Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 22/08/2005 10:57, walter mattfeld wrote:

> A possible (?) image of a "winged" Yahweh-Elohim (Iron Age II) is available. 
> cf.
> the below url if interested:
>
> http://www.bibleorigins.net/WingedYahwehElohim.html
>
>  
This iconography largely related to worship of El by Canaanites, 
repeatedly condemned in the Tanakh as idolaters. Any link to YHWH or 
Elohim is highly speculative. I note the following which you quote 
concerning the only image with any link to YHWH:

> the Hebrew inscription seems to have been added later on and is not 
> clearly distinguishable, reading a highly doubtful yh[y]hw[s]lm 
> (Uehlinger, 1993:275). Furthermore, the seal is unique in its 
> iconography and thus should be used cautiously for far-reaching 
> conclusions


As for Yehimilk of Byblos, what is the actual spelling of his name? The 
inscriptions of Yehimilk and Shiftibaal at 
http://www.proel.org/alfabetos/feniarca.html (about half way down) give 
a clear spelling yod-het-mem-lamed-kaf, and the inscription of Elibaal 
confirms a second letter het. If this is true, the second letter het 
completely rules out any link to YHWH, and instead indicates a probable 
meaning of "Long live the king!", an appropriate throne name. Walter, I 
am surprised at you for making such an elementary mistake.

Yehawmilk is it seems a separate and much later character, of the 
5th-4th centuries BCE. See http://www.bu.edu/anep/ANET.html for an 
English translation of the text of the relevant stela, but unfortunately 
not giving the Phoenician spelling. The only picture of this stela which 
I can find is at your own site, Walter, 
http://www.bibleorigins.net/asherimpillardjed.html, but unfortunately 
you have cut off the actual inscription part. Are you able to tell us 
the actual Phoenician spelling of this king's name?

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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