Talmudic Identifications of Anonymous Biblical figures

See my previous piece, on identifying and unifying less well known figures, with better known figures. The revised version here at my Academia.edu page (registration required): “ ‘Why Was He Called Thus?’: An Anthology of Talmudic Passages Relating to Explanations of Biblical Names, Unification of Ostensibly Separate Biblical Personalities, and Etymologies of Biblical Words”

And see my previous piece (Helpful Formatting of the Talmud: Ohr Somayach’s ‘Talmud Navigator’ [December 12, 2023], section “Sanhedrin 17b - Identifications of Anonymous Descriptors (18x)”), where I mention the Talmud's list identifying anonymous groups in rabbinic sources, with specific rabbinic figures. I cite this also in my major piece on names, "From Abba to Zebedee: A Comprehensive Survey of Naming Conventions in the Mishnah, Talmud, and Late Antique Midrash" (registration required), section “Talmud’s Identification of Anonymous Descriptors”.

The Hebrew Wikipedia entry on “External Names of Anonymous Biblical Figures” states (my translation, with adjustments): 

“In Biblical stories, many characters appear without their names being mentioned [...] The Talmud explains that there's value in identifying their names, as it acts as a response to the heretics (apikorsim - those who do not believe in the Oral Torah) that the Oral Torah is correct and true. (EB - I cite this talmudic passage below. It isn't fully clear to me how to interpret this passage, meaning, how it is that knowing the specific name would help in responding to heretics.)

Sometimes the identified name is derived from a hint to an event that happened to the identified person, in other cases, the identified name is taken from genealogical lists in the Book of Chronicles, assuming there is no reason to a name without cause. (E.B. This is the case for Bithya and Hatzlelphoni, see below.)

There are cases where the identification comes from a Midrashic-exegetical motive. Another option is a person mentioned elsewhere in the Bible who needs to have their biography filled out, a similar case is identification from the character of the person.

In most cases, the identification of anonymous characters is an exegesis, and likely not a tradition.

See especially the many unifications in the long midrash in Tractate Megilla, and in Tractate Sotah (see my piece “ ‘Why Was He Called Thus?’ “, for the full sources).

As mentioned, there is a particular interest in giving names and identifying prominent women, since, even when they’re prominent, they're often not named in the Bible.

And as mentioned in the previous piece, it’s often R’ Yochanan making these interpretations. 

Bava Batra 91a - Another name of Boaz, and the names of the mothers of Avraham, Haman, David, and Shimshon

Bava Batra 91a (section # 10, 14-15), with names bolded by me, and Steinzaltz translation and explanation, with minor adjustments:

Rabba bar Rav Huna says that Rav says: 

The judge Ivzan of Bethlehem (see Judges 12:8–10) is Boaz [..] 

And Rav Ḥanan bar Rava says that Rav says: 

The mother of Abraham was called Amatlai bat Karnevo. 

The mother of Haman was called Amatlai bat Orevati. [...]

Rav Ḥanan bar Rava continues: 

The mother of David was named Natzvat bat Ada’el. 

The mother of Samson was named Tzelelponit, and his sister was called Nashyan. 

The Gemara asks: What is the practical difference as to what their names were? 

The Gemara answers: It is important with regard to an answer for heretics who inquire into the names of these women, which are not stated in the Bible. One can reply that there is a tradition handed down concerning their names.

Shabbat 96b - Biblical “Gatherer of Wood” is Zelophehad, and Tannaitic Dispute on the value of identifying anonymous biblical figures

An explicit tension is raised on this general issue, with a baraia quoted in the Talmud citing R’ Yehuda ben Beteira as critiquing R’ Akiva as follows: “Akiva, in either case you will be judged in the future for this teaching. If the truth is in accordance with your statement that the wood gatherer was Zelophehad, the Torah concealed his identity, and you reveal it!”

The full passage is as follows (Shabbat 96b, sections # 19-20):

On the topic of the wood gatherer, the Gemara cites that which the Sages taught in a baraita: 

The wood gatherer mentioned in the Torah was Zelophehad, 

and it says: “And the children of Israel were in the desert and they found a man gathering wood on the day of Shabbat” (Numbers 15:32), 

and below, in the appeal of the daughters of Zelophehad, it is stated: “Our father died in the desert and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons” (Numbers 27:3). 

Just as below the man in the desert is Zelophehad, so too, here, in the case of the wood gatherer, the unnamed man in the desert is Zelophehad; 

this is the statement of Rabbi Akiva. 

Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira said to him: 

Akiva, in either case you will be judged in the future for this teaching. 

If the truth is in accordance with your statement that the wood gatherer was Zelophehad, the Torah concealed his identity, and you reveal it. 

And if it the truth is not in accordance with your statement, you are unjustly slandering that righteous man.

Appendix # 1- Other anonymous and unmentioned Biblical figures identified in the Talmud

1. הפליט - עוג - "ויבא הפליט ויגד לאברם העברי ואמר רבי יוחנן זה עוג שפלט מדור המבול" (Niddah.61a.20)

2. אשת יהושע - רחב - "דאיגיירא ונסבה יהושע" (Megillah.14b.13)

3.  " 'וארבעה אנשים היו מצרעים', אמר רבי יוחנן: זה גחזי ושלשת בניו." (Sotah.47a.8)

4. אב סיחון ועוג - שמחזאי: "דאמר מר: סיחון ועוג בני אחיה בר שמחזאי הוו" (Niddah.61a.18)

5. אשת איוב - דינה: "ויש אומרים: איוב בימי יעקב היה, ודינה בת יעקב נשא – כתיב הכא: ״כדבר אחת הנבלות תדברי״, וכתיב התם: ״כי נבלה עשה בישראל״." (Bava_Batra.15b.7)

Appendix # 2 - texts cited

Bava Batra 91a:

אמר רבה בר רב הונא אמר רב: 

אבצן זה בעז [..] 

אמר רב חנן בר רבא אמר רב: 

אלימלך, ושלמון, ופלוני אלמוני, ואבי נעמי – כולן בני נחשון בן עמינדב הן [..] 

ואמר רב חנן בר רבא אמר רב: 

אמיה דאברהם – אמתלאי בת כרנבו. 

אמיה דהמן – אמתלאי בת עורבתי [..] 

אמיה דדוד – נצבת בת עדאל שמה. 

אמיה דשמשון – צללפונית, ואחתיה נשיין. 

למאי נפקא מינה? 

לתשובת המינים. 

Shabbat 96b:

תנו רבנן: 

מקושש זה צלפחד, 

וכן הוא אומר: ״ויהיו בני ישראל במדבר וימצאו איש וגו׳״, 

ולהלן הוא אומר: ״אבינו מת במדבר״, 

מה להלן צלפחד, אף כאן צלפחד 

— דברי רבי עקיבא. 

אמר לו רבי יהודה בן בתירא: 

עקיבא, בין כך ובין כך אתה עתיד ליתן את הדין: 

אם כדבריך — התורה כיסתו, ואתה מגלה אותו?! 

ואם לאו — אתה מוציא לעז על אותו צדיק.