Book Release: "Black and Atheist Too: My Journey Living Through Discovery of the Non-existence of God", by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd.

BLACK AND ATHEIST TOO: MY JOURNEY LIVING THROUGH DISCOVERY OF THE NON-EXISTENCE OF GOD, by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd. atheist, atheism Black and Atheist Too A new and exciting book. Available now. You will follow Dr. Byrd from his humble Christian upbringing in the small rural community of Nigton, Texas, through his transition to atheism while in the Air Force in the sixties. In this book you will gain insight on what it means to be Black and Atheist. After his conversion to atheism, Dr. Byrd takes you on a journey in his life through his academic and intellectual development on atheism; the humor of the Bible and many religious practices; dealing with tragedy and death without God; an exploration of the Gods of many lands, superstitions, and the miss-application of knowledge; and finally a critique of the comparative morality of believers versus non- believers. You will also understand the anguish one endures as a Black who questions the existence of God; the sense of isolation, the sense of frustration, and being labeled a “Doubting Thomas”. The book is also documented with historical and statistical references on the development of religion and its resulting practices. A must read for religious and non- religious people alike. Copies are available now. Go to my blog at Black and Atheist Too to order your copy.

Black and Atheist Too

BLACK AND ATHEIST TOO: MY JOURNEY LIVING THROUGH DISCOVERY OF THE NON-EXISTENCE OF GOD  
BY DR. ARTHUR R. BYRD

A new and exciting book. Available now.  You will follow Dr. Byrd from his humble Christian upbringing in the small rural community of Nigton, Texas, through his transition to atheism while in the Air Force in the sixties.  In this book you will gain insight on what it means to be Black and Atheist.  After his conversion to atheism, Dr. Byrd takes you on a journey in his life through his academic and intellectual development on atheism; the humor of the Bible and many religious practices; dealing with tragedy and death without God; an exploration of the Gods of many lands, superstitions, and the miss-application of knowledge; and finally a critique of the comparative morality of believers versus non-believers.  You will also understand the anguish one endures as a Black who questions the existence of God; the sense of isolation, the sense of frustration, and being labeled a “Doubting Thomas”.  The book is also documented with historical and statistical references on the development of religion and its resulting practices.  A must read for religious and non-religious people alike.

Dr. Byrd is a former college vice president and university lecturer.

Copies will be available in Go to my website at Black and Atheist Too to order your copy, or use the "Buy Now" button below.  

You may also schedule a lecture for your college, organization, or club.  Go to blackandatheisttoo@gmail.com to contact me for scheduling, and leave your contact information.

                          

Notes on the Origin of December 25 as birthday of Christ and the Origin of "Merry Christmas"

A Few notes on December 25, and Merry Christmas by Dr. Arthur R. Byrd The Bible does not give any date or time of year for the birth of Christ. Luke 2:8 references shepherds tending their flocks at night, which suggest “spring” lambing season. In the cold of December, lambs would likely have been corralled. The early Christians did not celebrate the birth of Christ. Birthday celebrations were viewed as pagan. In around 200 ACE, speculation began about the birth of Christ. Most scholars of that era place the birth in August, or the more popular months of March and April. December 25 (winter solstice celebrations) seemed to have come from European pagan origins. Somewhere between 250-300 ACE, celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25 or January 6 seems to have taken hold. In 312 ACE, after Emperor Constantine I, converted to Christianity. This was a boost to the spread of Christianity, and included an attempt to appeased pagan Europeans to convert; thereby adopting their periods of celebration, which included December. The first official written documentation of December 25 as the birth of Christ occurred in 336 ACE, the Roman almanac tells of Christ’s Nativity festival. There are other Christmas (the Mass of Christ) that are pagan in origin such as gift-giving, Yule logs, and merrymaking. Now, “Merry Christmas”. It is not religious in origin. It is intended to convey feelings of joy and happiness. In fact, some people (especially in England) still say “Happy Christmas”. Origin: No doubt the phrase had been used informally for many years, but in 1534 John Fisher (Roman Catholic Bishop and cardinal. Beheaded for treason by King Henry VIII, in 1535), in a letter to Thomas Cromwell (Cromwell was an English statesman and lawyer who led reform efforts in England in the 1530s) wished him a Merry Christmas. Fisher was hoping to receive leniency form Henry VIII, which he did not. The term Merry Christmas got a significant boost in 1843 with the publication of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. The phrase then began to appear on post cards, and the modern-day festival or Merry Christmas took on new meaning in the western world.

