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Elyon: The name or epithet or word '''‘Elyōn''' ( Masoretic pronunciation of Hebrew '''עליון'''), is traditionally rendered in Samaritan Hebrew as ''illiyyon'', and means something like 'higher, upper'. It derives from the Hebrew root ''‘lh'', Semitic root ''‘ly'' 'go up, ascend'. '''‘Elyōn''' when it means God or is applied to God is often translated 'Most High'. The Septuagint renders it as ὕψιστος (''hypsistos'' 'most high'). BIBLICAL USE Mundane use The term also has mundane uses, being applied to a basket in Genesis 40.17, a chamber in Ezekiel 42.5 and others. Divine Use The compound ''Ēl ‘Elyōn'' The compound name Ēl ‘Elyōn 'God Most High' occurs in Genesis 14.18–19 as the god whose priest was Melchizedek king of Salem. The form appears again almost immediately in verse 22, used by Abraham in an oath to the King of Sodom . In this verse the name of God also occurs in apposition to Ēl ‘Elyōn in the Masoretic Text but is absent in the Samaritan version, in the Septuagint translation, and in Symmachus . Its occurrence here was one foundation of a persistent theory first espoused by Julius Wellhausen that Ēl ‘Elyōn was an ancient god of Salem (for other reasons understood here to mean Jerusalem ), later equated with God, and that the Zadokite priests of Jerusalem claimed to be descended from this Melchizedek or at least to have inherited his position. This approach is completely rejected by Orthodox Judaism scholars such as Elijah Of Vilna and the Baal Shem Tov . The only other occurrence of the compound expression is in Psalm 89.27: And they remembered that God (''’elōhīm'') was their rock, ''‘Elyōn'' standing alone The name ''‘Elyōn'' 'Most High' standing alone is found in many poetic pasages, epecially in the Psalms. It appears in Balaam 's verse oracle in Numbers 24.16 as a separate name parallel to Ēl. It appears in Moses ' final song in Deuteronomy 32.8 (a much discussed verse). A translation of the Masoretic text: When the Most High (''‘Elyōn'') divided to the nations their inheritance, However many Septuagint manuscripts have in place of "sons of Israel", ''angelōn theou'' 'angels of God' and a few have ''huiōn theou'' 'sons of God'. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment 4QDeutj reads ''bny ’lwhm'' 'sons of God'. This reading also makes more sense in respect to the following verse: For God's portion is his people; This passage appears to identify ‘Elyōn with Elohim, but not ''necessarily'' with God. It can be read to mean that ‘Elyōn separated mankind into 70 nations according to his 70 sons (the 70 sons of Ēl being mentioned in the Ugaritic texts), each of these sons to be the tutelary god over one of the 70 nations, one of them being God. On the other hand, it may mean that ‘Elyōn, having given the other nations to his sons, now takes Israel for himself under his name of God. Both interpretations have supporters. In Isaiah 14.13–14 ‘Elyōn is used in a very mystical context in the passage providing the basis for later speculation on the fall of Satan where the rebellious prince of Babylon is pictured as boasting: I shall be enthroned in the mount of the council in the farthest north ''farthest Zaphon'' In this context it would be natural to avoid the name Yahweh and use a more general term for the high god. But ’Elyōn is in other places firmly identified with God, as in 2 Samuel 22.14: God thundered from heaven, Also Psalm 97.9: For you, God, are Most High (''‘elyōn'') over all the earth; Critical Scholarship The critical scholar and Rabbi Abraham Geiger asserted that Elyōn was a word of late origin, dating it to the time of the Maccabees . However, its use in the Ras Shamra tablets has proven it to be pre-Mosaic (Hertz 1936) NON-BIBLICAL USE Sfire I Treaty Outside of the Biblical texts the term occurs seldom. The most controverial is in the earliest of three Aramaic treaty inscriptions found at Sfire 16 miles southeast of Aleppo . The Sfire I inscription (''KAI.'' 222.I.A.8–12; ''ANET'' p. 659) date to about 750 BC lists the major patron deities of each side, all of them in pairs coupled by "and", in each case a male god and the god's spouse when the names are known. Then, after a gap comes ''’l w‘lyn'' meaning '’Ēl and ‘Elyōn', seemingly also two separate gods, followed by further pairs of deities. It is possible that these indicate two aspects of the same god. Or it might be a single divine name. The Ugaritic texts contain divine names like ''Kothar-wa-Khasis'' 'Skilful-and-Clever', ''Mot-wa-Shar'' 'Death-and-Prince' (or possibly 'Death-and-Destruction'), ''Nikkal-and-Ib'' which is in origin the name of the Sumerian goddess named Ningal combined with an element of unknown meaning. Therefore ''Ēl-wa-‘Elyōn'' might be a single name 'God-and-Highest' identical in meaning with Biblical ''Ēl ‘Elyōn'' even though this would be unqiue. Frank Moore Cross (1973) accepts all three interpretations as possibilities. Sanchuniathon Yet in Sanchuniathon 's euhemeristic account of the Phoenician deities, Elioun, whom he calls ''Hypsistos'' and who is therefore certainly ‘Elyōn, is quite separate from his Elus/ Cronus who is the supreme god Ēl. Sanchuniathon tells only: In their time is born a certain Elioun called "the Most High," and a female named Beruth, and these dwelt in the neighbourhood of Byblos . According to Sanchuniathon it is from Sky and Earth that Ēl and various other deities are born, though ancient texts refer to Ēl as creator of heaven and earth. The Hittite theogony knows of a primal god named Alulu who fathered Sky (and possibly Earth) and who was overthrown by his son Sky, Sky then being overthrown by his son Kumarbi. A similar tradition seems to be at the basis of Sanchuniathon's account. As to Beruth who is here ‘Elyōn's wife, a relationship with Hebrew ''bərīt'' 'covenant' or with the city of Beirut have both been suggested. SEE ALSO REFERENCES AND EXTERNAL LINKS
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