Jah is the word for God in the Rastafarian culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Yah," but it is also believed to be a shortened version of the Biblical name "Jehovah." The word "Jah" appears approximately 50 times in both the Hebrew and emphasized Christian Bibles. Jah can also be found within the term "Hallelujah" which translates to "Praise God" in Judaism and Christianity.
The Rastafarian culture began using the term Jah to refer to the man they believed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. This man's name was Haile Selassie and he was the emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He was born Tafari Makonnen which later became the origin of the term Rastafari. Rastas often refer to Selassie as "HIM," "King of Kings," and "His Imperial Madjesty," but most commonly they refer to him as "Jah Rastafari."
A number of names, mainly Hebrew, also have a connection to Jah in that they include Jah in their translations. The name Tobiah translates t
