Ancient Semitic religion

Semitic gods refers to the gods or deities of peoples generally classified as speaking a Semitic language. As Semitic itself is a rough, categorical term, the definitive bounds of the term "Semitic gods" are likewise only approximate.

A topic of particular interest is the transition of Semitic polytheism into our contemporary understanding of monotheism by way of the god El, a name of god Judaism and cognate to Islam's Allah.

Scholars have speculated that the "transition" from polytheism to monotheism was likely a form of theological supremacy — by which the theology of a supreme deity, the "One God," naturally grew from the supremacy of a particular culture to which that "One God" was favorable toward. (See covenant.) Thus, as the culture and people expanded, their monotheistic beliefs and specific God was carried with them.

Proto-Semitic Gods

This is a partial list of possible Proto-Semitic deities.

(akk. Akkadian-Babylonian; ug. Ugaritic; phoin. Phoinician; hebr. Hebrew; arab. Arabic; OSA. Old South Arabic; eth. Ethiopic)

• *Ilu "god" (Supreme God: akk. Ilu, ug. il, phoin. ’l / Ēlos, hebr. Ēl / Elohim, OSA. ’l ). The Arabic Name Allāh is al-ilah "The God".
• *Aṯiratu (Ilu's wife: ug. aṯrt, hebr. Ašērāh'' OSA. ’ṯrt ).
  • She is also called *Ilatu "goddess" (akk. Ilat, phoin. ’lt, arab. Allāt ).
• *ʻAṯtaru (God of Fertility: ug. ʻṯtr, OSA ʻṯtr, eth. ʻAstar ) and
  • *ʻAṯtartu (Goddess of Fertility: akk. Ištar, ug. ʻṯtrt, phoin. ʻštrt / Astarte hebr. ʻAštoreṯ ). The meaning of the name is unknown.
• *Haddu / *Hadadu (Storm God: akk. Adad, ug. hd, phoin. Adodos ). The meaning of the name is probably “thunderer”.
  • This god is also known as *Baʻlu "man, husband, lord" (akk. Bel, ug. bʻl, phoin. bʻl / Belos, hbr. Ba'al ).
• *śamšu "sun" (Sungoddess: ug. špš, OSA: šmš, but akk. šamaš is a male god).
• *Wariḫu "moon" (Moongod: ug. yrḫ, hebr. Yārēaḥ, OSA. wrḫ ).

It may also be a point that Semitic and Indo-European mythology are quite similar in some aspects, for example:

• A God of the sky {*Dyeus, *Ilu) who is also the supreme deity.
• A God of thunder (*Perkwunos, *Haddu) who has another aspect (*Tarun, *Ba'lu).
• The God of war fighting a serpent (e.g Marduk & Tiamat, Yahweh & Tannin for Semitic, Thor & Jörmungandr, Apollo & Python for Indoeuropean).
• Forest spirits (Se'irim & Jinn, Semitic, Pan & Cernunnos, Indoeuropean).
• Sun Ship (Egyptian Solar barge, European Sun Chariot).

See also Indoeuropean Pantheon

See also

Aramean religion
Mesopotamian religion
Indoeuropean religion
Names of God in Judaism

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