The Canaanite Pantheon
Posted by Naama Baumgarten on February 11, 2008 under The Ancient Near East | 
Be the First to Comment
The name Canaanites denotes the inhabitants of the land of Canaan who inhabited the land prior to the Israelite settlement, and remained among the Israelites throughout the First Temple Period. The Bible stresses that the Israelites must stay apart from them, and the Patriarchs set an example for proper behavior by not marrying Canaanite women despite the fact that that would have been the easy and obvious choice. The reason for this segregation is the polytheistic Canaanite culture. Due to the fact that the language and customs of Canaanites and Israelites were very similar, and they lived amongst each other, it was very important to keep the Israelites religiously distinct. It is important to note that the Canaanite Polytheistic culture was wide-spread in the entire region, including the city of Ugarit in Syria. However, despite the biblical command, the Israelites were often influenced by the Canaanites and their pagan ways.
The head of the Canaanite pantheon is the god El, who is the father of the gods and has seventy children, all gods filling the different positions available in polytheistic cultures. El is also considered the creator of the world. Among his children, it is especially important to mention Ba’al, the storm god, Mot, the god of death, and Anat, the goddess of war.
Due to the fact that the land of Canaan is dependant on rain in order to sustain life, Ba’al, the storm god, is especially important, and is often depicted as a warrior, with thunder and lightning as his weapons.
The myths about the gods teach us how the ancient Canaanites explained different natural phenomena. A central myth in Canaanite literature is that of the war between Ba’al and Mot. Mot is not only the god of death but also the one responsible for summer, during which vegetation dries up and dies, while Ba’al, who is responsible for bringing rain, is the god who encourages the growth of vegetation. According do the myth, the cycle of the seasons is a result of a war between Ba’al and Mot. Because they are equal in power, neither can prevail indefinitely. In the myth, Mot succeeds in killing Ba’al – thus bringing about summer. However, Ba’al’s sister and lover, Anat, kills Mot, and brings Ba’al back from the underworld. The war between them is settled by a compromise, giving each the reign over half of the year.
Interested in learning Biblical Hebrew – Sing up for a trial lesson at www.classicalhebrew.com
Add A Comment