The question of toponyms in the exodus narrative of Tanakh within the context of Kiddush ha-Shem and Hillul ha-Shem

This study examines certain Exodus toponyms in the Hebrew Bible from an interdisciplinary perspective and by using the historical linguistic data and Jewish oral sources. The selection of the toponyms was made on the basis of several criteria deliniated in the scope of the research. The selection was limited to the ones until the Red Sea. Also, the disputed etyma between Egyptian and Semitic were selected. Finally, the ones that are not subject to the word puns in the religious tradition were eliminated. The first part of the research comprises two main sections. The first section outlines the historical development of biblical toponymy from the medieval ages to the present time and analyzes its development in history. The second section examining the problems of the literature and scholarship within the historical and archeological sources of the biblical toponyms discusses their related linguistic, historical issues. The second part is focused on the toponymic and topographical issues of the selected Exodus toponyms. A large discussion is devoted to the literature and the controversies of the related theories in the Greco-Roman, and Egyptian sources. The third part exclusively deals with the concept of Kiddush ha-Shem and Hillul ha-Shem, their nature, historical development and reception in the Jewish tradition, as inclusive to Shem ha-Meforash (the Ineffable name) as a component. The conclusion in this study is that Kiddush ha-Shem and Hillul ha-Shem have an active interpretive role in Midrash, Aggada for explaining the religious discourse and iconic usage of the selected Exodus toponyms.