The Origin of the Hebrew god Yahweh and the adoption of monotheism. Research Papers (original) (raw)
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- Archaeology, Biblical Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Monotheism
Jan Assmann: Exodus. Die Revolution der Alten Welt, München (C.H. Beck) 2015, 493 S. € 29,95. Rezension publiziert in: Frankfurter Zeitschrift für islamisch-theologische Studien 3 (2016), Universalität und Universalismus im Islam, S.... more
Jan Assmann: Exodus. Die Revolution der Alten Welt, München (C.H. Beck) 2015, 493 S. € 29,95. Rezension publiziert in: Frankfurter Zeitschrift für islamisch-theologische Studien 3 (2016), Universalität und Universalismus im Islam, S. 219-223. Die Seitenzahlen im durchlaufenden Text (runde Klammern) beziehen sich auf die Studie Assmanns, diejenigen in eckigen Klammern auf die Druckfassung der Rezension.
The text on this large stone stele is a defense of Phoenician temple activity.
The Old Testament researcher Thomas Römer (Uivesity of Lausanne and Collège de France, Paris) leads the readers competently and fascinatingly through the history of Israel from its dark beginnings to the Hellenistic period. In the... more
The Old Testament researcher Thomas Römer (Uivesity of Lausanne and Collège de France, Paris) leads the readers competently and fascinatingly through the history of Israel from its dark beginnings to the Hellenistic period. In the environment of desert and cultivated land - in the Levant and Mesopotamia - presents itself powerfully a multiplicity of gods and goddesses. In the face of political upheavals collateral gods appear in Cannan at the turn of the first millennium B.C. There are among others. El in different expressions and Jhwh. They first show themselves henotheistic and only later is Jhwh worshiped monotheistically. In the centuries that followed, these changes in Israel (the northern kingdom) and in Judah (the southern kingdom) received further intensification and differentiation from the other gods. This tendency is further intensified by military defeats and expulsions of the autochthonous population. Key events of faithful coping are the case of Samaria in 722 BC. through the Assyrians and then especially in 587 BC. the conquest of Jerusalem by the New Babylonians. Salvation-historical theological responses to these historic upheavals finally lead in the Hellenistic period (4th / 3rd century BC) to the only universal God, who no longer needs a name for Judaism, but as monotheistic kyriós and théos throughout the Mediterranean and finally worldwide until today veneration finds.
This entry focuses on the religions in the northern Hejaz and neighboring regions during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages and later (ca. 1500-300 BCE), the first time when there is firm archaeological and epigraphic evidence of local cultic... more
This entry focuses on the religions in the northern Hejaz and neighboring regions during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages and later (ca. 1500-300 BCE), the first time when there is firm archaeological and epigraphic evidence of local cultic practices.
A look at the history of the deity called Yahuweh, particularly in ancient times.
The celestial universe and the mode of action of YHWH are sometimes depicted by metallurgy. This figuration is generally understood as a picturesque representation devoid of theological significance, introduced only for describing the... more
The celestial universe and the mode of action of YHWH are sometimes depicted by metallurgy. This figuration is generally understood as a picturesque representation devoid of theological significance, introduced only for describing the infinite powers of the god of Israel using the extreme physical conditions characterizing metallurgy. This explanation is however contested by: (i) the many allusions to metallurgy encountered in Biblical theology, (ii) the detailed mention, in the divine context, of all the stages of metal production: mining, ore roasting, smelting, metal purification and even of furnace re-melting, (iii) the representation of the firmament and the earth as two giant pieces of metal, (iv) the vision of the holy domain of YHWH as a giant celestial furnace. These features attest the existence of a substantial metallurgical component in Biblical theology. Furthermore, the strong bias towards copper metallurgy suggests that these representations were anchored in Bronze Age metallurgical traditions. It is concluded that Israelite theology encompasses an important metallurgical component inherited from the pre-Israelite cult of YHWH.
