anywhere. David and his ancestors did not spend any time with astronomy, nor did they produce stone seals. There was no "Seal of Solomon." This one symbol cannot have represented two leaders simultaneously, related or not, with different names and significance. It was either a star (shield) or a seal. If either version is to be considered true, then there would have been no need for its adoption centuries after the reigns of Solomon or David, i.e., in 1897 A.D.

The Greek symbol of the six-point star has had deep symbolism going back to pre-history. It is composed of two equilateral triangles, one of which is upside-down. The equilateral triangle, according to the Hellenic mystics ( the Orphics, Pythagoreans, etc), symbolized God, whereas the isosceles triangle [two sides equal, not three] symbolized the Daemons (secondary divinities between gods and men), and the triangle where no side is equal to another symbolized Humanity. The six-point star describes and is described by the perfect hexagon (this is proved by connecting its points). This perfect hexagon is not only connected to the six-point star, but also to the beehive, which is also made up of perfect hexagons. The relationship of bees to Delphi is shown in that the first temple of this sacred precinct, together with its priestesses, were named melisses [honey bees] This fact is well-documented historically. A few years ago, I was on the island of Thasos, observing the excavations of the French Archaeological School, and I came across two granite plates with engraved beehives. When I spoke to the Director of the French archaeological mission about the significance of these plates, he told me: "We find such plates on all the islands; they are decorative." I commented on the fact that "the ancient Greeks [who made these] were not weavers or decorators, but used their work to symbolize nature and to further their knowledge of nature." The six-point star for the Greeks had a direct relationship with the "Father of all Gods and humans," Zenon or Dias [Zeus].

For many years, it has been wrongly taught that the word "Zeus," when conjugated in the genitive declination becomes του Διός. This is a grammatical distortion, since the root [θεμα] of a word never changes. The genitive form Dios has no nominative case, even though "Deus" does exist. In Latin, the same letters are used to pronounce Deus; this is where the word Θεος came from. All other languages used this name Deus for God: in French, Dieu; in Spanish, Dios; in Irish, Dias; Deutschland (Deu (t)s/(ch)land => Land of Deus, in German; in/dia, for India; Thai/land, for Thailand; Tao for the Chinese, Teo, in Olde English, etc. The existence of these two manifestations of the Father of "Gods and humans alike" is not a redundancy, but demonstrates deep knowledge of the universe. Zeus mates, attracts, fuses. Zeus is fission and repulsion. This knowledge was also demonstrated by our ancestors geographically by the naming of Suez and Said [the city of Port Said]. If one observes a map and reads the names backwards, he sees that Suez = Zeus, and this was the strip of land connecting Asia and Africa until the 19th century when De Lesseps built the Suez Canal. If read backwards Said = Dias, which is a port form in a sharp indentation of the land, namely fission of the land. Thus, the Greeks knew about fusion and fission since the time of Dias. These are the two universal forces that maintain balance and harmony in the universe, and are personified by this dual God, Dias (Zeus-Deus). These two opposite forces are also symbolized by the two equilateral triangles that form the six-pointed star.

Muslims have the the half-moon and the star as their symbol. They, too, were not original in their choice, as these are nothing more than the symbols of the Dioscuri [the sons of Zeus, and the brothers of Helen of Troy]. This ancient Greek symbol can be seen in the museums of the world on coins, reliefs, Etruscan mirrors, etc. As far as the Arabic language is concerned, this too, according to J. Yahuda, also is of Greek origin.

Basic Hebrew words and names are Greek

J. Yahuda did not research all the important Hebrew words or their etymology because, if he had, he would have discovered that even the names that are thought to be representatively Jewish are indisputably Greek, such as the following:

Israel is the name used for the Jewish state; some dictionaries provide the following etymology: Israel = "powerful." What they don't realize, however, is that this word is made up of three Greek words: Is/ra/el, i.e. is = εις or powerful; ra = king; el = sun or Apollo Zeus.
Rabbi is the word used for their priest, in other words "the shepherd." The word's etymology is from the Greek word Ράβδος or Ραβδί, meaning the stick used by the shepherd when leading his flock. This is how Rabbi came to signify the shepherd. Priests and bishops also hold a cane or stick, which symbolizes their power.
Emmanuel is the Jewish name of Christ which is translated as "God with(in) me" without providing the etymology of the word, which is really made up of three Greek words; Εμοί εν Ηλ(ί) or εν εμοί ο Ήλιος or within me is God (Pythagoras' theory).

