Abstract
Starting from personal names with theophoric element ia-a-wa in late Babylonian texts it is argued in this paper that the divine name Yahwe is a nominal lexeme of the qatl-pattern. While its basic form is *yahw (>yahu), there existed also a prolonged from with case marker -a, written with as a mater lectionic (i.e. the tetragrammaton YHWH). In support of this view other material is presented showing the preservation of a case maker -a in early 1st Millenium B.C. Hebrew and Moabite. In this connection fhe form srth (for Asherah) as attested in several early Hebrew inscriptions (e.g. Kuntillet Ajrud) is analysed in the same way, with representing the case marker -a. The formula l-yhwh...w-l-srth is thus translated as (I bless you) to (= in the name of) Yahwe... and Ashirta. The preserved ending -a is interpreted in early West-Semitic proper names, especially within syllabically attested (Amorite and Amarna) personal names.
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