Freethought & Rationalism Archive

vid · 01-17-2010, 10:56 AM

I've been reading some conflicting info on this topic. Does or doesn't some of Ras Shamra text mention god Yah?

spin · 01-17-2010, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

I've been reading some conflicting info on this topic. Does or doesn't some of Ras Shamra text mention god Yah?

The SBL's Ugaritic Narrative Poetry (or via: amazon.co.uk) (Simon Parker) which is a pretty exhaustive collection has no mention of Yah. Couldn't find a connection in Mark Smith's works ("Early History of God (or via: amazon.co.uk)" and "The Origins of Biblical Monotheism (or via: amazon.co.uk)"). So, I'd say not.

spin

John Kesler · 01-18-2010, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

I've been reading some conflicting info on this topic. Does or doesn't some of Ras Shamra text mention god Yah?

From the same ABD article that I cite here:

Quote:

The formative -yw in some personal names from Ugarit (ca.14th century B.C.) is not a divine element and has no connection with the name Yahweh.

Also, biblical texts like Judges 5:4-5, Deuteronomy 33:2 and Habakkuk 3:3 suggest that Yahweh originated in a region south of Israel:

Quote:

Judges 5:4-5
4 "Yahweh, when you went out from Seir,
when you marched from the region of Edom,
the earth trembled,
and the heavens poured,
the clouds indeed poured water.
5 The mountains quaked before Yahweh, the One of Sinai,
before Yahweh, the God of Israel.

Deuteronomy 33:2
2He said:
Yahweh came from Sinai,
and dawned from Seir upon us;
he shone forth from Mount Paran.
With him were myriads of holy ones;
at his right, a host of his own.

Habakkuk 3:3
3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.

Notsri · 01-18-2010, 02:37 PM

From the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (or via: amazon.co.uk) (p. 911):

Yahweh was not known at Ugarit... the singular name Yw (vocalisation unknown) in a damaged passage of the Baal Cycle (KTU 1.1 iv:14) cannot convincingly be interpreted as an abbreviation for 'Yahweh'.

Following Mark Smith's translation of the Baal Cycle in Ugaritic Narrative Poetry, p. 89, the passage in question says:

"The name of my son (is?) Yw, O Elat [...]"

spin · 01-18-2010, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notsri

From the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (p. 911):

Yahweh was not known at Ugarit... the singular name Yw (vocalisation unknown) in a damaged passage of the Baal Cycle (KTU 1.1 iv:14) cannot convincingly be interpreted as an abbreviation for 'Yahweh'.

Following Mark Smith's translation of the Baal Cycle in Ugaritic Narrative Poetry, p. 89, the passage in question says:

"The name of my son (is?) Yw, O Elat [...]"

Now that this latter has been pointed out, let's put it into context:

And the Benificent El the Beni[gn] speaks: [...]
"The name of my son (is?) Yw, O Elat [...]"

It appears to be El's son, and thus a deity, who is named Yw.

I think it was worthy enough for a footnote from Smith. ETA: especially when the Samarian form of the divine name is Yw as seen in the inscriptions left in the Israelite waystation at Kuntillet Ajrud.

spin

01-17-2010, 10:56 AM	#1
vid Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Myjava, Slovakia Posts: 384	Yah in Ras Shamra (Ugarit) texts? I've been reading some conflicting info on this topic. Does or doesn't some of Ras Shamra text mention god Yah?

01-18-2010, 02:37 PM	#4
Notsri Regular Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 220	From the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (or via: amazon.co.uk) (p. 911): Yahweh was not known at Ugarit... the singular name Yw (vocalisation unknown) in a damaged passage of the Baal Cycle (KTU 1.1 iv:14) cannot convincingly be interpreted as an abbreviation for 'Yahweh'. Following Mark Smith's translation of the Baal Cycle in Ugaritic Narrative Poetry, p. 89, the passage in question says: "The name of my son (is?) Yw, O Elat [...]"

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