Is Moses guilty of Plagiarism Dr. Yosef Ben Jochannan asserts that the Ten commandments are slightly deviated copies from the Code of Hammurabi. Other religious historians have made the same claim.

Real Origin of the Ten Commandments By Dr. Kwame Nantambu December 18, 2009 As the religious tradition of Christmas approaches, this article seeks to unlock the mystery behind the origin of the Euro-Christian Ten Commandments that Moses was supposed to have received from God on Mount Sinai. The fact of the matter is that Moses was a Black-Afrikan man who was born in ancient Kemet (Egypt) during the reign of Pharoah Harembab (1340-1320 B.C.); he spent most of his life in Egypt and married an Ethiopian woman named Zipporah. They had two sons Gershon and Elieyer. According to Dr. ben-Jochannan, Moses, who was born of the tribe of Levi, was miraculously saved by his sister Miriam while floating down the Nile River in a bulrush basket. He was put down the Nile by his mother because the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses I was killing all of the Hebrew males born throughout the kingdom. The fact is that as a Highpriest during the reign of Pharaoh Akhneton (XXVth Dynasty, 1370-1352 B.C.), Moses was not only familiar and knowledgeable with the "42 Negative Confessions" but also with the 10 categories of sins that existed in ancient Kemet (Egypt). He was also familiar with the spiritual concept of Monotheism that Pharaoh Akhneton had introduced to the people. Basically then, when he reached eastern Egypt (Mount Sinai). Moses prayed to Amun-Ra, the Sun God of Ancient Egypt. It was very easy for Moses to establish a new religion for his people as a result of his spiritual education and training in Western Kemet (Egypt). Moses then collapsed the "42 Negative Confessions" into the "Ten Commandments" and he continued to embrace the concept of Monotheism. Moses used the concept of fire to receive the "Ten Commandments" because in ancient Kemet (Egypt) the spiritual God-force was represented by fire. In other words, the religion of the followers of Moses today is Afrikan in origin, including Christianity. The reality is that there is NO such event as the "EXODUS". That's a mythical lie. The historical truism is provided by Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan in his magnum opus titled African Origins of the Major Western Religions (1970) as follows: It was only when Moses had to flee Pharaoh Ramses II's anger because he had murdered Ramses' representative-soldier-did Moses begin to plan the "EXODUS" of his fellow indigenous Egyptians of the Hebrew faith from Western to Eastern Egypt (from the Aswan end of the Nile River Delta to Mount Sinai) (p.153). In Black Christian Nationalism : New Directions for the Black Church (1972), Dr. ben-Jochannan suggests that Ramses II supposedly "chased Moses all over the Egyptian desert to avenge his soldier (or guard) whom Moses killed." "Moses was charged with murder." (pp. 301-303). Moses was fleeing from the scene of his crime in Kemet (Egypt). Moses was NOT freeing his people from the bondage of the tyrant Pharaoh Ramses II. He was attempting to free his people from the ensuing punishment that his crime would have precipitated. Moses committed a SIN. In ancient Kemet (Egypt) at this time, the Jews, formerly called Hebrews (Haribus), had migrated from Asia as "a starving lot...(of) unfortunate nomads from Asia." "There is no evidence that those lowly Asian Jews had any formalized education of a standard in any way comparable with that which the indigenous Afrikans of Egypt had developed." "Nether is there any evidence that they had a set code of ethics and morals that were contrary, or in support, of those they met in the Afrikan land- Egypt." These Jews were only shepherds when they entered Egypt. The Jews entered Egypt circa 1632 B.C. until their 'exodus' in 1232 B.C., during the reign of Ramses II, 1279- 1212 B.C. The Kemites (Egyptians) not only accepted their Asian brothers and sisters, the Haribus, as equals but also integrated them into every aspect of Egyptian society. Prior to this accepted integration, these Jews "had not established a government anywhere, other than tribal groupings." In addition, the major pyramids had already been built by the Pharaoh Khufu, Khafra and Menkara at the Giza plateau - a period which expanded 2680-2258 B.C. The fact of the matter is that the original "42 Declarations of Innocence" can be found in the sacred spiritual texts inscribed on the walls of the Temple of Unas in ancient Kemet. According to the Euro-Christian Holy Bible, Acts 7:22: "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds." When the Egyptian Moses took these ancient Kemetic laws to the Barbarians, he had to change them because he was speaking to a people who were living in the caves and hills of Europe and who had not lived a spiritual way of life. As such, Moses had to transfer the original Kemetic text "I have not..." to "Thou shall not..." that is, into Commandments. These are the original Afrikan-Kemetic spiritual: "42 Declarations of Innocence" "42 Admonitions of Ma'at" "42 Negative Confessions" I have not done iniquity. I have not robbed with violence. I have not stolen. I have done no murder, I have done no harm. I have not defrauded offerings. I have not diminished obligations. I have not plundered the Netcher. I have not spoken lies. I have not snatched away food. I have not caused pain. I have not committed fornication. I have