Aseneth

Aseneth is the Latin form of Asenath used in the Latin Bible (the Vulgate). The name Asenath means "belonging to the goddess Neith" in Ancient Egyptian. In the Old Testament (Genesis 41:45, 50–52), Asenath is the Egyptian wife of Joseph, given to him by Pharaoh. She is the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim.

Etymology

The name Asenath likely derives from Egyptian js n.t, meaning "belonging to (the goddess) Neith." Neith was an early Egyptian goddess of weaving, hunting, and war, whose name may relate to nt "water" or nrw "fear, dread." The root Neith is also linked to the Phoenician goddess Tanith, consort of Ba'al Hammon in Carthage, suggesting a possible linguistic or cultural cross-connection through the Mediterranean.

In the Bible and Later Tradition

Aseneth appears in Genesis as an Egyptian woman; however, rabbinic literature offers two divergent traditions. One holds that she converted to Judaism before marrying Joseph, becoming a positive example of conversion. The other claims she was of Israelite descent—the daughter of Dinah (raped by Shechem). According to this midrash, Jacob left the infant Asenath on a wall in Egypt, where she was later raised as an Egyptian noblewoman.

An apocryphal text, Joseph and Aseneth (from around the first century BCE to second century CE), expands her story, portraying her conversion in detail as a romance between Joseph and Aseneth.

Notable Bearers

Unlike its Hebrew counterpart ʽAsnat (modern Hebrew Osnat), the Latin form Aseneth is rare in modern usage. Its chief bearer is the biblical figure.

• Meaning: Belonging to the goddess Neith
• Origin: Egyptian via Latin Bible
• Type: Biblical name
• Usage regions: Latin Christianity (Vulgate tradition)