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Old 03-16-2006, 10:29 AM   #1
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Default El And The Angels

From my understanding (which could be wrong) El is the name of god. The Elohim would be translated as "gods" correct?

If "El" is the name or word for "god" then what is the relationship between that word and the suffix "el" at the end of all of the angels' names? Like Daniel, Gabriel, Michael, and so on? Does this mean that they're literally gods too?
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Old 03-16-2006, 10:43 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by show_no_mercy
From my understanding (which could be wrong) El is the name of god. The Elohim would be translated as "gods" correct?

If "El" is the name or word for "god" then what is the relationship between that word and the suffix "el" at the end of all of the angels' names? Like Daniel, Gabriel, Michael, and so on? Does this mean that they're literally gods too?

Half the proper names in the old testament have El in them (excuse my hyperbole). I would be curious if those proper names were formed when El was a proper name for a particular god or came later when El became the general word for god or later when it was re-personified to be the monotheistic god of the Israelites.
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Old 03-16-2006, 10:58 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by show_no_mercy
From my understanding (which could be wrong) El is the name of god. The Elohim would be translated as "gods" correct?

If "El" is the name or word for "god" then what is the relationship between that word and the suffix "el" at the end of all of the angels' names? Like Daniel, Gabriel, Michael, and so on? Does this mean that they're literally gods too?
After a quick look on wikipedia:

Daniel = "my judge is El"
Gabriel = "man of El", "hero of El", or "El has shown himself mighty"
Michael = "who is like El?"

Does everyone agree? Why the wide range for Gabriel? What does "who is like El?" mean?
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Old 03-16-2006, 11:07 AM   #4
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There is simply nothing in the Tanach itself that places 'El' or any form thereof as the name or a name of God. Tis a title, or a description, like the word God, or Mighty One, not a name. This is one of the few accurate teachings from the sacred name movement.

The folks who tell you that El is a name will be using scholarly reconstructions and theories rather than the Tanach as their base. If that is done, at least the underlying base should be made clear -- "not Bible".

Shalom,
Steven Avery
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Old 03-16-2006, 11:19 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by praxeus
There is simply nothing in the Tanach itself that places 'El' or any form thereof as the name or a name of God. Tis a title, or a description, like the word God, or Mighty One, not a name. This is one of the few accurate teachings from the sacred name movement.

The folks who tell you that El is a name will be using scholarly reconstructions and theories rather than the Tanach as their base. If that is done, at least the underlying base should be made clear -- "not Bible".
Do you disagree that there was a Caananite God named El? I would trust a cuneiform tablet that was found in situ at an archaeological site.
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Old 03-16-2006, 01:11 PM   #6
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Do you disagree that there was a Caananite God named El? I would trust a cuneiform tablet that was found in situ at an archaeological site.
Sure, thats reasonable.

While taking exception to his use of 'yahweh', and his omission in not stating that in Tanach no form of "El" is EVER a "name", Glenn Miller has a lot of good material at ...

http://www.christian-thinktank.com/elwho.html
The biblical El is "thus a general term and does not refer to the personal name of the Ugaritic god El", except in clearly polemical contexts. (Myth and Mystery: An Introduction to the Pagan Religions of the Biblical World by Jack Finegan)


http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1113436
El in the Ugaritic Texts
El as a Word Meaning 'God'
The etymology of the name El is an interesting one. El is common to all the Semitic languages except Ethiopic as the general appellative meaning 'god' in the broadest sense. It is also the most frequent element of theophorous proper names all over the ancient Semitic world. The word el in fact appears very often in ancient texts, and does regularly simply mean god, even in the Old Testament, where it is sometimes employed to refer to the god of the Hebrews. However, from reading the Ugaritic tablets, scholars have been left in no doubt that the word was also a proper name, referring to one single, personal god, with a distinct character and his own attendant myths. How this incongruity came about is a mystery. It seems likely that el was originally an appellative, common to all gods, and that it came to represent one god over the course of time. It could be that the name could have come to be used by a tribe to describe only their own god, until such time as his original name fell into oblivion.


One simple possibility was the Canaanite appropriation of the common title for Deity, a title back from antiquity, as one of the members of their pantheon.

Shalom,
Steven Avery
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Old 01-15-2007, 08:13 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by praxeus View Post
There is simply nothing in the Tanach itself that places 'El' or any form thereof as the name or a name of God. Tis a title, or a description, like the word God, or Mighty One, not a name. This is one of the few accurate teachings from the sacred name movement.
I think that Genesis 33:20 and 46:3 provide examples of El's use as a name rather than a title:

Quote:
Genesis 33:18-20 (New Jerusalem Bible)
18 Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem in Canaanite territory, on his return from Paddan-Aram. He encamped opposite the town 19 and for one hundred pieces of silver he bought from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar which he called "El, God of Israel".

Genesis 46:2-3a (New Jerusalem Bible)
1So Israel set out with all his possessions. Arriving at Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in a vision at night, "Jacob, Jacob," he said. "Here I am," he replied. 3 "I am El, God of your father," he said...
Dr. Mark S. Smith concurs with this conclusion. In The Origins of Biblical Monotheism (or via: amazon.co.uk), page 141, he writes that, "West Semitic El lies behind the god of the patriarchs in Genesis 33:20 and 46:3 (and possible elsewhere)."
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Old 01-15-2007, 12:51 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Buster Daily View Post
Do you disagree that there was a Caananite God named El? I would trust a cuneiform tablet that was found in situ at an archaeological site.
Get ready for the Two El theory. It goes something like this …

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypothetical Believer

Hi,

I’m a clear-thinking decent rational beleiver. I’m on a level playing field with the rest of you and I deserve respect.

Deep in my heart I sincerely believe that there are two “el”s in the bible. A “good el” and a “bad El.”

When the El in the bible looks like the evil Canaanite El then that is the “bad El,” otherwise it’s the “good el.”
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Old 01-15-2007, 01:02 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by praxeus View Post
reasonable
Let’s play “Good El - Bad El.”

Quote:
Psalm 89:6

Who in the skies can compare to Yahweh?

Who is like Yahweh among the sons of El?
Good el?

Or,

Bad El? :devil2:
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Old 01-15-2007, 01:05 PM   #10
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Let’s play more Good El - Bad El:

Quote:
Isaiah 14:12-13

Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O Helel, son of Shachar!
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror of the nations!
You said to yourself,
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon.
I will climb up to the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!”
Good el?

Or,

Bad El? :devil2:
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