Editing Ctesiphon (section)

== Names ==
The Latin name {{lang|la|Ctesiphon}} derives from [[Ancient Greek]] ''Ktēsiphôn'' ({{lang|grc|[[wikt:Κτησιφῶν|Κτησιφῶν]]}}). This is ostensibly a Greek toponym based on a personal name, although it may be a Hellenized form of a local name, reconstructed as ''Tisfōn'' or ''Tisbōn''.<ref>''E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam 1913–1936'', Vol. 2 (Brill, 1987: {{ISBN|90-04-08265-4}}), p. 75.</ref> In Iranian-language texts of the Sasanian era, it is spelled as ''Tyspwn'', which can be read as ''Tīsfōn'', ''Tēsifōn'', etc. in [[Manichean alphabet|Manichaean]] [[Parthian language|Parthian]], in [[Middle Persian]] {{lang|pal|𐭲𐭩𐭮𐭯𐭥𐭭}} and in Christian [[Sogdian language|Sogdian]] (in [[Syriac alphabet]]) languages. The [[New Persian]] form is ''Tisfun'' ({{lang|fa|تیسفون}}).

Texts from the [[Church of the East]]'s synods referred to the city as ''Qṭēspōn'' ({{langx|syc|ܩܛܝܣܦܘܢ}})<ref name="syriaca.org"/> or some times ''Māḥôzē'' ({{langx|syc|ܡܚܘܙ̈ܐ}}) when referring to the metropolis of [[Seleucia-Ctesiphon]].

In modern Arabic, the name is usually ''Ṭaysafūn'' ({{lang|ar|طيسفون}}) or ''Qaṭaysfūn'' ({{lang|ar|قطيسفون}}) or as ''al-Mada'in'' ({{lang|ar|المدائن}} "The Cities", referring to Greater Ctesiphon). "According to [[Yaqut al-Hamawi|Yāqūt]] [...], quoting Ḥamza, the original form was Ṭūsfūn or Tūsfūn, which was arabicized as Ṭaysafūn."<ref name="EI">{{citation|last=Kröger|first=Jens|chapter=Ctesiphon|title=Encyclopedia Iranica|volume=6|year=1993|location=Costa Mesa|publisher=Mazda|chapter-url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v6f4/v6f4a030.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116013710/http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v6f4/v6f4a030.html|archive-date=2009-01-16}}</ref> The Armenian name of the city was ''Tizbon'' ({{lang|hy|[[wikt:Տիզբոն|Տիզբոն]]}}). Ctesiphon is first mentioned in the [[Book of Ezra]]<ref>Ezra 8:17</ref> of the [[Old Testament]] as Kasfia/Casphia (a derivative of the ethnic name [[Cas (people)|Cas]], and a cognate of [[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] and [[Qazvin]]).{{Citation needed|date=December 2024 |reason=Needs source for the identification of Kasfia with Ctesiphon}} It is also mentioned in the [[Talmud]] as Aktisfon.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Talmud Bavli Tractate Gittin|pages=6A}}</ref> In another Talmudic reference it is written as Akistfon, located across the Tigris River from the city of Ardashir.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Talmud Bavli Tractate Eruvin|pages=57b}}</ref>