Iscah
Iscah (Hebrew: יִסְכָּה Yīskā; Greek: Ἰεσχά) is the daughter of Haran and the niece of Abraham in the Book of Genesis. The passage in which Iscah is mentioned is extremely brief. As a result rabbinical scholars have developed theories to explain it, typically adopting the claim that Iscah was an alternate name for Sarah (Sarai), the wife of Abraham, particularly that it denoted her role as a prophetess.
Iscah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ur Kaśdim, Kaldea, Sumer (present-day southern Iraq) |
| Died | unknown |
| Other names | Yiskāh Jessica |
| Parent | Haran |
| Relatives | Lot (brother), Milcah (sister), Abraham (uncle), Sarah (aunt), Nahor (uncle/brother-in-law), Lot's wife (sister-in-law), Lot's daughters (nieces), Moab (nephew/grandnephew), Ben-Ammi (nephew/grandnephew), Bethuel (nephew/cousin), Isaac (cousin), Rebekah (grandniece), Laban (grandnephew) |
The Babylonian Talmud connects the name Iscah to an Aramaic verbal rooting, meaning "to see". It connects the name with prophetic foresight. Modern scholars are not convinced by the Talmud's explanation, and Iscah's etymology is currently regarded as uncertain.
"Iscah" is also believed to be the source of the name "Jessica", via a character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice.