There are multiple origins and translations for the name Tabitha:
1. The female equivalent of the Arabic male name Thabit which actually means - "firm, constant"
2. Aramaic name which actually means - "gazelle".
Dorcas (Tabitha) was a disciple who lived in Joppa referenced in the Book of Acts 9:36-42 of the Bible. Acts recounts that when she died, she was grieved by "all the widows...crying and showing (Peter) the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them." (Acts 9:39). This may indicate that Dorcas was a widow, or at the very least that she joined the widows in their works of charity. The disciples present called upon Saint Peter who came from nearby Lydda to the place where her wake was being held and raised her from the dead.
Tabitha/Dorcas is one of the few women whose name was remembered and preserved in New Testament writings, which makes this passage most interesting, and may indicate her importance in the early church. Another point of interest is the fact that she is clearly named as a disciple, which may indicate a broader usage of that term by the early church than is generally accepted today. It may also indicate that she was a church leader in the community of Joppa. This might also be assumed by the fact that Peter took the trouble to comes from a neighbouring city, to her when requested by the community members.
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