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Iris Maybloom (irislm) | all galleries >> NEW MEXICO 2012 >> Santa Fe > Tetragrammation
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Tetragrammation

The tetragrammation refers to four Hebrew letters over the main entrance to the Cathedral of St. Francis. The four Hebrew letters (YHWH) refer to the name of the God of Israel (Yaweh) used in the Hebrew Bible. The tetragram is enclosed in a triangle, a Christian symbol for the Trinity. Many legends have emerged with this particular tetragrammation. The guide in the Church told us it was placed their to honor the Jewish merchants of Santa Fe who loaned money to the Archdiocese to build the Basilica and then forgave the loan. While the friendship and cooperation fostered by this legend is certainly commendable, it is possible that it doesn't provide the complete history of the tetragrammation.


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Phil Douglis11-Mar-2012 07:30
Another wonderful story, but once again, guides are paid to entertain as well as inform, and you should do your own research to see if the story behind those letters is fact or fiction.