The Sons of El

Kevin L. Barney klbarney at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 19 14:30:57 EST 1999


Irene asks the reason for the emendation of "sons of Israel" to bene 
'el[im].  Although as she notes LXX provides indirect evidence, the "sons 
of God[s]" reading is actually attested in the DSS.  See P.W. Skehan, "A 
Fragment of the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) from Qumran," BASOR 136 (1954): 
12-15.

I think that originally this verse did portray YHWH as a Son of 'El, as 
Lloyd suggests, but that in its present Deuteronomic setting it has been 
reinterpreted to equate 'El/'Elyon with YHWH.

Kevin L. Barney
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
klbarney at yahoo.com



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