La hipótesis madianita-quenita, que refiere a la idea de que las raíces preisraelitas del yahvismo se remontan a las zonas al sur y sureste de Palestina, tiene una larga tradición en los estudios bíblicos. Los investigadores que apoyan... more
La hipótesis madianita-quenita, que refiere a la idea de que las raíces preisraelitas del yahvismo se remontan a las zonas al sur y sureste de Palestina, tiene una larga tradición en los estudios bíblicos. Los investigadores que apoyan esta teoría están de acuerdo, en general, en tres puntos principales. En primer lugar, asumen que la influencia de las prácticas cúlticas del sur en el yahvismo ocurrió durante un período restringido de tiempo, tradicionalmente datado a inicios de la Edad del Hierro. En segundo lugar, ven los orígenes del yahvismo a través de argumentos basados en perspectivas difusionistas, caracterizando este proceso como un movimiento o migración de uno o unos pocos grupos hacia Canaán. Y tercero, son muy pocos los análisis apropiados de la evidencia arqueológica de las zonas áridas ubicadas al sur de Palestina. En este artículo me propongo invertir la interpretación habitual de la evidencia epigráfica y arqueológica. En lugar de asumir que la génesis de la evidencia (en su mayoría bíblica) sobre los orígenes del culto de Yahvé radica en movimientos de personas desde las regiones meridionales hacia Canaán en la Edad del Hierro temprano, centraré la atención en la historia de las prácticas de culto en el Negev, el sur de Transjordania, y el norte de Hejaz durante toda la Edad de Hierro, y evaluaré cómo esta información se relaciona con las prácticas religiosas conocidas en Judá e Israel durante el período bíblico, proporcionando así una nueva luz sobre la prehistoria del culto de Yahvé. De este modo, voy a considerar la evidencia no como un hecho excepcional, sino como un proceso de larga duración dentro de la historia de varios milenios de prácticas de culto y creencias de los pueblos locales.
Since the re-discovery of the remains of Tell-el-Amarna in the 1870s and the unearthing of evidence of Akhenaten's ill-fated religious revolution, the seemingly monotheistic nature of this cult of the Aten has fascinated a culturally... more
Since the re-discovery of the remains of Tell-el-Amarna in the 1870s and the unearthing of evidence of Akhenaten's ill-fated religious revolution, the seemingly monotheistic nature of this cult of the Aten has fascinated a culturally Judeo-Christian Western World. Similarities between major texts of the Hebrew Scriptures and those devoted to the Aten were identified early and this, in addition to the seemingly monotheistic character of the two belief systems, encouraged comparisons to be made and possible links to be theorised. This paper will assess the monotheistic nature of Atenism and in so doing will conclude that it did grow and develop into genuine monotheism with a distinctively Egyptian character. It will also discuss the historicity and dating of the Biblical Exodus in an attempt to place the development of Mosaic religion within this Ancient Egyptian chronology, eventually coming to a tentative thirteenth century date indicating that Hebrew monotheism followed rather than preceded Akhenaten. With this groundwork laid, this paper will evaluate many of these comparisons on a theological and stylistic level and conclude that the primary relationship is that of their common monotheism. Beyond that, any links are tenuous and the differences so profound that any substantive theological or spiritual relationship cannot be substantiated.
During the Antiquity, south-eastern Canaan was as a very important center of copper smelting, but the identity of the Canaanite god of metallurgy remains unknown. Some biblical writings suggest a south-Canaanite origin of Yahweh, but no... more
During the Antiquity, south-eastern Canaan was as a very important center of copper smelting, but the identity of the Canaanite god of metallurgy remains unknown. Some biblical writings suggest a south-Canaanite origin of Yahweh, but no details are provided concerning his worship prior becoming the god of Israel. It is tested here whether Yahweh was formerly the Canaanite god of metallurgy. The following observations corroborate this hypothesis: (i) Yahweh was worshiped by the Edomites, and especially by the Kenites, a small tribe regarded as the Canaanite smelters; (ii) the Israelite cult of Yahweh was associated to copper and to a bronze serpent, a typical symbol of metallurgy; (iii) the melting of copper is considered in Ex. 4 as the specific sign of Yahweh; (iv) a parallel exists between Yahweh and the god of metallurgy worshiped in Egypt (Ptah), Mesopotamia (Ea/Enki) and Elam (Napir), all of them being a mysterious lonely deity; (v) fighting the (other) gods is common to Yahwism and to antique metallurgical traditions. These data suggest that, before becoming publicly worshipped in Israel, Yahweh was formerly the god of the Canaanite guild of metallurgists
Au delà de ses connotations péjoratives, le serpent est considéré dans la Bible comme le gardien du domaine sacré et de ses extensions : le sanctuaire, les sources d'eau, les richesses souterraines, et la terre d'Israël. De plus,... more
Au delà de ses connotations péjoratives, le serpent est considéré dans la Bible comme le gardien du domaine sacré et de ses extensions : le sanctuaire, les sources d'eau, les richesses souterraines, et la terre d'Israël. De plus, l'identification du bâton de Moise comme caducée révèle l'implication de cet animal dans l'exercice des pouvoirs divins. Plutôt qu'une influence cananéenne sur le yahwisme, l'attachement commun du serpent et de YHWH à la métallurgie traditionnellement pratiquée en sud Canaan dénote leur relation essentielle. Une continuité apparaît ainsi entre une forme primordiale, cana-néenne, du yahwisme et son extension israélite. Dans ce contexte, l'exclusion du serpent de cuivre (nehushtan) hors du temple de Jérusalem (2 Rois 18,4) reflète une réforme du yahwisme primordial, promue par le roi Ézékias, qui conduisit au rejet de l'un de ses symboles les plus essentiels.
Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society (Regional SBL) Annual Meeting, 2014
That early Christians and Jews from the same period were not doing what many modern Christians are doing: They were not replacing the name Yahuah every time they saw it in a text or when praying, they were using it. This is consistent... more
That early Christians and Jews from the same period were not doing what many modern Christians are doing: They were not replacing the name Yahuah every time they saw it in a text or when praying, they were using it. This is consistent with the present because whereas the school that has removed Yahuah (Yahweh's) name from the mouth of the Church and the Jewish people are not the only school out there. There are and always have been religious Jews, and Christians who have retained the use of the name. So today we have the Karaites and the practical kabbalists, Nazarene Jews and some Messianics among the Jews who do use the name, and we have all manner of Christians from Charles Haddon Spurgeon and his readers and others who use a form of the name, usually Jehovah. They could be using the form Yahweh, Y (J)ehovah, Yahuah or Yahwah but they were using a form of the name. In the time of Jesus they were using it in baptisms, temple ceremonies, they recognized it in the sign of the cross, they were using it in oaths (Samaritans) and in reading the scriptures and teaching it and using it to fight the devil.
During the early Iron Age, a Canaanite tent-sanctuary replaced the Hathor temple of the Timna mining area. The metallurgical character of this shrine was maintained. However, the identity of the deity substituting Hathor in this... more
During the early Iron Age, a Canaanite tent-sanctuary replaced the Hathor temple of the Timna mining area. The metallurgical character of this shrine was maintained. However, the identity of the deity substituting Hathor in this tent-sanctuary remains obscure. It is suggested here that this deity was no other than YHWH. This opinion is supported by (i) the affinities with metallurgy of the origin, theophany, celestial universe and mode of action of YHWH; (ii) Biblical indications towards a specific worship of YHWH among the Canaanite metalworkers; (iii) indirect evidence regarding a non-Israelite worship of YHWH among the populations involved in copper production in the Arabah valley; (iv) similarities observed between the tent-sanctuary of Timna and the early Israelite cult of YHWH narrated in the Bible. It is concluded here, that the metamorphosis of the Hathor temple into a Canaanite tent-sanctuary of YHWH aims towards a 'cultural renaissance' during the early Iron Age accompanied by the sudden renewal of copper production in the Arabah valley, as well as the emergence of Ancient Israel together with other new political entities.
This special issue publishes most of the contributions of a three-day workshop of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Dynamics in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe" held on July 2019 at the Center for Religious Studies, Ruhr... more
This special issue publishes most of the contributions of a three-day workshop of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Dynamics in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe" held on July 2019 at the Center for Religious Studies, Ruhr University Bochum. It seeks to explore and contextualize the configuration of the varied desert cultic practices from the southern Levant and northern Arabia during the Late Bronze/Iron Ages that may have contributed to the emergence of the Yahwistic cult. By this it raises also crucial questions on the early history of the Israelite and Judean religions in the first millennium BCE. Recent archaeological excavations in the Negev, southern Transjordan and Hejaz and new interpretations of old epigraphic and iconographic evidence are rapidly changing the biblical-based paradigm of the interactions between the desert cults and the Iron Age Levantine religions. Cultural contacts and the entanglement of religious networks are paramount for the understanding of this early history. Recent archaeological, iconographic and epigraphic studies of the Southern Levant contribute to the question of the emergence and early development of a Yahwistic religion. The issue adopts an interdisciplinary approach, assessing textual, archaeological, as well as epigraphic and iconographic data.
