2. The Basics Area between Tigris and Euphrates River Modern day Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, and Syria Cradle of Civilization 4,000 BCE Series of city-states

3. Map of Mesopotamia

4. Ugarit 1929: discovery of tablets at Ras Shamra Thousands of tablets dated before 1200 B.C.E. discovered Prominent seaport and trading center Destroyed in 1200 B.C.E. by an invasion from the sea Became a vassal state of the Hittite empire

5. Map of Ugarit

6. Cuneiform

7. Pantheon El and Asherah YammMotAnatBaal Level 3: Workman Deities (ex. Kothar wa Hasis) Level 4: Messenger Deities

8. El Gold covered bronze from Megiddo (1400-1200 BCE) High god, father of the gods and goddesses, judge, creator More remote, lives in a tent at the source of two cosmic rivers Seen as kind and merciful

9. Similarities to Yahweh El is old “Father of Years Also called the Bull (symbol of strength, power and virility) Chief of the assembly of the gods “Kind El, the Compassionate” Yahweh is the “Ancient of Days” Daniel 7, Ps 102:28 Yahweh also associated with the symbol of the bull (Exodus 32-34; Jeroboam and calves) Chief of the divine council (1 Kgs 22; Isa 6; Zech 3…) Yahweh “merciful and gracious god” (Exod 34:6)

10. Assimiliation Little polemic against El The word el becomes the generic word for ‘god’ Genesis 33:20 El-Elohe-Israel El, the God of Israel God, the God of Israel Genesis 46:3God, the God of your Father El, the God of your Father

11. Asherah Wife of El and mother of the gods Associated with lions in ANE iconography Mentioned +40x in the Old Testament Often what is referred to is the object – a stylized tree (symbolizing fertility/life) Asherah poles set up in the sanctuary in 1 Kgs 18 polemic against Baal but the prophets of Asherah are left alone

12. Baal Storm god Controls the annual rainstorm and fertility cycle Also called “king” Portrayed with a war club (symbol of thunder) and a twisted staff (symbolizing forked lightning)

13. Anat A fertility goddess Never marries, adolescent and a warrior goddess Defeats Mot and supports Baal No explicit reference in Jewish Scripture