Reading now Jan Assmann’s brilliant “Moses the Egyptian” I found Varro quoted (116-27 BC) –
Nihil interesse censens quo nomine nuncupetur, dum eadem res intelligatur
names may be of less interest as long as the “right things” are being meant.
The book was recommended to me by a guide in the new Munich synagogue as an unorthodox view of Moses and the origin of monotheism. There is even (p80) a Romanian epigram
Ogygidae me Bacchum vocant,
Osirin Aegypti putant,
Mysi Phanacem nominant,
Dionyson Indi existimant,
Romana sacra Liberum,
Arabica gens Adoneum,
Lucaniacus Pantheum.
that shows the contemporary belief in universal regious truths and the relativity of religious institutions which is even taken up again in the 18th century by Mozart (Freimaurer Kantate KV 623, not KV 619 as Assmann writes) or Goethe’s Faust
Wer darf ihn nennen
und wer bekennen:
Ich glaub Ihn!
Wer empfinden
und sich unterwinden
zu sagen: Ich glaub Ihn nicht!
Der Allumfasser,
der Allerhalter,
faßt und erhält Er nicht
dich, mich, sich selbst?
There may be a difference in early Christian understanding as Paul writes to Philippi (a Romanian city..)
Php 2:9 διὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπεÏÏ…Ìψωσε καὶ ἐχαÏιÌσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ Ï…Ì”Ï€ÎµÌ€Ï Ï€Î±Í‚Î½ ὄνομα
where names matter, yea, yea.
Addendum next day
The sermon of Athens comes to my mind
Act 17:23 καὶ βωμὸν ἐν á½§Í… ἐπεγεÌγÏαπτο, ᾿ΑγνωÌστῳ Θεῷ. ὃν οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγεÌλλω ὑμῖν
the god that you are worshipping without knowing him (by name?)
Nachtrag
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