How should we, according to Kurt Noll, describe the relationship between Canaanite, Israelite, and biblical religions? And how does he define the Canaanites? Does this term indicate an ethnic community? Give Noll’s arguments for his answers to these questions. Do you agree with him?
- According to the bible, there is no relationship between Canaanite and Israelite religions, instead they are presented as uncompromising opposites, but archaeological data has suggested that Israelite religion was one local variety of a larger, regional Canaanite religion. Canaanite religion is the religion of all peoples living on the eastern Mediterranean seaboard prior to the Common Era. Canaan is a geographic term, while Israel is a limited ethnic or political identity within Canaan.
o “it is best to approach “biblical religion as a subset of Israelite religion and Israelite religion as a subset of Canaanite religion”
o “Israelite and biblical religion [are treated] as an outgrowth and part of Syro-Canaanite religion” - The Canaanites are not an ethnic identification, but are ‘any person who lived during the Bronze and Iron Ages on the eastern seaboard of the Mediterranean’ in the Syro-Palestinian Strip
o “Canaan” refers to land, not ethnic groups and not culture, “Canaanite” designates a person who is from the land of Canaan.
o “material objects, temple structures, artistic styles, and other cultural artifacts are relatively uniform” beyond the land of Canaan, indicating no foundation for distinguishing Canaanite from various ethnic identities.
How can the Bible be used as a source for Canaanite religion, if it is so negative about it? Give at least two examples
- “the most common view among researchers today is that biblical writers polemicised against aspects of Israelite religion that they did not accept, and their rhetorical attacks on “foreign” religion masked their real target.”
- “careful study of the Bible demonstrates that the distinction between “false” Canaanite religion and “true” Israelite religion is so superficial” – “one cannot reasonably expect biblical religion to look very different from its environment, which was the source and author of its morality and customs.”
- “Bible’s religion is not qualitatively different from other Canaanite conceptions of the divine.” Baal and Yahweh are identical in all but name, worldviews largely identical
- “the other gods of Canaan can be discerned just below the surface of the biblical text. in a few cases, even the names of those Canaanite gods have not been erased from the Bible.”
Can we speak of a single Canaanite pantheon with a fixed family tree? Describe the situation.
- “the gods and the myths in this region display some stable characteristics, yet evolved new details and changing divine relationships throughout ancient times.”
- Never been fixed, four tier system of royal, noble, peasant and slave, with the second tier competing with the first
How does Canaanite religion compare to Mesopotamian religions?
- Canaanite: more rural
- Both had personal gods
How do Canaanite and Israelite Religion
Relate to Each Other?
According to the Bible, they are opposites
Who was a Canaanite?
not an ethnic identification, but used for ‘any person who
lived during the Bronze … and Iron Ages on the eastern seaboard of
the Mediterranean’
What does the name Israel mean?
The name Israel means something like ‘El strives’, and El is the main god of
the Canaanite pantheon
Who were Apiru/Habiru?
people living on the fringe of society, living a seminomadic life; they were a social (not ethnic) group within Canaan.
What were the sources for Canaanite and Israelite Religions
- written sources
- material culture
Canaaite pantheon
El x Athirat/Ashera -> Anat x Baal
El and Athirat = Asherah
* Their son Baal, aka Hadda = Hadad = Adad, and daughter Anat (his sister/wife)
* Astarte = Ishtar (‘face of Baal’)
* Yam – sea (also Nahar – river); sidekick: Lotan/Leviathan
* Mot – death
* Shapash/Shamash – sun
* Resheph – plague
* Dagon/Dagan – rain and grain, agriculture
* Kothar wa-Chasis – ‘skill and cunning’
* Ancestors
* Messengers = angels
Canaaite pantheon 4 tier system
Royal, noble, peasant, slave
What are the Three levels of religiosity
- Main cult in the city
- Village cults
- Household cults
- Urban temples AND rural shrines
Why did they peform Sacrifices and other rituals
- Also form of tax
- Need to feed the gods
- Contact between human and divine
- Only priests were allowed to do this in a temple, but there was also a
cult at home - Daily sacrifices
- Seasonal festivals, connected to the main agricultural events
