Is Dismas (the penitent thief on the cross) his real name or nickname?

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I know there are several threads talking about the penitent thief on the cross, but I didn’t want to use that cos they were really old (the most recent one being Jan 4 '12).

According to wiki “The name “Dismas” was adapted from a Greek word meaning “sunset” or “death”.”

I’m not sure about sunset, but I don’t think anyone would name his son “death”. It sounds more like a nickname, so my question is whether is Dismas his real name?
 
gabjus said:
I know there are several threads talking about the penitent thief on the cross, but I didn’t want to use that cos they were really old (the most recent one being Jan 4 '12).

According to wiki “The name “Dismas” was adapted from a Greek word meaning “sunset” or “death”.”

I’m not sure about sunset, but I don’t think anyone would name his son “death”. It sounds more like a nickname, so my question is whether is Dismas his real name?
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Simple answer: no. 😉
 
gabjus said:
Just to check. ‘No’ not his real name or ‘no’ not his nickname?
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“No,” as in: most likely not his real name, which no one knows anyway. I mean, Dismas (Demas, Dysmas, Dimas, Dymas, Damas), Titus, Zoatham (Zoathan), Ioathas, Ioaras, Matha, Jonathas, Rakh, - these are names which are applied to the penitent criminal. 😉
 
Neither of the 2 men are named in Scripture. We don’t know what either of them were called, not surprising, as we come upon them in their last hour of life.

ICXC NIKA
 
patrick457 said:
“No,” as in: most likely not his real name, which no one knows anyway. I mean, Dismas (Demas, Dysmas, Dimas, Dymas, Damas), Titus, Zoatham (Zoathan), Ioathas, Ioaras, Matha, Jonathas, Rakh, - these are names which are applied to the penitent criminal. 😉
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Thanks 🙂
Does it mean the Catholic Church gave the name Dismas to allow people to identify him?
 
gabjus said:
Thanks 🙂
Does it mean the Catholic Church gave the name Dismas to allow people to identify him?
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I’d put it more like “Christians gave the penitent thief the name ‘Dismas’ (along with scores of other names) to allow themselves to identify him.” Giving names for unnamed characters in the Bible is actually a pretty common phenomenon.
 
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