Mahomettanism & St. John The Baptist

Allah in the Quran makes the nonsensical & imbecilic claim that St. John the Baptist was the first to have his name (quran.com/19/7-10).

«The angels announced, "O Zacaria! Indeed, We give you the good news of the birth of a son, whose name will be John — a name we have not given to anyone before." He wondered, "How can I have a son when my wife is barren, & I have become extremely old?" An angel replied, "So will it be! Your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing!'" Zacaria said, "My Lord! Grant me a sign." He responded, "Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to people for three nights, despite being healthy."»

The original Hebrew form of the name John is Yahohanan or Yochanan, also written as Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh has been gracious" or "God is gracious."

The Path to the English "John":
Hebrew: The name starts as Yahohanan then shortens to Yohanan.
Greek: In the New Testament, the Hebrew name was adapted into the Greek name Ioannes.
Latin: The Greek name then became Johannes in Late Latin.
English: Finally, Johannes evolved into the familiar English name John.

Names of persons named John before St. John the Baptist, from the Challoner-Haydock Bible at https://drbo.org:

1. "And when all the captains of the soldiers had heard this, they & the men that were with them, to wit, that the king of Babylon had made Godolias governor, they came to Godolias to Maspha, Ismael the son of Nathanias, & Johanan the son of Caree, & Saraia the son of Thanehumeth the Netophathite, & Jezonias the son of Maachathi, they & their men. [4 Kings (2 Kings) 25:23]

2. "And the sons of Josias were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Joakim, the third Sedecias, the fourth Sellum. [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 3:15]

3. "The sons of Elioenai, Oduia, & Eliasub, & Pheleia, & Accub, & Johanan, & Dalaia, & Anani, seven. [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 3:24]

4. "Achimaas beget Azarias, Azarias begot Johanan, [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 6:9]

5. "Johanan beget Azarias. This is he that executed the priestly office in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem. [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 6:10]

6. "And Samaias of Gabaon, the stoutest amongst the thirty & over the thirty; Jeremias, & Jeheziel, & Johanan, & Jezabad of Gaderoth; [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 12:4]

7. "Johanan the eighth, Elzebad the ninth, [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 12:12]

8. "Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh. [1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 26:3]

9. "After him Johanan the captain, & with him two hundred & eighty thousand. [2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles) 17:15]

10. "And in the seventh year Joiada being encouraged, took the captains of hundreds, to wit, Azarias the son of Jeroham, & Ismahel the son of Johanan, & Azarias the son of Obed, & Maasias the son of Adaias, & Elisaphat the son of Zechri: & made a covenant with them. [2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles) 23:1]

11. "Then some of the chief men of the sons of Ephraim, Azarias the son of Johanan, Barachias the son of Mosollamoth, Ezechias the son of Sellum, & Amasa the son of Adali, stood up against them that came from the war. [2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles) 28:12]

12. "And Esdras rose up from before the house of God, & went to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliasib, & entered in thither: he ate no bread, & drank no water: for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captivity. [1 Esdras (Ezra) 10:6]

13. "And of the sons of Babai, Johanan, Hanania, Zabbai, Athalai: [1 Esdras (Ezra) 10:28]

14. "For there were many in Judea sworn to him, because he was the son in law of Sechenias the son of Area, & Johanan his son had taken to wife the daughter of Mosollam the son of Barachias. [2 Esdras (Nehemiah) 6:18]

15. "Of Esdras, Mosollam: & of Amaria, Johanan: [2 Esdras (Nehemiah) 12:13]

16. "The Levites the chiefs of the families in the days of Eliasib, & Joiada, & Johanan, & Jeddoa, were recorded, & the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. [2 Esdras (Nehemiah) 12:22]

17. "And Maasia, & Semeia, & Eleazar, & Azzi, & Johanan, & Melchia, & Elam, & Ezer. & the singers sung loud, & Jezraia was their overseer: [2 Esdras (Nehemiah) 12:41]

18. "They came to Godolias to Masphath: & Ismahel the son of Nathanias, & Johanan, & Jonathan, the sons of Caree, & Sareas the son of Thanehumeth, & the children of Ophi, that were of Netophathi, & Jezonias the son of Maachati, they & their men. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 40:8]

19. "Then Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the army, that had been scattered about in the countries, came to Godolias to Masphath. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 40:13]

20. "But Johanan the son of Caree, spoke to Godolias privately in Masphath, saying: I will go, & I will kill Ismahel the son of Nathanias, & no man shall know it, lest he kill thee, & all the Jews be scattered, that are gathered unto thee, & the remnant of Juda perish. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 40:15]

21 "And Godolias the son of Ahicam said to Johanan the son of Cares: Do not this thing: for what thou sayst of Ismahel is false. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 40:16]

22. "But Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the fighting men that were with him, heard of the evil that Ismahel the son of Nathanias had done. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 41:11]

23. "And when all the people that were with Ismahel, had seen Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the fighting men that were with him, they rejoiced. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 41:13]

24. "And all the people whom Ismahel had taken, went back to Masphath: & they returned & went to Johanan the son of Caree. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 41:14]

