ALT Screen cap of article and abstract. Title: What’s in a Nickname? Barnabas and the Dynamics of Displacement, Belonging, and Identity Abstract In Acts, Joseph Barnabas is depicted as a key mediator between the Jerusalem and Pauline missions, simultaneously an insider and outsider. Barnabas is largely overlooked in scholarly literature, most commentary concentrating on his nickname. For many commentators, the narrative aside in Acts 4:36 (ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον υἱὸς παρακλήσεως) has obfuscated rather than clarified its meaning. Prior attempts to assign a single definition have overlooked the inherently multifaceted nature of nicknames. This paper argues that the significance of Barnabas’ nickname lies not only in its linguistic definition, but also in the social process of nicknaming. This study reexamines Barnabas’ nickname by analysing Jewish onomastics, drawing on social-scientific studies of nicknaming and migration, and considering Greco-Roman ethnic stereotypes of Cyprus.

ALT Cover of the journal: Biblical Interpretation: A Journal of Cotemporary Approaches; Brill.