Etymology of "Elohim"?

Discussion about the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, pseudepigrapha, Philo, Josephus, Talmud, Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeology, etc.
rgprice
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Re: Etymology of "Elohim"?

Post by rgprice »

Thanks Neil, yeah I can read it on jstor. The idea that Elohim may refer to a dual male-female god does have some appeal to me, and seems to fit nicely with Gen 1:26-27.

My lack of knowledge of Hebrew (or Greek) is really hurting me here. So much of what I try to read on teh subject I have a hard time understanding because its written in Hebrew.
Secret Alias
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Re: Etymology of "Elohim"?

Post by Secret Alias »

Google translate for Hebrew. Amazing.
rgprice
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Re: Etymology of "Elohim"?

Post by rgprice »

Something to consider about the possibility that the writer of Gen 1 envisioned Elohim as being both male and female:

We know that dual sexed gods were associated with the first creation. In Orphic religions, the creator of the cosmos was both male and female. But in addition, the second account may actually be intended to counter the first. In the first account Elohim creates both male and female at the same time, according to "our image". In the second account, YHWH Elohim creates man first, and then the female is derived from the male. This is a means of showing that the creator was not both male and female, because the creator only creates man in his image and female is derived from male. But of course, this counter indicates that the writer of Gen 2 is specifically contradicting an interpretation of Gen 1.

As to why both of these accounts are then stuck together in such a scenario would be a problematic question. But I'm not sure that Gmirkin's proposal is sound either.
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billd89
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Re: "Elohim" is The Plurality of God

Post by billd89 »

Or, like the plethora or Baals mentioned in the OT, Elohim was shorthand for the Semitic Pantheon that we KNOW existed in 'Jewish Egypt.'

The 'Son' of God was not a Jesus-Chistian development of 2nd C. AD Palestine. A Son has parents; indeed, the Family of God is shown w/ archaeological evidence also.

Monotheism is an insupportable fiction, sorry.
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