In the Biblical account of the golden calf (Exodus 32), abnormal importance is devoted to the metal of the statuette, its origin, and even its destruction. The present analysis identifies this latter process as an act of cementation, a... more
In the Biblical account of the golden calf (Exodus 32), abnormal importance is devoted to the metal of the statuette, its origin, and even its destruction. The present analysis identifies this latter process as an act of cementation, a technique used in antiquity to separate gold from its alloyed metals, mainly copper. In parallel, the tabernacle symbolism reveals that pure gold is a marker of YHWH's theophany whereas goldcopper alloy is associated with the man-god relationship. Consequently, instead of condemning idolatry, the cementation treatment of the golden calf symbolizes the abortion of the project of divine residence in the tabernacle, the re-establishment of YHWH's distance from humankind, and the restoration of an intermediate divine figure between YHWH and the Israelites. It is concluded that, in Exodus 32, the transgression inherent in the making of the golden calf results from the combination of two antagonistic goals: the indirect worship of YHWH via the golden calf and closeness to the supreme deity via the tabernacle project.
Conversación con Jan Assman, durante su visita a Madrid con motivo del montaje del Moses und Aron en el Teatro Real de Madrid. (MINERVA, nº 27, Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, 2016). Se discuten temas como el carácter inacabado de la... more
Conversación con Jan Assman, durante su visita a Madrid con motivo del montaje del Moses und Aron en el Teatro Real de Madrid. (MINERVA, nº 27, Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, 2016). Se discuten temas como el carácter inacabado de la ópera, otras obras de Schönberg, el malestar del monoteísmo, las lecturas de Freud, y el desarrollo de la propia obra de Assman. En el mismo número de la revista se pueden leer fragmentos de cuatro cartas de Arnold Shönberg.
Self-conscious Israelite monotheism arose from the rejection of gods now identified as alien. It did not evolve from an absorption of powers by the high god, Yhwh, taken over from lesser beings -- although all unnatural agency is... more
Self-conscious Israelite monotheism arose from the rejection of gods now identified as alien. It did not evolve from an absorption of powers by the high god, Yhwh, taken over from lesser beings -- although all unnatural agency is subordinated to his own agency. What led to the denial of others was his alienation even from gods regarded as his subordinates and servants. This alienation was the outcome of a reformationist or Axial critique: the symbol is mere appearance, and like icons and ritual, like the high places (I add here), like the temple and ark in Jeremiah: between the symbol and the Real falls the shadow. The Axial critique did not address the practical monotheism of devotion to a high god, and the universal classification of other deities as his agents, which is why even philosophical, or self-conscious, monotheism, like that of Deutero-Isaiah (per Saul Olyan's work), can accommodate their appearance. But the ideal of monotheism, monotheism as a form of distinctive identification, seems to arise principally in anticipation of pre-Socratic controversies about the identity of the one and the many, already in 7th-century works -- precisely the era of Judah's Reformation.
The emissary of YHWH is such an enigmatic figure that even his 'theological reality' has been questioned. However, comparative mythology reveals his affinity with the Ugaritic Koshar, the Tyrian Melqart, and the Greek figures of Heracles... more
The emissary of YHWH is such an enigmatic figure that even his 'theological reality' has been questioned. However, comparative mythology reveals his affinity with the Ugaritic Koshar, the Tyrian Melqart, and the Greek figures of Heracles and Melikertes. All these deities display an essential link to copper metallurgy, a feature revealing that their interrelation with the emissary of YHWH is not incidental. Rather, such a common linkage, together with few Biblical indications, enables to identify him as the smith-god. It is concluded that the emissary of YHWH is an independent divine figure of the Israelite theology, who was not officially worshipped though he intervened frequently towards the Israelites. This discovery enables to reconsider the singularity of the Israelite religion. While the neighbor peoples worshipped the divine emissary, it appears here that the Israelites elaborated a 'theological utopia' in which the people as a whole, and not only a small elite of kings, priests and smelters, were assumed to turn directly to the supreme deity.
