Did the Jews steal some other civilization’s god and make it their own? YES!
In the Canaanite religion, or Levantine religion as a whole, Eli or Il was the supreme god, the father of humankind and all creatures and the husband of the goddess Asherah as recorded in the tablets of Ugarit. [1] El appears in Ugaritic, Phoenician and other 2nd and 1st millennium BCE texts both as generic “god” and as the head of the divine pantheon.
In the Hebrew bible El appears very occasionally alone (e.g. Genesis 33:20, el elohe yisrael, “El the god of Israel”, and Genesis 46:3, ha’el elohe akiba, “El the god of your father”), but usually with some epithet or attribute attached (e.g. El Elyon, “Most High El”, El Shaddai, “El of Shaddai”, El `Olam “Everlasting El”, El Hai, “Living El”, El Ro’i “El of Seeing”, and El Gibbor “El of Strength”), etc, etc…
Now, stealing gods has been big business since the beginning of time. Everyone is guilty of it. What I find annoying is how blatantly obvious it is and how no one seems to notice.
Case and point:
Take a look at the names below. These are some of the most popular names, not only in the Hebrew bible, but in western history:
- Adel – God is eternal
- Immanuel – God is with us
- Michael – Who is like God
- Rafael – God has healed or God Cures
- Israel – One who wrestled with God or the Champion of God
- Daniel – God is my judge
- Ezekiel – God strengthens
- Samuel – His name is God or God has heard
- Ariel – God’s lion
- Ishmael – God Hears/Listens
Notice anything especial about these names? They all end with El and reference God! Why?
Because the Jews took the Canaanite God and made it their own! Since this great theft, we have been using this epithet in some of the most popular names in western civilization.
More proof that Judaism and all other religions that followed are full of bunk.
Thanks,
Notes: