Canaanite Jehovah before Judaism
/ gnosticinformant
Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons.
2nd Channel:
@gnosticinformantTV
Follow me on Twitter:
/ nealsendlak1
Discord:
/ discord
Painting on a jar found at Kuntillet Ajrud, under the inscription "Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah" (c. 800 BCE) possibly the Male and female pair that HErodotus thought was Dionysus and Aphrodite.
In an inscription discovered in Ein Gedi and dated around 700 BCE, Yahweh appears described as the lord of the nations, while in other contemporary texts discovered in Khirbet Beit Lei (near Lachish) he is mentioned as the ruler of Jerusalem and probably also of Judah.
Yahweh, in the form of IAO is frequently invoked in Graeco-Roman magical texts dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE, most notably in the Greek Magical Papyri,under the names Iao, Adonai, Sabaoth, and Eloai. These are also used as bacchic chants among dionysian religious revelers of this time. Use of IAO becomes blurred by the usage.
Since the second century BCE, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans had identified the evil god Seth-Typhon (often depicted as a donkey-like creature) with the Jewish god Yahweh. The Seth-Yahweh tradition, with all its negative valence, was then applied to the creator worshiped by Christians as well. Evidence for this view comes from the early Christian depiction of the creator and his sons in donkey (Typhonian) form.
The oldest manuscripts of the Greek Septuagaint, before the church editions show IAO in them for Leviticus 3:27 and 4:27. These are replaced with the uniform KURIOS, in the 4th century church codexes of Siniaticus, Alexandricus and Vaticanus.
I think it is very possible, that what we have in YHVH is a Warrior, Demirgic craftsman, with ancient bronze age dionysuan elements passed down through the rites and traditions. Although much closer to something like Vulcan than of dionysus. and this YHVH, the local craftsman metalurgy god of the southern Levant, became infused with EL, the cheif god of the canaanites to become the YHVH ELOHIM. This also puts him in direct opposition to Baal, the prince and son of EL in the northern canaanite religion. Which brings us to EL.
For Canaanites and the broader Levantine region, ʼĒl was the highest god, fathering notable gods like Baal and Yam. In Ugarit, ʼĒl was married to the goddess Asherah, but no temple was dedicated solely to him.
Numerous titles and attributes describe ʼĒl, from being a creator and king to a wise elder. Some myths feature him prominently, such as a tale where he encounters two women by the sea and fathers the deities of dawn and dusk.
In another Ugaritic story, ʼĒl hosts a feast for gods on Mount Lel, which may indicate he lived in a tent, explaining his lack of a dedicated temple. The text also suggests he might have resided near sources of saltwater and freshwater.
In the "Palace of Ba'al" story, Ba'al Hadad, commonly known as Dagan's son, is occasionally referred to as ʼĒl's son, hinting at ʼĒl's overarching authority over other gods. Another fragmentary text depicts ʼĒl inviting gods to a banquet, where he gets embarrassingly drunk, showcasing his human-like flaws.
The belief system of the Canaanites, a group of ancient Semitic peoples from the ancient Levant, spanned from the early Bronze Age up to the initial centuries CE. This religion was characterized by the worship of multiple deities and, in certain instances, the exclusive veneration of one god while acknowledging the existence of others.
The pantheon in Ugarit referred to the deities as 'ilhm (Elohim) or El's descendants. Philo of Byblos, citing Sanchuniathon of Berythus (Beirut), identified the chief creator god as Elion. He was considered the progenitor of other gods. Greek records mention his union with Beruth (symbolizing the city of Beirut). Such divine-city unions can also be drawn parallel with Melqart and Tyre, Chemosh and Moab, Tanit and Baal Hammon in Carthage, and Yah with Jerusalem.
El Elyon's relationship with Asherah can be likened to the Greek tales of Cronos and Rhea or the Roman myths of Saturnus and Ops.
#israelites #yahweh #jehovah