The abstract of Phoenician mythology which has been managed out of Philo through Eusebius (such as biblical sees for a passing fancy topic) was previously are not considered having suspician from the critical scholarship and you will thought to be mostly a creation because of the Philo, without any separate value once the a source of expertise in Phoenician faith. So it suspicious emotions as the disappered as a consequence of the recovery away from religious epic literature of Ugarit to your northern Syrian coastline (1927-1937).
Such high poetical texts found of the D.F.A beneficial. Schaefer into the a number of tricks show that gods from Philo incur names in the high part now really-known off Ugarit as well as from other supplies. The new Philo mythology are characterized by an identical ethical ditch and you will ancient barbarity with affection to have detailed labels and you may personifications which might be bought at Ugarit.
The newest types of degree indicate absolutely nothing improvement in the message from Canaanite myths between c. 1400 BC and you can 700 BC. Of several details of Philo’s account, not only in the issue of the names of deities, but in new mythological atmosphere too have been in done agreement towards Ugaritic myths and you can late Phoenician inscriptions. Students are, for this reason, warranted inside taking, at the least provisionally, every study preserved from the Philo which do not cover subjective translation on their area.
The latest divinities hence shape throughout the mythological texts regarding Ugarit had been evidently not odd into town, however, was basically latest certainly one of most of the Canaanites, because they brear only an obscure link to the most famous deities worshipped in the city alone
Due to the fact myths regarding old Ugarit indicate, the religion of one’s Canaanite peoples are a rough and you can solo incontri gamer debased sort of routine polytheism. It absolutely was on the sensuous fertility-cult praise off an especially raunchy and you can orgiastic type, and therefore became way more important than nearly any most other nature religion in the ANE.
The fresh new Ugaritic deities are in fact most widely known of the many from religious messages relationship about fifteenth and you may early fourteenth century BC that happen to be found in a library housed inside the an establishing based between Ugarit’s a couple of great temples, you to serious about Baal and also the most other to Dagon
Canaanite deities, towards one hand, establish remarkable fluidity regarding character and you may function, which makes it often nearly impossible to solve the particular domain of different gods or even to define their kinship to a single various other. This is among the many grossly unreasonable areas of Canaanite religion, a sign of the corrupt character. Likewise, Canaanite deities has actually for the most part etymologically transparent names, a well known fact and therefore seems to suggest the fresh Canaanite pantheon since the representing a cruder and much more ancient form of polytheism.
Various epigraphic and literary source inform you the brand new labels of your own master gods and you may goddesses of numerous Canaanite citaies in almost any episodes.
El is the identity wherein brand new supreme Canaanite deity is actually known. That is also a name by which Goodness is known as within the the existing Testament — Este, the latest Goodness (Elohim) from Israel ( el elohe yisrael: Gen. ). In most prose it occures with greater regularity which have an enthusiastic adjunct: El Elyon (by far the most large Goodness, Gen. ), Este Shaddai (traditionally, God-almighty, Gen. 17:1), El Hai (The newest way of living Goodness, Josh. 3:10), and incredibly commonly regarding the plural of majesty, Elohim. Within the Hebrew poetry Este is far more regular, where they really stands quite often without any adjunct (Ps. , 33, 48; ; Work 8:3).
The phrase Este is a simple identity for “god” when you look at the Northwest Semitic (Hebrew and you may Ugaritic) and as such it can be used in the existing Testament having heathen deities otherwise idols (Ex. ; Ps. ; Was. ). The first generic term are ‘ilum ; shedding new mimation and the nominative situation stop ( u ) gets ‘el inside Hebrew. It had been likely an enthusiastic adjectival creation (intransitive participle) regarding the resources “getting strong, powerful” ( ‘wl ), meaning “New Good (or Strong) One.”
