PAHORAN

PAHORAN

Lehite PN		1. Judge, son of Nephihah No. 1, ca. 68–53 BC (Alma 50:40; Helaman 1:2)
			2. Judge, son of No. 1, d. 52 BC (Helaman 1:3; 2:3)

In both Book of Mormon mss., Pahoran varies with Pahoron in Alma 51 and Helaman 1. 

Perhaps the name can best be derived from Canaanite pa.ura, pu.uru (for Egyptian p3-ḥr-3n), Egyptian administrator in Palestine mentioned in the Amarna letters (EA, 117, 123, 
132, 1566, 1222). Nibley equates Egyptian p3-ḥry with “the Syrian” (ABM, 233), on which see Genesis 14:6 where  ḥōrī = Hurrian, i.e., Syrian (RFS, Egyptianisms, p. 6).

See the biblical GN Beth-Horon and the standard biblical commentaries for the etymology. But the first element of the name, Pa-, would remain unexplained.

Several other Egyptian PNs may bear on the Book of Mormon Pahoran, Meroitic: (1) “Pachoras” (listed with “Pakazi” in an inscription; cf. Book of Mormon Pachus), and (2) “Horan” 
(SC, 194). Confer also Egyptian p3h3r (Late Rammesside Letters, p. 11.I, and Pap. Abbott in Peet, Great Tomb Robberies, II, pl. 2, p. 44, l. 13) (EHA), and Egyptian p3-ḥr-n-imn, 
“the countenance/face of Amun” (Frühdemotischer Texte, II, p. 131b) (EHA).

Ugaritic ḥrn is worth investigating (RFS).

Cf. Book of Mormon Cohor, Pacumeni, Paanchi (Pachus, Pagag?), Pathros, Teomner, Teancum