The Christian Apostles; What were their real names?
Just musing. Given that the disciples were ethnic Arabs living in the middle east 2000+ years ago, the names Matt, Marky, Luke an' John don't seem particularly local?
St Paul was Saul. But what about Peter?
The names in the Authorised Bible seem, well a tad English.
I'm comfy with many teachings the Bible gives us (except the bit about coverting my neighbours ass, which is heavenly) but just curious if history indicates the names these guys mothers called them in for tea by?
Whatever their real names, being pretty ordinary sorts of working guys - fishermen, civil servants and the like - they'd have used nicknames just like everybody everywhere on the planet does. Simon was hard to deal with so they called him Pete, there was Jim and Jimmy so you could tell them apart, Tom was the one who had doubts about everything and of course that dubious character Jude. As for the rest you can work them out for yourselves...