On March 22, 1984, Brown changed his name to Nathaniel Benjamin Levi Bar-Jonah. He gave several reasons for changing his name; he told friends and relatives that he wanted to know what it was like to be discriminated against and persecuted as a Jew."Cannibalism and the Strange Case of Nathaniel Bar-Jonah" , TruTV. Accessed June 11, 2011 During a later 2008 interview with Dr. Michael Stone for the television show Most Evil, he claimed he was Jewish and wanted his name to reflect that. In fact, Brown's ethnic ancestry was Scandinavian and his parents were both active in the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal movement, and he did not pursue any further connection to Judaism other than the name change."Suspected Cannibal Linked to Youth Group" , Hartford Courant. Accessed October 5, 2022
