Semitic gods and goddesses

Under Ursemitischer religion 's goal of religion and speech scientists reconstruction of religious ideas of the original Semites is called.

Difficulty of reconstructing

Although the Semitic peoples have an older literature as the Indo-European peoples, the reconstruction of a postulated ursemitischen religion difficult. One reason is that the traditions mostly consist only of lists of gods and brief dedicatory inscriptions, wherein the function of said deities is not always clear. Myths are known almost exclusively from Mesopotamia and Ugarit. In addition, have the monotheistic religions that are of Semitic origin, ancient polytheistic ideas displaces or covers. An interesting, albeit controversial, attempt to reconstruct a ursemitische religion, undertook Werner Daum, who was based on comparisons of Yemeni fairy tales and customs, the Islamic pilgrimage ( Hajj ) and Jewish religious customs and festivals.

Pantheon

Based on the best-known figures of the gods can be accepted on a linguistic basis, a pantheon that has astral character. What is striking is the lack of an earth goddess.

(. Akk. Akkadian - Babylonian; ug Ugaritic, Phoenician hair dryer, . Hebrew Hebrew, Arab Arabic;. Altsüdarabisch OSA; . äth Ethiopian)

  • * ʔIlu "God" ( chief god: .. Akk Ilu, ug il, hairdryer ʔl / ELOS, Hebrew El / Elohim, OSA ʔl. . ). The Arabic name of God Allah originated from al - ʔilah " The God ". In Judaism and Islam, he went up to God only.
  • * ʔAṯiratu ( Ilus woman: ug ATRT, Hebrew Aserah, OSA ʔṯrt. . ). The meaning of the name is unknown. Another name of it is: * ʔIlatu "Goddess " (acoustic Ilat, hairdryer ʔlt, arab állat. . ).
  • Another name of this god is * Baʕlu " man, husband, Lord" (acoustic Bel, ug. Bʕl, hair dryer. Bʕl / Belus, Hebrew Baʕal ).

Semitic polytheistic religions

  • Mesopotamian religion ( Akkad, Assyria, Babylon). The earliest evidence comes from präsargonischer time and have significant astral character. Later, elements of various cultures have mixed, especially the influence of the non-Semitic religion of the Sumerians was strong.
  • Amurritische Religion: Of the Amurritern only theophoric personal names are known.
  • Eblaitische Religion: From Ebla comes the oldest Semitic writings, including some religious texts. They already contain Sumerian and Hurrian elements.
  • Ugaritic religion: from the small state of Ugarit, which is gone down in 1200, most myths have survived.
  • Phoenician religion: From the Levant, the home of the Phoenicians, a few religious inscriptions are known, it is better with the Punic religion of Carthage.
  • Ancient Canaanite religion: In the Old Testament there are points that describe the performance of the old polytheistic religion shortly.
  • Altaramäische Religion: The Syrians had a mixed religion with Canaanite, Mesopotamian and Persian elements in part.
  • Ancient Arabic Religion: The pre-Islamic polytheistic religion of the Arabs is poorly preserved.
  • Old South Arabian Religion ( Sabeans, Minaeans Himyaren ): Usually only the names of gods have come down, but can be surname and context recognize the importance of deities quite well.
  • Axumitische Religion: The voraxumitische religion in Ethiopia is strongly influenced by the Sabean religion, while in the texts of the pre-Christian Axumite kings emerge scant evidence of an independent religion.
Ishtar Adad Baal Sumerian religion Religion in Carthage
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