Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 52:205 (Jan 1895)
Article: Early Israelitish Monotheism.
Author: Anonymous

BSac 52:205 (Jan 1895) p. 168

Early Israelitish Monotheism.

The discussion as to when the Israelites became, in any proper sense, monotheists, is not yet ended, if indeed, from the nature of the subject and the character of the proofs adducible, it will ever be finally settled for all alike. There is cumulative evidence of various kinds for the prevalence of early monotheism among the Hebrews, but there are also many evidences to the contrary. In the May issue of the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, Rev. Charles James Ball presents some very interesting facts against the monotheistic view.

Among other cases, he cites the fact that in at least two cases Jacob’s sons were named after deities quite distinct from the God of Israel, though, as he alleges, often associated with Him in worship. The passage is in Gen. 30:9–13 as follows: “When Leah became aware that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to wife; and Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. ‘With Gad’s help’ [pointing בְּנָד], cried Leah, and named him Gad. After that Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ‘With Asherah’s help,’ cried Leah, ‘for maidens must needs call me happy’; so she named him Asher.”

Gad, Mr. Ball points out, is rightly translated Τὑχη in the Septuagint, and is the Latin Fors Fortuna. In the Babylonian Exile, the Jews are reproached for worshipping this god of good luck. In Isa. 65:11 we read: “But ye that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Gad [Fortune], and fill up mingled wine to Meni [Destiny].” These images were probably worshipped in much the same way as the teraphim of David, alluded to in 1 Sam. 19:15. He also thinks that perhaps Gad here is a Semitic adaptation of the Accadian Gud, as a. title of Merodach (Marduk), who assigns and determines the fate of men and nations.

Asherah is, he continues, known to have represented the female principle of Nature, according to the conceptions of Canaanitish religion. She is always associated with Baal, and her image was even set up in the tern-pie of Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:6). Among the planets she was Venus, just as Gad is associated with Jupiter in the Arabic astrology. Another

BSac 52:205 (Jan 1895) p. 169

instance which he cites, is that of the burial by Jacob of all the foreign gods in his family under the terebinth by Shechem (Gen. 35:1–4).

These ...