Theophory In The Bible
Theophory refers to the practice of embedding the name of a god or a deity in, usually, a proper name. Much Hebrew theophory occurs in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament. The most prominent theophory involves
- names referring to El, a word meaning might, power and (a) god in general, and hence in Judaism, God and among the Canaanites the name of the god who was the father of Baal.
- names referring to Yah, a shortened form of Yahweh.
- names referring to Levantine deities (especially the storm god, Hadad) by the epithet Baal, meaning lord. In later times, as the conflict between the Mosaic law and the more popular pagan practices became increasingly intense, these names were censored and Baal was replaced with Bosheth, meaning shameful one.
Read more about Theophory In The Bible: El Theophory, Shaddai Theophory, Yah Theophory, Baal Theophory, Hadad, Others
Famous quotes containing the word bible:
“The people who were honored in the Bible were the false prophets. It was the ones we call the prophets who were jailed and driven into the desert, and so on.”
—Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)