Maryam is "the Lady of the Oceans"

The etymology of Maryam is the contraction of two Hebrew words, Mar, meaning great lady, and Yam, meaning ocean. Mary means the "lady of the oceans."

Mary, or Maryam, is therefore the Lady of the Oceans, of the great primitive waters: in her, God creates something new.

This is why, at the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel greeted her by the name Maryam, recognizing in her the woman of the new creation over which the Spirit hovers, just as the Spirit hovered over the waters of the first creation (Gen 2; Lk 1:26-38).

Antoine Moussali (1921-2003)

Lazarist priest (Congregation of the Priests of the Mission, founded by St Vincent de Paul and established at St Lazare in Paris), of Lebanese origin.

In Judaisme, christianisme et islam étude comparée, Éditions de Paris, 2000.