Names and Places

I think it's kind of fun to know how or why a place got its name, the history behind it. This fall for our history studies, Joshua and I read about the founding of the Jamestown colony. The colony was given its name for obvious reasons--  in honor of King James I of England, who had granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London in 1606 to explore this new land in hopes of gaining territory and riches for England.

Several years ago when the girls were still at home, we did a study on the community of Browerville, where we were living at the time. Browerville was originally called Hartford and was located on the Long Prairie River about three miles north of where it is now. It was moved because of the future construction of the Great Northern Railroad. The owner of the land to which this community would be relocating was J.V. Brower, and so the new location was given his name.

Often times places, whether it be cities,  landmarks, or even things of nature such as rivers and mountains, are given the name of a person. Sometimes, that person is yet living when the name is given, as was the case when the colony of Jamestown and the community of Browerville were given their names. Other times, a name may be given to honor a person who has passed. Lincoln, the capital city of Nebraska, was orignally called Lancaster, and was renamed in 1867 to give honor to the recently assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. 

Sometimes the name of a location might simply be a description, like North Branch. Or it may have a hidden meaning. Not intentionally, but because languages change or become obsolete. For instance, the community where we now live is called Menahga. The name is descriptive of what once grew in abundance here, and it is an Ojibwe word which means "blueberry". Not something just everybody knows because the Ojibwe language is not a common language. I don't know a single person that could speak or even understand Ojibwe. Most of us know Philadelphia as the "city of brotherly love". But do you know that its name is derived from the Greek words phileo, which means "to love", and adelphos, which means "brother"?  I know only a few people who have a working knowledge of Greek. Sometimes the history of a name takes a little digging, but I think it's definitely worth the effort. Knowing those little tidbits of information gives a better understanding of the place.

There is certainly historical significance to the naming of a place, whether it be remembered by many for generations or by only a few for a short while. There are reasons places have the names they have. This is true all through the ages. In Biblical times, places were often named because of an event that happened at that location. Babylon is from the Hebrew word Babel, as in the Tower of Babel, and it means "confused". So named because until the building of the tower, mankind had one language. When they tried to build themselves a tower to heaven, God confused their language and the place become known as Babel, or Babylon. (Genesis 11) When Jacob had the dream of the stairway to heaven and the Lord told him that his descendants would be like the dust of the earth, Jacob woke up afraid and said, "surely this is none other than the house of God" and he named the place Bethel, which means House of God. (Genesis 28:10-22)

In our Bible reading the other day I came across this again, something I had forgotten but want to remember. I thought about sharing it, in hopes that it would help me to remember. Bethlehem. It's a city we remember during this Christmas season. We sing of it and read of it and know that it is the city where Jesus was born. But have you ever considered its name? What it means? I find this to be so fascinating! Bethlehem. I've never been to this city. Not literally, but I do know a little something about it. I know what it means, and the Person for whom it was named.  Bethlehem means "house of bread".  Maybe at first read that doesn't do much, but consider this: Jesus called himself "the bread of life". (John 6:35 and 51. Why not read the whole chapter?) I find it fascinating that long before Jesus would leave his throne in Heaven to be born in a humble stable, the name of the town to which he would come was well established as Bethlehem. House of Bread. And from within its borders, sustainance would be given for the whole world.

My prayer for you during this Christmas season is this: No matter what city you may be in or traveling to, that you would journey for a while to Bethlehem. Go inside the House of Bread and find there the Bread of Life.