Kābȏd-YHWH is a technical term designating the radiance of the god of Israel. Such a phenomenon is specifically identified in the Bible with three physical realities: volcanic lava, solar activity and molten metal. The Antique... more
Kābȏd-YHWH is a technical term designating the radiance of the god of Israel. Such a phenomenon is specifically identified in the Bible with three physical realities: volcanic lava, solar activity and molten metal. The Antique representation of the sun as molten metal, and the volcanic symbolism of the furnace reveal that these three expressions of kābȏd-YHWH are interrelated. Among them, it appears here that kābȏd-YHWH refers first of all to molten metal. This introduces a fundamental difference between radiance, specifically related to YHWH through molten metal, and brilliance (and by extension glory, wealth, strength and vitality) of gods and mortals derived from properties of solid state metals. Beyond the status and powers of supreme deity conferred by this metallurgical radiance, identification of kābȏd-YHWH as shapeless molten metal also clarifies the origin of one of the most singular characteristic of ancient Yahwism: the strict interdiction of his figuration.
While liver divination was known to have been practiced by the ancients no one really know what that involved until now. This object is a bronze liver covered in writing which describes a divination result about the cause of a drought.... more
While liver divination was known to have been practiced by the ancients no one really know what that involved until now. This object is a bronze liver covered in writing which describes a divination result about the cause of a drought. This bronze liver was found in the northern Italian Po valley in 1877. The liver is divided into four main regions including one which provides divination results from the 5 known planetary powers plus the moon. Its text style is Mid-Etruscan dating to about 400 BCE while its language is the empire language of Alphabetic Akkadian which was the language of trade, temple and government. Akkadian lasted until it was replaced by Latin and Greek. The deities mentioned directly are the life-form revealer Yahu (Yahweh), the moon god Su, and the sun god Hu who also represented the life-growth network of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.
The historical development of Israelite theology must be understood in relation to the social antagonisms that shaped the contexts in which people spoke about God. This article brings recent research on the historical development of... more
The historical development of Israelite theology must be understood in relation to the social antagonisms that shaped the contexts in which people spoke about God. This article brings recent research on the historical development of different institutional forms in ancient Israelite society into conversation with recent arguments regarding the origins and evolution of the worship of Yahweh in the southern Levant. 2 My aim is not to reduce theology to an epiphenomenal reflection or a direct expression of social realities, but to grasp it as creatively engaged with such realities. Yahweh appears to have originated among mobile bands on the social and geographical margins with respect to the centers of political and economic power in southwest Asia. Israel's emergent monarchic state adopted this popular family god as its patron deity. The real social antagonisms between extractive state regimes and sustainable systems of allocation shaped—in various, indirect, and surprising ways—Israel's speech about God. This article argues that the conflicted historical development of Israel's speech about Yahweh takes its shape in relation to the evolving social regimes and antagonisms that marked Israel's history.
Yahweh's characteristics in the Hebrew Bible are consistent with descriptions of the ANE sun god. Yahweh is ruler of the skies and the land, he is judge, he is 'most high,' not because of syncretism or a shift to monotheism, but because... more
Yahweh's characteristics in the Hebrew Bible are consistent with descriptions of the ANE sun god. Yahweh is ruler of the skies and the land, he is judge, he is 'most high,' not because of syncretism or a shift to monotheism, but because he was originally a solar deity.
While the traditional vowels of YHWH are dummy vowels (as per almost universal consensus among Hebrew scholars), "Yehowah" has regained popularity in recent years as the alleged true pronunciation. The paper gives evidence against the... more
While the traditional vowels of YHWH are dummy vowels (as per almost universal consensus among Hebrew scholars), "Yehowah" has regained popularity in recent years as the alleged true pronunciation. The paper gives evidence against the erroneous notion.
Starting from the figure of the Jewish-Christian and biblical ancient-testamentary God YHWH (Yahweh), now become the one and true God, omniscient and omnipresent, for Judaism and religions of Christian origin, through the manipulation of... more
Starting from the figure of the Jewish-Christian and biblical ancient-testamentary God YHWH (Yahweh), now become the one and true God, omniscient and omnipresent, for Judaism and religions of Christian origin, through the manipulation of the "sacred" text and the historical facts narrated, the present study deals with the thorny question of the psychopathological profile of this very controversial figure. The aim is to define the general framework, in order to trace a psychopathological profile consistent with the letter of the first Jewish-Christian texts: a path that will accompany the reader to recognize the pathological traits of the narcissistic personality of a "war man", falsely transformed from theology to a good, just and merciful "God".