not caused shedding of tears. I have not dealt deceitfully. I have not transgressed. I have not acted guilefully. I have not laid wasted the ploughed land. I have not been an eavesdropper. I have not set my lips in motion (against any man). I have not been angry and wrathful except for a just cause. I have not defiled the wife of any man. I have not defiled the wife of any man. (repeated twice) I have not polluted myself. I have not caused terror. I have not transgressed. (repeated twice) I have not burned with rage. I have not stopped my ears against the words of Right and Truth (Ma'at) I have not worked grief. I have not acted with insolence. I have not stirred up strife. I have not judged hastily. I have not been an eavesdropper. (repeated twice) I have not multiplied words exceedingly. I have not done neither harm nor ill. I have never cursed the King. I have never fouled the water. I have not spoken scornfully. I have never cursed the Netcher. I have not stolen. I have not defrauded the offerings of the Netcher. I have not plundered the offerings of the blessed dead. I have not filched the food of the infant, neither have I sinned against the Netcher of my native town. I have not slaughtered with evil intent the cattle of the Netcher. These "Negative Confessions" represent the FIRST moral code of ethics invented with which to live by 24-7-365. Afrikans invented these moral codes in the B.C. era. These were developed before there was the Christian Holy Bible or an Islamic Qur'an. It took the ancient Afrikans fifty (50) generations or 1,200 years to develop these moral, spiritual codes. The reason why there were "42 Negative Confessions" is because there were 42 "Nomes" or Districts in ancient Kemet at that time. At that time also, there were ten (10) categories of sins. Thus, the categories of sins that Moses, the Afrikan, used as the basis to formulate the so-called "Ten Commandments" already existed. The ten categories of sins in ancient Kemet (Egypt) are as follows: "General sins against people" "Crimes against a person" "Crimes against the Gods" "Crimes against the King" "Crimes against the Dead" "Crimes against animals" "Crimes against Property" "Fraud" "Faults of morals and character" (I) "Faults of morals and character" (II) As such, it did not take a genius in rocket science or advanced calculus to collapse 42 into 10 and that's precisely what the former Egyptian High priest Moses did. Nothing more; nothing less. These are the Derived Euro-Christian religious "Ten Commandments" I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (41) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord they God in vain... (7, 37, 41) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... Honor thy father and mother. (1, 12, 28) Thou shalt not kill. (4) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (11, 20, 21) Thou shalt not steal. (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 39, 40) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (8, 13, 18, 29) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house or wife... (13, 20, 21, 29, 33) Their derivative from the original ancient Kemetic "42 Negative Confessions" are shown at the end of each. In other words, the modern-day Euro-Christian Ten Commandments did not come or were not received from God above; they are Afrikan-Kemetic in origin. In this regard, it must be clearly understood that there is a vast difference between the original Afrikan spirituality and the derived Euro-Christian religion. Spirituality is defined as the direct connection, relationship and interaction with the universe, cosmos, nature and that spiritual God-force, Amun-Ra_"the giver/creator of life." He is the spiritual God-force whose birthday was celebrated on 25 December in ancient times about 4,100 years before the birthday of Jesus "the Christ." Religion is defined as the deification of a people's cultural experiences, politics and political power control intent. And this is precisely why Moses had to change the "42 Negative Confessions" which represented a daily way of life and being into "Commandments" as a medium for power, force and control of his people's daily lives. It must be stated quite categorically that in the B.C. era, Afrika was known as "the Land of the spiritual people". However, as a result of European supremacy, Afrika and Afrikans have been transformed globally into a "religious people" in the A.D. era to their powerless detriment. Afrikans have lost their original spirituality. In the B.C. era, ALL the Gods were Black; now in the A.D. era, ALL the Gods are White. This represents European religious power-control supremacy at its zenith. As such, in this new 21st century millennium, Afrikans on the Continent and the Diaspora including TnT must retrieve, recapture, relocate, reclaim, reconnect, reorient and re-enact their original spirituality 24-7-365 as the most potent weapon in their armory to survive and empower themselves. Shem Hotep ("I go in peace"). Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies. Share your views here... Nantambu's Homepage | Archives | Trinicenter Homepage The Rise of the All-Consuming Self Trinbago Pan | Trinicenter | Trinidad and Tobago News | Trini View | Trini Soca Race and History | U.S.Crusade | Amon Hotep | RootsWomen | Africa Speaks Rasta Times | Rootsie Roots | HowComYouCom | News Sources About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Fair Use Notice Copyright © 2000-2016 Trinicenter.com

