The name Jesus (or Iesous / ΙΕΣΟΥΣ) is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua / Yeshua. The name Joshua / Jesus literally means ‘Yahweh saves’, making it the perfect name to give a fabricated Jewish saviour figure. The gospel of Matthew alludes to meaning of the name when Joseph is told ‘You will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1.21).
Philo was a Greek speaking Jew who just predated Christianity. He wrote of the name Joshua / Jesus, ‘Joshua [Jesus] means “the salvation of the Lord [Yahweh],” being the name of the most excellent possible character’ (On the Change of Names XXI).
Joshua was also the figure who took the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan in the Old Testament. The earliest Christians were Greek speakers and used the Greek translation of the Jewish scriptures, in which that Joshua was called Jesus.
Many early Christians saw this Old Testament myth as relating to them, with Joshua / Jesus representing the Christians, and Moses the Jews. Thus they believed it would be the Christians who would inherit the Promised Land, not the Jews. The second century Letter of Barnabas notes this link between Jesus and Joshua,
‘Again, why does Moses say to Jesus the son of Naue [Joshua son of Nun] when he gave this name to he who was a prophet, that all the people should listen to him alone? Because the Father reveals everything about his son Jesus.’ (The Letter of Barnabas 12.8)
Justin Martyr (100 – 165 CE) similarly wrote,
‘Jesus [Joshua]…when he was sent to spy out the land of Canaan, was named Jesus [Joshua] by Moses…he was also appointed successor to Moses, being the only one of his contemporaries who came out from the holy land. And as he, not Moses, led the people into the holy land…so also Jesus the Christ will turn again the dispersion of the people, and will distribute the good land to each though not in the same manner.’ (Dialogue with Trypho 113)
Justin Martyr also made it clear he understood the meaning of Jesus’ name when he wrote, ‘The name Jesus in the Hebrew language means saviour in the Greek tongue’ (First Apology 33). Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430 CE) similarly noted the link between Jesus and Joshua,
‘And it was to prefigure this [Christ] that it was not Moses…that led the people into the promised land, but Joshua, whose name was also changed at God’s command, so that he was called Jesus’ (City of God 16.43).
Augustine also wrote, ‘The very name Jesus shows this, for it means saviour’ (City of God 22.22). Tertullian (155 – 240 CE) similarly noted the connection,
‘In the course of the appointing of a successor to Moses, Oshea the son of Nun…begins to be called Jesus…This we first assert to have been a figure of the future. For, because Jesus Christ was to introduce the second people (which is composed of us nations, lingering deserted in the world aforetime) into the land of promise…For Joshua was to introduce the people into the land of promise, not Moses.’ (An Answer to the Jews 9)
The Bible and Mythology 