25. "But Ismahel the son of Nathanias fled with eight men, from the face of Johanan, & went to the children of Ammon. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 41:15]

26. "Then Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the soldiers that were with him, took all the remnant of the people whom they had recovered from Ismahel the son of Nathanias, from Masphath, after that he had slain Godolias the son of Ahicam: valiant men for war, & the women, & the children, & the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gabaon: [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 41:16]

27. "Then all the captains of the warriors, & Johanan the son of Caree, & Jezonias the son of Osaias, & the rest of the people from the least to the greatest came near: [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 42:1]

28 "And he called Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the fighting men that were with him, & all the people from the least to the greatest. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 42:8]

29. "Azarias the son of Osaias, & Johanan the son of Caree, & all the proud men, made answer, saying to Jeremias: Thou tellest a lie: the Lord our God hath not sent thee, saying: Go not into Egypt, to dwell there. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 43:2]

30 "So Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the soldiers, & all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Juda. [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 43:4]

31. "But Johanan the son of Caree, & all the captains of the soldiers took all the remnant of Juda, that were returned out of all nations, to which they had before been scattered, to dwell in the land of Juda: [Jeremias (Jeremiah) 43:5]

1. "In those days arose Mathathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, & he abode in the mountain of Modin. [1 Machabees 2:1] (The Levitical Asmonean Dynasty, also called Maccabees or Machabees, was started by Matthew, son of John, taking their modern English names!)

2. "And he had five sons: John who was surnamed Gaddis: [1 Machabees 2:2]

3. "So Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Jacob, & Jason the son of Eleazar, & he sent them to Rome to make a league of amity & confederacy with them. [1 Machabees 8:17]

4. "And the children of Jambri came forth out of Madaba, & took John, & all that he had, & went away with them. [1 Machabees 9:36]

5. "And the remembered the blood of John their brother: & they went up, & hid themselves under the covert of the mountain. [1 Machabees 9:38]

6. "And Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man for war: & he made him captain of all the forces: & he dwelt in Gazara. [1 Machabees 13:54]

7. "Then John came up from Gazara, & told Simon his father what Cendebeus had done against their people. [1 Machabees 16:1]

8. "And Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas & John, & said to them: I & my brethren, & my father's house, have fought against the enemies of Israel from our youth even to this day: & things have prospered so well in our hands that we have delivered Israel oftentimes. [1 Machabees 16:2]

9. "At that time Judas John's brother was wounded: but John pursued after them, till he came to Cedron, which he had built: [1 Machabees 16:9]

10. "And he sent others to Gazara to kill John: & to the tribunes he sent letters to come to him, & that he would give them silver, & gold, & gifts. [1 Machabees 16:19]

11. "Now one running before, told John in Gazara, that his father & his brethren were slain, & that he hath sent men to kill thee also. [1 Machabees 16:21]

12. "And as concerning the rest of the acts of John, & his wars, & the worthy deeds, which he bravely achieved, & the building of the walls, which he made, & the things that he did: [1 Machabees 16:23]

13. "And abolishing those things, which had been decreed of special favour by the kings in behalf of the Jews, by the means of John the father of that Eupolemus, who went ambassador to Rome to make amity & alliance, he disannulled the lawful ordinances of the citizens, & brought in fashions that were perverse. [2 Machabees 4:11]

14. "John & Abesalom who were sent from you, delivering your writings, requested that I would accomplish those things which were signified by them. [2 Machabees 11:17]

Max Gretinski's Quora article with Neo-Hebrew-Protestant name forms of pre-Messianic Israelites with the name John:

"John" is an English form of the name Yohanan. We see the name (in some English translations written with a J instead of a Y) in...

1Ch 3:15 The sons of Josiah were Yohanan, the firstborn, the second was Yehoiakim, the third was Zedekiah, & the fourth was Shallum.

That Yohanan lived in the 7th century BC, being the earliest.

We also read of Yohanan, the son of Kareah. Jer 42:8 Then he called for Yohanan the son of Kareah & all the commanders of the forces that were with him, & for all the people from the small to the great.

This Yohanan lived during the Exile in the 6th century BC.

Then we read of Yohanan, the son of Yoiada.

Neh 12:22 As for the Levites, the heads of fathers' households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Yoiada, & Yohanan, & Yaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

He was a high priest … possibly c. 410 BC, but probably later (since his son lived at the time of Alexander).

1 Macc 2 (in the Deuteroncanonical books = inter-testamental literature) mentions a Yohanan ("John," in some translations) who was the father of Mattathias — the son helped to start the Maccabean revolt during the 2nd century BC.

1 Macc 2 also mentions Matthathias' son, who was also Yohanan (John).

Finally, prior to the NT, we have Yohanan (John) Hyrkanus. He reigned independently over Judea during the last third of the 2nd century BC. We read of John near the end of 1st Maccabees.

To summarize: The name, Yohanan or John, appears occasionally from the 7th century BC to the time of Jesus.

Lucio Mascarenhas, #BombayNotMumbai & Goa, Whatsapp; repairmychurch.blogspot.com, Interdum blog & The Way Of The Saints. The Eteo-Catholic or Sempiternal orthodox True Catholic Church: https://vaticaninexile.com.