Albright argues for יהוה being in the form of a imperfect third person hifil verb corresponding to יהיה from the root הי''ה which reflects Aramaic הו''ה. Gordon argues for יהוה being pronounced yehovah that is yod heh vav heh vocalised... more
Albright argues for יהוה being in the form of a imperfect third person hifil verb corresponding to יהיה from the root הי''ה which reflects Aramaic הו''ה. Gordon argues for יהוה being pronounced yehovah that is yod heh vav heh vocalised with sere, holem, qamatz. He argues it is not connected to hovah destruction because hovah is from the root הו''ה but based on Ex. 3:16 יהוה is from the root הי''ה. He argues it is a combination of past present and future forms of the root and he bases his argument on a thousand very late manuscripts of the Tanakh. Mowinckel argues from a north Sinaitic origin for the name יהוה distinguishing between the original meaning and later developement. Based on the exclamation יה combined with the third person pronoun הוא producing Ya huwah or Ya' huah. We for personal and scientific reason side with Mowinckel and address this debate in a personal letter.
Someone read a Letter on the Pronunciation of the Tetrgrammaton and asked why Yahuah was the way the writer chose to pronounce the name instead of Yahweh or Yehovah. This letter gives personal reasons and academic reasons. It is written as a member of the faith community of the "Saints" or Charismatic Church. First it covers the leading of the Holy Spirit in inspiring the writer to research and inveistigate the name by the use of coincidences in gematria and times. Then iit goes into the experience of modern day tongues and it part in restoring the pronunciation of the name. Then it goes into the the academic confirmations of the resutls of the experience, especially the article of Mowinkel "The Name of the God of Moses"
The twofold nature of the Hebrew god: universal and tribal, reflects the combination of two originally distinct Yahwistic religions. The universal notion had its home in Jerusalem and the southern kingdom, whereas the tribal one, related... more
The twofold nature of the Hebrew god: universal and tribal, reflects the combination of two originally distinct Yahwistic religions. The universal notion had its home in Jerusalem and the southern kingdom, whereas the tribal one, related tot he exodus tradition, was cultivated in northern Israel. The paper sketches the stories of the two Hebrew religions, the propaganda associated with each, and their eventual combination after the Exile. – Bernhard Lang, „Gottes Einzigkeit,“ in: Walter Dietrich (ed.), Die Welt der Hebräischen Bibel, Stuttgart: Kohlhammer 2017, 383–398.
This chapter discusses how theism and atheism are best defined, primarily as a function of what "God" or "god" means. It sets out the range of meanings that "god" and "God" can have in different argumentative contexts, suggesting that... more
This chapter discusses how theism and atheism are best defined, primarily as a function of what "God" or "god" means. It sets out the range of meanings that "god" and "God" can have in different argumentative contexts, suggesting that proofs for God's existence need not immediately conclude to the existence of a being with personal or omni-attributes. It also explores the notions of analogy and apophaticism, given that these themes condition the way many theists understand the affirmation that God exists. The chapter thereby offers principles that should govern the proper use of words in theism versus atheism debates.
In the bible, the human qanna (קנא) expresses a negative, self-destructive trait of character mainly related to envy and jealousy. In contrast, the divine qanna points to an essential attribute of YHWH, which relates both to his holiness... more
In the bible, the human qanna (קנא) expresses a negative, self-destructive trait of character mainly related to envy and jealousy. In contrast, the divine qanna points to an essential attribute of YHWH, which relates both to his holiness and to a fiery mode of action frequently imaged by volcanism. The metallurgical affinities of this volcanic representation, together with the designation of the rust accumulating on copper artifacts (verdigris) as qanna, suggest that the divine qanna is closely related to the recycling of corroded copper through furnace re-melting. This assumption is supported by the metallurgical context of meaning of the three wonders performed by Moses in the name of YHWH (Ex 4:1-9), by the evidence that the qanna mode of divine action evokes a fiery destroying process which spontaneously promotes a whole rejuvenation, and by the extensive revitalizing powers attributed to furnace re-melting in many ancient religions. It is concluded that our understanding of the divine qanna, a notion of central importance in the elaboration of Israelite theology, is currently biased by the extrapolation of the human context of meaning of qanna as jealousy to the divine sphere.
