I. Name

Despite many ingenious attempts scholars have failed to establish a plausible etymological explanation of the name of the Egyptian God Thoth (Spies 1991:18–21 gives a convenient summary of current views). Aram. tḥwt and tḥwtmʿ (= Gk. Thothomous, ‘Thoth is justified’: Segal 1983: 47), Akk. tiḫut, Lat. Theut and Greek spellings (e.g. Thōuth, Thōth and Thouth: Hopfner 1946:50–52) reflect Eg. Ḏḥwty. Phoen. Taautos (Eusebius, Praep. evang. I.29.24) has been suggested to refer to Thoth (J. Ebach,…