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Originally Posted by cjb
Sorry...it says what it says and means what it means. When you approach a STOP SIGN....do you GO instead. And when your caught....do you tell the judge...."Well....GO is my interpretation...????
The term abuse and disagreement are NOT the same thing.
Sorry....No "Nursing Mother" here.
Shaddai and 'Elyon.
The word Shaddai (), which occurs along with El, is also used independently as a name of God,chiefly in the Book of Job. It is commonly rendered "the Almighty" (in LXX., sometimes παντοκράτωρ). The Hebrew root "shadad," from which it has been supposed to be derived, means, however, "to overpower," "to treat with violence," "to lay waste." This would give Shaddai the meaning "devastator," or "destroyer," which can hardly be right. It is possible, however, that the original significance was that of "overmastering" or "overpowering strength," and that this meaning persists in the divine name. Another interesting suggestion is that it may be connected with the Assyrian "shadu" (mountain), an epithet sometimes attached to the names of Assyrian deities. It is conjectured also that the pointing of may be due to an improbable rabbinical explanation of the word as ("He who is sufficient"), and that the word originally may have been without the doubling of the middle letter. According to Ex. vi. 2, 3, this is the name by which God was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The name 'Elyon () occurs with El, with Yhwh, with Elohim, and also alone, chiefly in poetic and late passages. According to Philo Byblius (Eusebius, "Pręparatio Evangelica," i. 10), the Phenicians used what appears to be the same name for God, 'Eλιον.
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Once again, to correct you cjb:
El is the primary Mesopotamian deity revered in these ancient cultures. El had a son, Baal, a storm god. Sound familiar? Yes, the story of Elijah vs. the priests of Baal is probably a derivative of this story. To furthur elaborate, the story of tree & searpent in the Garden of Eden had mythic ties with the deity Asherah. Likewise, the popular mention of Leviathan is the equivalent of the "evil searpent" Tiamat.
Cross-cultural integration of beliefs is not uncommon. Actually, it occurs frequently, and allows the continued development of mythology, religion, and ideology. This does not disprove God exists. Rather, it is a way to understanding our common humanity and interpretation of the Divine.
For example, American culture has inherited much from Greco-Roman culture through architecture, literature, art, beliefs/religions (see the Mysteries), and concepts of individuality and freedom.