Yahweh And the Gods And Goddesses of Canaan (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies) (Paperback)

by John Day (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826468306
• ISBN-13: 978-0826468307
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,028,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yahweh Was Not Alone, January 5, 2003

By	Virgil Brown (White Oak, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series, 265) (Hardcover)

Almost anyone reading this review knows that Yahweh was not the only deity in the Ancient Near East. However, if you are not Mark S. Smith, you probably cannot describe the relationship between Yahweh and these other gods and goddesses. This is what John Day's book is all about.

In regards to El, Day finds that Yahhweh and El were originally separate deities. El is portrayed in the Ugaritic texts as benevolent whereas Yahweh is sometimes a warrior, and El is not a storm god whereas Yahweh is. Though they were different, El did have an influence on Yahweh. Yahweh sometimes appears as aged and wise.

Of course El is not the only deity considered by Day. Yahweh's relationships to Baal, Asherah, Astarte, and Anat, the Sun, the Moon, and Lucifer, Mot, Resheph, Molech, and the Rephaim are all considered. Day concludes with a chapter on the rise of monotheism.

_Yahweh_ is an erudite book whose author did not write in a short period of time but who spent 25 years collecting sources. As such this book is worthy reading for *anyone* who
is interested in the religion of the ANE outside of the Bible.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb commentary on the impact of Canaanite polytheism, May 19, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series, 265) (Hardcover)

John Day's Yahweh And The Gods And Goddesses Of Canaan is impressive, scholarly, the product of meticulous research, and an essential, core title for any serious personal, professional, or academic reference collection or reading list on the subject of Canaanite religion and mythology on the development of Israel and the Old Testament literature. Day examines in detail the relationship between the Yahweh and the leading gods of Canaan including El, Baal, Asherah, Astarte, Anat, the astral deities (Sun, Moon, Lucifer), and the underworld deities (Mot, Resheph, Molech, the Rephaim). Of special note is Day's superb commentary on the impact of Canaanite polytheism on the development of Israelite monotheism. Very highly recommended.