Celsus, is this an attempt to try to convince us God is not real?
No. I'm just trying to figure out why the one true God has characteristics of false deities such as
El and Baal.
Consider the following ways in which the character of Yahweh appears to be nothing more than a watered down version of his predecessors in the Promised Land (cf. Day 2000:13-41, 68-90).
Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies): John Day: 9780826468307: Amazon.com: Books
"The original God of Israel was El."
The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel - Mark S. Smith - Google Books
a) Parallels between Yahweh and El
• There is no explicit and direct polemic in the Old Testament against the god El (cf. also Smith 1990:30).
• The Patriarchs apparently worshipped a Canaanite deity called El (cf. Gen 12-36; Josh 24).
• The divinity referred to in the theophoric suffix in the name Israel is El (cf. Gen 32:33, 35:10).
• Yahweh is often referred to as El (with or without qualification) (cf. Gen 17:1, Deut 6:2, Job 3-31 and passim).
• Yahweh, like El, is called the "Bull" (not "mighty one") (of Jacob) (cf. Gen 49:24; Ps 132:5).
• Like El, Yahweh is described as being a creator, a shepherd and a kind and merciful father (cf. Ex 34:6; Ps 23; Hos 11:8-9).
• Like El, Yahweh is depicted as an aged anthropomorphic deity (cf. Dan 7:13).
• Like El, Yahweh has a divine council that surrounds his throne (cf. 1 Kgs 22:20-23; Isa 6:3; Jer 23:18; Ps 82:1, 89:5; Job 1:6).
• Yahweh, like El, is called the father of humanity (cf. Jer 3:19; Mal 2:10).
• Yahweh, like El, lives at the source of the rivers amid the cosmic flood (cf. Ps 47:5; Isa 33:21; Ezek 47:1; Joel 3:18; Zech 14:8).
• Yahweh, like El, is often depicted as dwelling in a tent (cf. Ps 15:1; 27:5; etc.).
• In actual historical pre-exilic Israelite religion, Yahweh, like El, was often
worshipped as the head of a pantheon with Asherah as his consort (cf. Smith 1990:32).
b) Parallels between the depictions of Yahweh and Baal
• Yahweh, like Baal, is depicted as a storm deity (cf.. Ex 19-20; 1 Kgs 18; Ps 29, Jer 14:22).
• Yahweh like Baal, has thunder as his voice (cf. Ex 19:19, 20:18, 24:12; Deut 5:21,33:2; Judg 5:4; Ps 18:13; 1 Sam 7:10; Isa 30:27; Am 1:2; Ps 29:3; Job 37:5; 38:34).
• Yahweh, like Baal, hurls the lightning as like a spear or shoots it like an arrow (cf. Ps 29:7; Job 37:12-13; 38:25; etc.).
• Yahweh, like Baal, is designated as a rider of the clouds (cf. Ps 18:13; Isa 19:1).
• Yahweh, like Baal, is depicted as a son of El (cf. Deut 32:8-9?; Job 1:6?).
• Yahweh, like Baal, defeated the serpent Leviathan (Ug. Lotan) (cf. Pss 74:14; 89:11; Job 26:12; Isa 27:1).
• Yahweh, like Baal, had a conflict with Yam (the sea) (cf. Ex 15:1-12; Pss 89:10, 104:7, 136:13; Job 38:10-11).
• Yahweh, like Baal, is sometimes depicted in the form of a bull/calf (cf. Gen
49:24; Ex 32:4; 1 Kgs 12:28).
• Yahweh, like Baal, is often referred to as Elyon, “Most High” (cf. Gen 14:18, Num 24:16).
• Yahweh, like Baal, has a divine cosmic mountain in the far north (Zaphon) (cf. Ps 48:3; Isa 14:13).
• Yahweh, like Baal, is depicted as victorious over Mot (death) and is designated “the living God” (cf. Isa 26:19; Sam-Kgs-passim; Ps 42:3; etc.).
• Yahweh, like Baal, is called "Lord" (Baal/Adon) (cf. 2 Sam 4:4; 1 Chron 8:33,34; 14:7 and OT passim).
These parallels do not exhaust the affinities between Yahweh and the Canaanite deities. The studies by Smith (1990), Keel & Uehlinger (1998), Van der Toorn (1999), Day (2000) and others also contain detailed discussions on allusions in Old Testament God-talk to other Canaanite divinities such as Resheph, the Rephaim, etc.
