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TODD BOLEN / BIBLEPLACES.COM

NORTHERN NAMES. The Hebrew of the Northern Kingdom had slight differences in spelling and pronunciation from the Hebrew used to the south in Judah. For example, this eighth-century BCE ostracon from Samaria, which records the transfer of a jar of oil, bears the name gdyw, “Gaddiyaw,” in the middle of the second line. This personal name, which means “Yahweh is my (good) luck,” exhibits the characteristic northern spelling that uses the -yw suffix (pronounced “yaw”) to represent the divine element, in contrast to the typical Judahite suffix, -yhw, pronounced “yahu” or “iah.”