Re: The Story of the Savior/hero as an Allegory
Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 4:25 pm
I was just typing the answer when you posted this. Yes, that's the book that summarizes most of his ideas about the development of Yahweh. It's quite interesting. You can find some of his lectures online, but it's basically the same stuff. Also, mostly French with some English spoken over it.Ben C. Smith wrote: ↑Sun Sep 23, 2018 4:16 pmOkay, I have found some information on this in The Invention of God. If there are other sources for Römer's judgments on Shamash and Ba'al, please do share. I am enjoying reading his stuff so far.Ulan wrote: ↑Sun Sep 23, 2018 3:01 amFor what it's worth, Thomas Römer would probably go with the answer that Yahweh was both. While he, like you, sees him mostly as a typical Ba'al, which all had their local names, the connection to the sun god comes with Jerusalem, going with the idea that the etymology of the city name may not necessarily be connected to "peace", but rather to the sun god Shamash. He sees the temple in Jerusalem as an original Shamash temple that housed both gods (among others) at the same time during the early era after the Israelite conquest of the city, with Yahweh absorbing both, the sun god and much of the connected imagery, later on.Ben C. Smith wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:22 pmCould be, but I have found the connections between Ba'al and Yahweh to be more pervasive: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3139.nightshadetwine wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:17 pmThere seems to be some debate about some of the Psalms being influenced by Egyptian hymns to the sun god and Yahweh having solar aspects. I personally suspect that Yahweh is an amalgamation of different gods or that he took on the roles of other gods. So the "Yahweh lives" in Psalm 18 could possibly related to his sun god aspect(if he has one). The sun god was said to die and resurrect so that could be a connection.Ben C. Smith wrote: ↑Sat Sep 22, 2018 2:22 pm What I wonder is whether Yahweh himself might not have been viewed as a dying and rising deity. There is no direct evidence for this of which I am aware. It is all a matter of (A) Ba'al being a dying and rising deity and Yahweh being so similar to Ba'al in so many other ways; (B) the cultic cry of "Yahweh lives" in Psalm 18.46, which would make the most sense on the presupposition that Yahweh had previously died; and (C) a dying and rising Yahweh providing a perfect missing link between Ba'al and Jesus.