This work is a brief review of Mark S. Smith's The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts. Published in 2001, his work is a thorough treatment of the development of monotheism in Israel and... more
This work is a brief review of Mark S. Smith's The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts. Published in 2001, his work is a thorough treatment of the development of monotheism in Israel and Judah. Smith draws primarily from material found at the site of Israel’s more developed and cosmopolitan neighbor, ancient Ugarit. Smith suggests that Yahweh was unknown to the patriarchs and that El was the original god of the Exodus, only later to be identified as Yahweh due to priestly theological bias. Smith further proposes that the decline of the family, weakening of royal power via a rising middle class, and subjugation to foreign superpowers may have led to rhetorical monotheistic assertions. Essentially, as geopolitical and patriarchal situations decreased, the god of Israel was presented as increasingly omnipotent and monotheistic rhetoric was utilized. Smith points out that in Judah, this rhetoric and recognition of super nations with their corresponding deities also corresponds to the ‘Axial Age’ when human understanding witnessed a revolution in many spheres of life.
Update: This paper is identical to the one which was hacked on Acedemia.edu during December 2020 at: https://www.academia.edu/44273267/Temple_of_Yahu_Yahweh_in_Ekron_720_BCE_revealed_by_Alphabeti c_Akkadian_Translation_of_its_Temple_Plaque_and_Storage_Jars A plaque on the wall indicates that this temple in Ekron (Tel Miqne) was devoted to enabling the powers of Yahu (Yahweh). The word "Yahu" is mentioned twice along with the full moon god Su and the image opener goddess, Utu, who is the feminine complement to Yahu. Ekron at this time was ruled by Assyria having been rebuilt over an older destroyed Philistine city. Because Ekron was not ruled by Judah this plaque's text represents the religious culture of Pagan (northern) Israel. In it, Yahu is the "revealer" of invisible platonic images which were opened by Utu who was directed to do so by higher powers in the Ancient Pagan Paradigm. The text blames negative emotions for fertility failures and promises that the temple can counter them by aiding Yahu's various supporting powers such as the crescent moon power of Ayu (Ishtar). Labels on four temple storage jars show the types if ritual aid those supporting powers received from the temple. An olive oil transport pottery vessel was found and it has text which provides news from the temple for its suppliers. This news function is also seen with seals from other places. A hoard of amulets was found under the floor from the prior Philistine city and those show a greater concern with the motion powers represented by the full moon god Su as opposed to the agricultural powers which were more of a concern to Israel.
What happened to Kemosh in the era after Moab’s loss of political independence? The present article first argues that this question is of interest to scholarship on the Hebrew Bible because Kemosh and Yhwh were initially twinlike: both... more
What happened to Kemosh in the era after Moab’s loss of political independence? The present article first argues that this question is of interest to scholarship on the Hebrew Bible because Kemosh and Yhwh were initially twinlike: both were patron deities of Iron Age Levantine kingdoms and shared various similarities of profile. As such, comparing the postnational history of Kemosh and Yhwh can help to isolate the historical and intellectual events without which Yhwh would presumably have developed along similar lines to Kemosh. This article next argues that both deities underwent »the Greek interpretation« by becoming identified with their equivalent in the Greek pantheon. But unlike Kemosh, Yhwh’s evolution included a counterbalancing force, i.e. inscripturation.
Because prophetic oracles and regional stories about Kemosh were never gathered
into an authoritative corpus, Kemosh became the Greek god Ares, without remainder.
Amazing discoveries of over 35 major links between the enigmatic and beautiful 'Amarna Period' of Pharoah Akhenaten and the Biblical Exodus, proving beyond any reasonable doubt that the Exodus actually happened, and who the relevant... more
Amazing discoveries of over 35 major links between the enigmatic and beautiful 'Amarna Period' of Pharoah Akhenaten and the Biblical Exodus, proving beyond any reasonable doubt that the Exodus actually happened, and who the relevant Pharoahs were, together with astounding photos and hundreds of translated ancient texts as well as mummy analyses which exactly match the Biblical account in detail and explain the likely motivations and reasons for most of the strange but vitally significant phenomena and features.