The revelation of Plutarch is thought-provoking (Ethics V, "On Isis and Osiris"), where the conclusive word Αμήν and the phrase "Αμήν, Αμήν, λέγω υμίν" is derived from the name Αμένθης: in other words "For the Egyptians as well, many other names are also words, and the underworld (Άδην), where they believe that the souls go after death, they call Αμένθην, meaning the name of he who has received and has given." We will be researching later if this name is one of those names that was accepted into another language. The faith of the ancient Greeks and the Christian dogma pertaining to justice being served after death, is expressed through Amenthis. Amenthis or Amen/thi or Αμην/θη or Αμήν δη, thus Amenthis = > Αμήν (give and take).

Cain and Abel are also not Jewish names, as was believed until now; they are composites of two Greek words: Καϊν => Κα ην => Γα ην => Γήινος (earthy, mortal); Abel => Αβ/ελ => Απ/Ελ => απ' Ηλίου=> from the Sun = solar, the heavenly and immortal. The mortal Cain could not murder the immortal Abel. The respective Greek myth on the Dioscuri, Castor and Polydeuces, had not been understood fully. Κάστωρ = Κα/ιστων => Γα/ ιστωρ = earthy; Πολυδεύκης = Πολύ/δευκής = very sweet = heavenly. Castor is inferior, earthy, mortal; this is not demonstrated through the murder of his immortal brother, but through the fact that his heavenly, immortal brother Polydeuces surrendered part of his immortality for his mortal brother. Those who copied the myth did not comprehend its allegorical significance.

Noah, the name of the rescued Jew of the cataclysm, is from the Greek. Once again, the myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha, who were saved from the cataclysm, was not understood. Νώε, should be written [in Greek] with an "O," meaning the "thinking man" (as in αλκινοος, οξύνοος). The seventy [wise men?] translate Noah's ship as "κιβωτός". Arg is the Jewish word (Arg => Arc in English and French) => Arka in Italian meaning "curved." This is the ancient Greek word for ship; Αρκα => Αργώ => [Argonaut].

Moses, the savior of the Jews in Egypt; is a clearly Greek Pelasgian [early Greek] name, since Μωυς in the Pelasgian language is the "earth" and Moses = "of the earth. " (See I. Thomopoulos' Pelasgian Studies.)

Simon is one of the most widespread Jewish names and is also ancient Greek. Simon was the name of one of Socrates' students, a shoe-mender [who resided] at the end of the Athenian agora and whose shop was found fifteen years ago by the American Archaeological Mission. Simon would keep notes on his conversations with Socrates. He is said to be one of the first of his students to write dialogues, and was included in the "Lives of Eminent Philosophers," written by Diogenes Laertius. (See my article on "The Unknown Students of Socrates," Davlos, issue 102, June 1990, pages 5891-5894.)

Simonides (the son of Simon) was the famous poet, the greatest of all inscription-makers of ancient Greece. (See my book Ριζες Ελευθερίας = The Roots of Freedom.)

The ιερευς [priest], Laocoon and "Cohen"

