Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Israel A. Cohen" <izzy_cohen AT bmc.com>]

On Thu 18 Jul 2002 (22:48:09 +0200), peter_kirk AT sil.org wrote:
> Surely "God of Israel" doesn't mean "God of the land of Israel"? 
> Israel was originally a person, then a nation, and only thirdly 
> a land. So "God of Israel" was originally "God of Jacob", then 
> "God of the people of Israel", long before they even lived in 
> the land of Israel. The concept of a god of a particular 
> geographical area does not seem to have been an Israelite one.
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Copy of an email previously posted on the PsyArt list:

> Rebecca Meredith wrote:
>> The most intriguing thing is that, in neither the KJ translation 
>> or a more modern one referenced is the angel called an angel. 
>> He is called a man (whom Jacob seems to have felt was God) or 
>> "one."  I'm curious as to where the angel concept came from.
>
> I think two stories have merged. In the first story, Jacob 
> dreams of a ladder. Angels of G-d [MaL?aKHaY ?eLoHiM, ? = aleph] 
> go up and down it. [How do they go up before they come down?]
>
> Ja'cob's lad'der  n.
> 1. a ladder seen by Jacob in a dream,
>    reaching from the earth to heaven. Gen. 28:12.
>
> In the second story, Jacob does not dream. He wrestles with a man 
> [?iSH] who declares that Jacob's name will be Israel [YiSRa?eL] 
> because "you (Jacob) have fought with God [?eLoHiM] and with men 
> [?aNaSHiM]". However, Rebecca Meredith's curiosity is well-founded. 
> Random House contains:
>
> Israel
> 3. name given to Jacob after he wrestled with the angel. Gen. 32:28.
>
> Notwithstanding the "declaration" above, Jacob continues to be called
> Jacob, even in the very next sentence. I changed my own name (from
> Irving) to Israel with considerably more success.
>
> Jacob called the place (where he fought) Peniel [PNi?eL] "because I
> have seen G-d face [PaNiM] to face". In the next sentence Jacob
> "passed over" PNoo?eL. There should be some Rabbinic commentary on
> this change in spelling. Compare pneuma = the vital spirit; the soul
> < Gk pneûma lit., breath, wind; akin to pneîn = to blow, breathe].
>
> My own interpretation of PNi?eL/PNoo?eL is that it is G-d's 
> "pin"/penis. It matches my interpretation of YiSRa?eL (that's me !) 
> as that body part which gives delight [?oSHeR] to g-d [?eL] if it 
> is YaSHaR = straight, upright.
>
> This corresponds with the name CaNa3aN (3 = aiyin), a reversal
> of (the body part that gives) 3oNeG = pleasure [to Aphrodite].
>
> I suspect Jacob fought on behalf of kHermes and his men against
> Aphrodite and her men. He was successful because, immediately
> afterwards, Jacob has the courage to meet his brother and lots
> of presents (spoils of war?) to give him.
>
> A near reversal of kHer-mes = messen-ger yields Mercu(ris)
> from MaL?aKH = angel/messenger + RaTZ = running. [Mercury 
> is the Roman counterpart of Hermes.]
>
> Aside: Tacitus says that the chief diety of the Germani tribes
> was Mercury. He was writing for a Roman audience. Calling that
> deity kHermes suggests an origin for the name Germani...
> and suggests that they originated in an area that was probably
> in the northern part of the map of kHermes (with its center/navel
> at Mt. kHermon). I bet King kHiram [I Kings 5] of Lebanon would
> know about this. LeBaNon is a reversal of Skt nabhila = navel.
> Compare Nepal, the navel/center of a Buddhist map!
>
> Note that the Hebrew word for a dream, kHaLoM with a het, is a
> near reversal of MaL?aKH = angel with a khaf. kHaLaM = to dream,
> to see visions. It also means: to be healthy, be strong. Perhaps
> the ancients knew there was a connection between dreaming and
> being healthy? Or is this just a coincidence?
>
> sand-man (sand'man )  n. pl. <-men>
> 1. a being of fairy tales and folklore who puts sand in
>    the eyes of children to make them sleepy.
>
> Australian aborigines "paint" their dreams in sand.
>
> The Hebrew word for sand is kHoL (with a het), the first
> two letters of kHaLoM = dream.
>
> This is enough dreamy nonsense for one email.
>
> Israel "izzy" Cohen
> izzy_cohen AT bmc.com
=========================================================================

peter_kirk:
> 1. Israel was originally a person, then a nation, and only thirdly 
> a land. <snip> 2. The concept of a god of a particular geographical 
> area does not seem to have been an Israelite one.

Anthropomorphic Maps
====================

There is a lot of evidence that the (originally) Phoenician names for 
geographic areas in Asia minor and north Africa are based on the names 
of body parts. The body in Asia minor is probably that of Hermes, who 
used to live atop Mt. Hermon before he moved to Mt. Olympus. His name 
is also inscribed near his foot, at the Strait of Hormuz. The body 
in north Africa is probably that of Aphrodite (who gives her name to
Africa).

I agree with statement 2 above, but I disagree with statement 1. 
I think (the land of) Israel was originally the male member of 
Hermes' body. Previously it had been the female member (Canaan 
~ Latin cunnus) of Aphrodite's body. Geographic co-habitation.

Ergo. Israel was first a geographic area; secondly another name 
for Jacob; and thirdly a name for the Children of Israel/Israelites.

I can send a chart that illustrates these two anthropomorphic maps 
by email to any list member (no pun intended).

ciao,

Israel "izzy" Cohen
izzy_cohen AT bmc.com