Is Moses guilty of Plagiarism Dr. Yosef Ben Jochannan asserts that the Ten commandments are slightly deviated copies from the Code of Hammurabi. Other religious historians have made the same claim.

Real Origin of the Ten Commandments By Dr. Kwame Nantambu December 18, 2009 As the religious tradition of Christmas approaches, this article seeks to unlock the mystery behind the origin of the Euro-Christian Ten Commandments that Moses was supposed to have received from God on Mount Sinai. The fact of the matter is that Moses was a Black-Afrikan man who was born in ancient Kemet (Egypt) during the reign of Pharoah Harembab (1340-1320 B.C.); he spent most of his life in Egypt and married an Ethiopian woman named Zipporah. They had two sons Gershon and Elieyer. According to Dr. ben-Jochannan, Moses, who was born of the tribe of Levi, was miraculously saved by his sister Miriam while floating down the Nile River in a bulrush basket. He was put down the Nile by his mother because the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses I was killing all of the Hebrew males born throughout the kingdom. The fact is that as a Highpriest during the reign of Pharaoh Akhneton (XXVth Dynasty, 1370-1352 B.C.), Moses was not only familiar and knowledgeable with the "42 Negative Confessions" but also with the 10 categories of sins that existed in ancient Kemet (Egypt). He was also familiar with the spiritual concept of Monotheism that Pharaoh Akhneton had introduced to the people. Basically then, when he reached eastern Egypt (Mount Sinai). Moses prayed to Amun-Ra, the Sun God of Ancient Egypt. It was very easy for Moses to establish a new religion for his people as a result of his spiritual education and training in Western Kemet (Egypt). Moses then collapsed the "42 Negative Confessions" into the "Ten Commandments" and he continued to embrace the concept of Monotheism. Moses used the concept of fire to receive the "Ten Commandments" because in ancient Kemet (Egypt) the spiritual God-force was represented by fire. In other words, the religion of the followers of Moses today is Afrikan in origin, including Christianity. The reality is that there is NO such event as the "EXODUS". That's a mythical lie. The historical truism is provided by Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan in his magnum opus titled African Origins of the Major Western Religions (1970) as follows: It was only when Moses had to flee Pharaoh Ramses II's anger because he had murdered Ramses' representative-soldier-did Moses begin to plan the "EXODUS" of his fellow indigenous Egyptians of the Hebrew faith from Western to Eastern Egypt (from the Aswan end of the Nile River Delta to Mount Sinai) (p.153). In Black Christian Nationalism : New Directions for the Black Church (1972), Dr. ben-Jochannan suggests that Ramses II supposedly "chased Moses all over the Egyptian desert to avenge his soldier (or guard) whom Moses killed." "Moses was charged with murder." (pp. 301-303). Moses was fleeing from the scene of his crime in Kemet (Egypt). Moses was NOT freeing his people from the bondage of the tyrant Pharaoh Ramses II. He was attempting to free his people from the ensuing punishment that his crime would have precipitated. Moses committed a SIN. In ancient Kemet (Egypt) at this time, the Jews, formerly called Hebrews (Haribus), had migrated from Asia as "a starving lot...(of) unfortunate nomads from Asia." "There is no evidence that those lowly Asian Jews had any formalized education of a standard in any way comparable with that which the indigenous Afrikans of Egypt had developed." "Nether is there any evidence that they had a set code of ethics and morals that were contrary, or in support, of those they met in the Afrikan land- Egypt." These Jews were only shepherds when they entered Egypt. The Jews entered Egypt circa 1632 B.C. until their 'exodus' in 1232 B.C., during the reign of Ramses II, 1279- 1212 B.C. The Kemites (Egyptians) not only accepted their Asian brothers and sisters, the Haribus, as equals but also integrated them into every aspect of Egyptian society. Prior to this accepted integration, these Jews "had not established a government anywhere, other than tribal groupings." In addition, the major pyramids had already been built by the Pharaoh Khufu, Khafra and Menkara at the Giza plateau - a period which expanded 2680-2258 B.C. The fact of the matter is that the original "42 Declarations of Innocence" can be found in the sacred spiritual texts inscribed on the walls of the Temple of Unas in ancient Kemet. According to the Euro-Christian Holy Bible, Acts 7:22: "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds." When the Egyptian Moses took these ancient Kemetic laws to the Barbarians, he had to change them because he was speaking to a people who were living in the caves and hills of Europe and who had not lived a spiritual way of life. As such, Moses had to transfer the original Kemetic text "I have not..." to "Thou shall not..." that is, into Commandments. These are the original Afrikan-Kemetic spiritual: "42 Declarations of Innocence" "42 Admonitions of Ma'at" "42 Negative Confessions" I have not done iniquity. I have not robbed with violence. I have not stolen. I have done no murder, I have done no harm. I have not defrauded offerings. I have not diminished obligations. I have not plundered the Netcher. I have not spoken lies. I have not snatched away food. I have not caused pain. I have not committed fornication. I have not caused shedding of tears. I have not dealt deceitfully. I have not transgressed. I have not acted guilefully. I have not laid wasted the ploughed land. I have not been an eavesdropper. I have not set my lips in motion (against any man). I have not been angry and wrathful except for a just cause. I have not defiled the wife of any man. I have not defiled the wife of any man. (repeated twice) I have not polluted myself. I have not caused terror. I have not transgressed. (repeated twice) I have not burned with rage. I have not stopped my ears against the words of Right and Truth (Ma'at) I have not worked grief. I have not acted with insolence. I have not stirred up strife. I have not judged hastily. I have not been an eavesdropper. (repeated twice) I have not multiplied words exceedingly. I have not done neither harm nor ill. I have never cursed the King. I have never fouled the water. I have not spoken scornfully. I have never cursed the Netcher. I have not stolen. I have not defrauded the offerings of the Netcher. I have not plundered the offerings of the blessed dead. I have not filched the food of the infant, neither have I sinned against the Netcher of my native town. I have not slaughtered with evil intent the cattle of the Netcher. These "Negative Confessions" represent the FIRST moral code of ethics invented with which to live by 24-7-365. Afrikans invented these moral codes in the B.C. era. These were developed before there was the Christian Holy Bible or an Islamic Qur'an. It took the ancient Afrikans fifty (50) generations or 1,200 years to develop these moral, spiritual codes. The reason why there were "42 Negative Confessions" is because there were 42 "Nomes" or Districts in ancient Kemet at that time. At that time also, there were ten (10) categories of sins. Thus, the categories of sins that Moses, the Afrikan, used as the basis to formulate the so-called "Ten Commandments" already existed. The ten categories of sins in ancient Kemet (Egypt) are as follows: "General sins against people" "Crimes against a person" "Crimes against the Gods" "Crimes against the King" "Crimes against the Dead" "Crimes against animals" "Crimes against Property" "Fraud" "Faults of morals and character" (I) "Faults of morals and character" (II) As such, it did not take a genius in rocket science or advanced calculus to collapse 42 into 10 and that's precisely what the former Egyptian High priest Moses did. Nothing more; nothing less. These are the Derived Euro-Christian religious "Ten Commandments" I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (41) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord they God in vain... (7, 37, 41) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... Honor thy father and mother. (1, 12, 28) Thou shalt not kill. (4) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (11, 20, 21) Thou shalt not steal. (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 39, 40) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (8, 13, 18, 29) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house or wife... (13, 20, 21, 29, 33) Their derivative from the original ancient Kemetic "42 Negative Confessions" are shown at the end of each. In other words, the modern-day Euro-Christian Ten Commandments did not come or were not received from God above; they are Afrikan-Kemetic in origin. In this regard, it must be clearly understood that there is a vast difference between the original Afrikan spirituality and the derived Euro-Christian religion. Spirituality is defined as the direct connection, relationship and interaction with the universe, cosmos, nature and that spiritual God-force, Amun-Ra_"the giver/creator of life." He is the spiritual God-force whose birthday was celebrated on 25 December in ancient times about 4,100 years before the birthday of Jesus "the Christ." Religion is defined as the deification of a people's cultural experiences, politics and political power control intent. And this is precisely why Moses had to change the "42 Negative Confessions" which represented a daily way of life and being into "Commandments" as a medium for power, force and control of his people's daily lives. It must be stated quite categorically that in the B.C. era, Afrika was known as "the Land of the spiritual people". However, as a result of European supremacy, Afrika and Afrikans have been transformed globally into a "religious people" in the A.D. era to their powerless detriment. Afrikans have lost their original spirituality. In the B.C. era, ALL the Gods were Black; now in the A.D. era, ALL the Gods are White. This represents European religious power-control supremacy at its zenith. As such, in this new 21st century millennium, Afrikans on the Continent and the Diaspora including TnT must retrieve, recapture, relocate, reclaim, reconnect, reorient and re-enact their original spirituality 24-7-365 as the most potent weapon in their armory to survive and empower themselves. Shem Hotep ("I go in peace"). Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies. Share your views here... Nantambu's Homepage | Archives | Trinicenter Homepage The Rise of the All-Consuming Self Trinbago Pan | Trinicenter | Trinidad and Tobago News | Trini View | Trini Soca Race and History | U.S.Crusade | Amon Hotep | RootsWomen | Africa Speaks Rasta Times | Rootsie Roots | HowComYouCom | News Sources About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Fair Use Notice Copyright © 2000-2016 Trinicenter.com

Real Names of the Disciples of Christ

The names of the Apostles are of Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew origins. The Hebrew, Aramaic and "Greek" named Apostles were:Shim'on = Simon (Hebrew origin). Y'hochanan = John (Hebrew origin). Mattithyahu = Matthew (Hebrew origin). Ya'aqov = James (Hebrew origin meaning Jacob). Bar-Tôlmay = Bartholomew (Aramaic, which is related to Hebrew). Judah = Jude / Saint Jude (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot, Hebrew origin). Yehuda = Judas Iscariot (Hebrew origin, Betrayed Yeshua/Yehosua the Messiah). Cephas / Kephas = Peter (Hebrew / Aramaic origin meaning "Rock"). Tau'ma = Thomas (Aramaic origin). Andrew = Andrew (Greek origin. Is the brother of Cephas / Kephas). Phillip = Phillip (Greek origin). You will note that there are only 11 names, that is because there were 2 Apostles named Ya'aqov (James), which brings the total to 12 apostles.