Cohen is indisputably a Jewish name, as popular as our own surname, Papadopoulos. In Jewish, Cohen means priest. No one could imagine before the work of J. Yahuda, and my own research, that this name was an ancient Greek name. It was deciphered during my research on Greek influences in the Pacific Ocean. The deceptive renaming of the historic island by the Dutch navigator, Joseph von Roheveen, to "Island of Pascha" [Easter Island], because he supposedly landed on the island on Easter Sunday, appeared quite suspicious. As I researched, I discovered the island's Greek name, which was "Oμφαλος της Γης" = the navel of the earth. Plates with inscriptions were salvaged from the island, and the rongo rongo writing on them was thought to be Polynesian. The repetition of rongo rongo made us suspicious, as this repetition of words could be due to the acoustical corruption of Greek words being said. Rongo rongo made me think of the participle of (ο)ρών and the -ngo sound came from the repetition of ν and κν+κ =>νκ=>γκ=>g. Thus, we needed to research the existence of a Greek verb κω and its meaning. No verb κω or κοω was found in the dictionaries, but κοεω or κοάω, which means "νοώ" = "think." Ι had thus discovered the perfect expression for the writing of "ορων νοω". The repetition of "ορων κω" sounds like rongo rongo. Some reputable dictionaries, such as the Yiannaris Dictionary, Demetrakos Dictionary and Liddel & Scott, add that "from the verb 'κοεω,' we got 'ακουω' [=hear] and, hence, the name "Laocoon."

This etymology resolved a series of questions and an ancient riddle: Why was Laocoon and the "Laocoontides" [his sons], who were also priests, punished, since they had not broken any laws, neither holy nor human? Why were they strangled by snakes, boas and pythons, that do not inhabit the northern areas of the Temperate Zone (Troy), and not even in Egypt, but live only in the Torrid Zone? Perhaps, there was no punishment at all, but this was an allegory, but of which sort? This is the conclusion drawn when one considers the status of Laocoon and his priestly family, the Laooontides. The members of this family were knowledgeable, they were "knowers,"= from the word κοεω, Coondes, Laocoondes = knowing the people, providing for the people. When they saw the Trojans, following the departure of the Achaeans from the city wall, allowing the Trojan Horse to enter and "closing the gates and drinking, their minds became confused, and they were surrounded by snakes" (this is in accord with the popular Greek expression denoting confusion "τους έζωσαν τα φίδια".) This is the allegory depicted by the statue of Laocoon with the snakes at the Vatican, a work made by the great sculptors from Rhodes, Agesandros, Athenodoros and Polydoros. (Details on this in my book, Αιώνιες Ρίζες: Ελλήνων Πνεύμα και Τέχνη = Eternal Roots: Greek Spirit and Art.)

Laocoon, or Coon, and the Laokoontides were priests [as the term "Cohen" signifies today]. In the Greek mysteries, the priests had the name κώης [kois]and κοιης [koies] (Ωγυγία, Stageiron). So the Jews adopted the Greek name Cohen. (In my-soon-to-be-published Dictionary of Names in Ancient Greek, I have included the name Κοών, separate from the name Laocoon, given to a renowned Trojan who entered into a duel with Menelaus for the body of his dead brother). They simply slightly changed the pronunciation and the accent. So Koon, Laocoon, Kois and Koies, became Cohen for the Jews.

Samuel has also been considered purely Jewish; but Samu/el or Σαμον/ηλ = σαμου/ήλιος. Samos in the Pelasgian language (see Thomopoulos' Pelasgian Studies) means top, peak, highest point; thus the islands Samos, Samothrace and the town Sami in Cephalonia are all mountainous. So, Samuel means "sun on high," the name given to renowned leaders, such as the Jewish leader, Samuel.

We could add the following names to the list above, as researched by the brilliant scholar Kallimachos Diogenes (see Davlos, volumes 1992, 1993, 1994):

Δανιήλ > Δαν/ηλ = Dan/el => roof of the sun.
Ραφαηλ> Rafa/el = Rapa / el = ρίπη/ηλ = Ray of the sun.
Michael = Μιχα/ηλ => Μυχα/ηλ = μυχο/ηλ = center of the Sun.
Ismael= Ισμα/ηλ => Σιμα/ηλ => σήμα/ηλ = mark of the Sun.
Ιεζεκιήλ = Ιεζ/εκ/ηλ => υιος εξ Ηλίου =son of the Sun.
Nathanael = Ναθαν/ηλ = αθανα/ηλ -ανασαν/ηλ = breath of the sun.

All of these [additional examples not covered in J. Yahuda's book] demonstrate that even more than the 90% of the Hebrew language that he proves comes from the Greek, is most likely to be of Greek origin as well.

Source: This article appeared in the October 1999 issue of Davlos, pp.13493-13499.