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Chapter Six - YHWH and El

from Part II - The Primeval Identity of YHWH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2023

Nissim Amzallag
Nissim Amzallag
Affiliation:
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
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Summary

The Bible equates YHWH and El, and the metallurgical attributes of the Levantine El confirm this identification. These elements suggest that YHWH was formerly the secret name of the god attributed to his esoteric cult, whereas El/Elohim, a public designation, articulated his ascendancy over the official religion. In this religious system, the goddess Asherah enjoyed the status of mediator of the super-god rather than his wife. The ambivalence of the figure of El in Ugarit reflects the erosion of his super-god dimension and his reduction to the rank of father/procreator of gods involved in the promotion of Amorite beliefs. The rehabilitation of the former status of El in the Early Iron Age corroborates the renewed prestige of metallurgy in the Southern Levant. It also resolves the conundrum between the biblical claim of YHWH honored among nations and his anonymity outside Israel.

Keywords

YHWH esoteric worshipEl metallurgical attributesAsherah goddessYHWH–El identityUgaritian El
Type
Chapter
Information
Yahweh and the Origins of Ancient Israel
Insights from the Archaeological Record
 , pp. 178 - 196
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • YHWH and El
  • Nissim Amzallag, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
  • Book: Yahweh and the Origins of Ancient Israel
  • Online publication: 18 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009314770.010
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  • YHWH and El
  • Nissim Amzallag, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
  • Book: Yahweh and the Origins of Ancient Israel
  • Online publication: 18 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009314770.010
Available formats
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  • YHWH and El
  • Nissim Amzallag, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
  • Book: Yahweh and the Origins of Ancient Israel
  • Online publication: 18 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009314770.010
Available formats
×