‘No longer will you call me ‘my Ba’al’’: Hosea’s polemic and the semantics of ‘Ba’al’ in 8th century B.C.E. Israel

The anti-Ba’al polemics of Hosea 2.16-18 have typically been interpreted as evidence for the existence of a cult of Ba’al in 8th century B.C.E. Israel. However, research on the semantic range of the term בעל‎ indicates an alternate possibility: within certain sections of Israelite religious culture,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Main Author: Hubler, Caitlin (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage [2020]
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Baal, God / Adoration / Genericalness (Linguistics) / Jahwe / History 700 BC-800 BC / Semantics / Idolatry
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
Further subjects:B YHWHism
B Hosea
B history of Israelite religion
B Ba’al worship
B Semantics
B Keywords Ba’al worship
B Bibel. Hosea, 2,16-18
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The anti-Ba’al polemics of Hosea 2.16-18 have typically been interpreted as evidence for the existence of a cult of Ba’al in 8th century B.C.E. Israel. However, research on the semantic range of the term בעל‎ indicates an alternate possibility: within certain sections of Israelite religious culture, בעל‎ had come to be used as an appellative for YHWH. Theophoric and topynomic names from the 8th century B.C.E., both biblical and extra-biblical, point to the fact that בעל‎ was regularly used as a category meaning ‘lord’ or ‘master’ rather than as a proper name referencing the Canaanite storm-god Ba’al-Hadad. Seen in this way, Hosea’s warnings against idolatry do not indicate Israelite worship of a deity believed to be ontologically distinct from YHWH. Rather, they reveal an intra-religious debate about the character of YHWHism itself regarding the extent to which religious language from other traditions ought to be appropriated for a YHWHistic context.
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0309089219862804