The newest conceptual out-of Phoenician mythology that has been kept regarding Philo by way of Eusebius (like biblical notices for a passing fancy subject) was previously are not regarded with suspician of the critical grant and regarded as primarily an invention by Philo, with no independent really worth as the a way to obtain app incontri differenza d’età expertise in Phoenician faith. Which suspicious attitude due to the fact disappered through the new recovery of religious epic books regarding Ugarit to the north Syrian shore (1927-1937).
These high poetical texts found because of the D.F.An excellent. Schaefer within the several strategies demonstrated your gods from Philo sustain brands inside the highest region today well-known out of Ugarit plus off their sources. The fresh new Philo myths try described as a comparable ethical dump and you can ancient barbarity with affection to possess detailed labels and you will personifications which can be bought at Ugarit.
New resources of degree indicate little change in the content off Canaanite mythology between c. 1400 BC and 700 BC. Many specifics of Philo’s account, not just in the challenge of one’s brands of deities, however in the brand new mythological atmosphere too come in over agreement on the Ugaritic myths and later Phoenician inscriptions. Scholars try, thus, warranted inside recognizing, about provisionally, all of the analysis managed by Philo that do not cover subjective interpretation for the his area.
Brand new divinities and therefore profile in the mythological messages regarding Ugarit was plainly perhaps not unusual to the area, however, had been current certainly one of all of the Canaanites, simply because they brear simply a vague link to the most popular deities worshipped in the city in itself
Because the mythology out of old Ugarit imply, new faith of your own Canaanite peoples try a harsh and you can debased style of ritual polytheism. It absolutely was from the hot virility-cult worship of a particularly smutty and you can orgiastic kind, and this proved to be more influential than just about any almost every other nature faith about ANE.
The fresh new Ugaritic deities are actually most commonly known by numerous out of spiritual messages relationship from the fifteenth and you will very early fourteenth 100 years BC that happen to be included in a collection situated when you look at the an establishing centered ranging from Ugarit’s two high temples, one seriously interested in Baal while the other in order to Dagon
Canaanite deities, for the one hand, present remarkable fluidity from identity and you can mode, which makes it will extremely hard to solve this domain of various gods or even define the kinship to 1 another. This is among the many really irrational areas of Canaanite faith, an indicator of the corrupt character. At the same time, Canaanite deities has actually in most cases etymologically transparent labels, a fact hence seems to point out the fresh new Canaanite pantheon as symbolizing an effective cruder plus primitive sort of polytheism.
Various epigraphic and you will literary sources inform you new brands of your own captain gods and you will goddesses of a lot Canaanite citaies in various symptoms.
Este is the label wherein the fresh supreme Canaanite deity was known. This will be also a reputation for which God is known as during the the existing Testament — El, the newest Jesus (Elohim) out-of Israel ( el elohe yisrael: Gen. ). In the most common prose it occures more often which have an enthusiastic adjunct: El Elyon (by far the most higher God, Gen. ), Este Shaddai (generally, God almighty, Gen. 17:1), El Hai (New traditions God, Josh. 3:10), and incredibly are not on the plural out of majesty, Elohim. Inside the Hebrew poetry El is much more regular, in which it really stands more often than not without the adjunct (Ps. , 33, 48; ; Business 8:3).
The word El are a general term for “god” in the Northwest Semitic (Hebrew and you can Ugaritic) and as such it is extremely found in the outdated Testament having heathen deities otherwise idols (Ex. ; Ps. ; Try. ). The original simple label try ‘ilum ; losing the brand new mimation additionally the nominative circumstances finish ( you ) will get ‘el inside the Hebrew. It absolutely was probably an enthusiastic adjectival formation (intransitive participle) on resources “to-be solid, powerful” ( ‘wl ), definition “This new Good (otherwise Powerful) You to definitely.”