Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

Irene observes:

The issue is not whether a god can be embodied as fire but
whether the combination of "hail and fire" may be found in the
cognate literature as something that a god throws at his/her
enemies.  Lightening is more logical.

i. riegner

Walter's reply:

I thought perhaps you have missed the answer in my first reply, so I have
"capitalized the key prhase" for you, the Assyrian notion of "Hail Stones
and Fire" showered on enemies from heaven by Asshur who is frequently
portrayed within a winged sun disc with bow and arrows (the sun, as a firey
glow, coming forth from the gate of heaven):

Simo Parpola, Assyrian Prophecies, State Archives of Assyria, Vol. IX,
Helsinki Univ. Press, 1997-

"You [the Assyrian King] opened your mouth and cried:
Hear me, O Asshur !
I heard your cry. I issued forth as a firey glow from the gate of heaven, to
hurl down fire and have it
devour them...I drove them up the mountain and RAINED (HAIL) STONES AND FIRE
OF HEAVEN UPON THEM."
(I forgot to write the page number on this, but it is from Parpola)

By the way (Hail) within the parentheses, is Parpola's notation, not mine.
The Hymn is of the Neo-Assyrian period (ca. 8/7th century BCE).

All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany