El

Nationality/Culture

Canaanite

Pronunciation

ELL

Alternate Names

Il

Appears In

Ugaritic texts and inscriptions

Lineage

Father of humankind

Character Overview

In the mythology of the ancient Near East, El was the supreme god of the Canaanites. He was the creator deity, the father of gods and men, and the highest judge and authority in all divine matters and human affairs. In the Bible, the creator deity is referred to as El, Elohim (pronounced ay-LOH-heem, a form of El), or Yahweh (pronounced YAH-way).

Major Myths

One story from Ugarit concerned Aqhat, son of King Danel. In return for the king's hospitality, the craftsman god Kothar gave Aqhat his bow and arrows. The goddess Anat wanted the bow and tried to buy it with gold and silver. When Aqhat refused, the goddess offered to give him immortality (eternal life) in exchange for the bow. Aqhat rudely rejected her offer, telling the goddess that she could not make immortal a man destined to die.

Angry about having her offer rejected, Anat asked for and received El's permission to have Aqhat killed. The young man's death brought drought and crop failure. Anat cried over his death and said she would bring him back to life so that the earth might be fertile again. Unfortunately, the tablets containing this myth are in such bad condition that the ending of the story is difficult to interpret.

El in Context

Despite his religious significance, El did not play an active role in Canaanite mythology. Most myths were about the actions of others and involved El indirectly. The true nature of El is further confused by the fact that “El” could be used to refer to any god, and not just the supreme deity of the Canaanites. This is similar to how the word “god” can refer to any deity of any religion, but is commonly used—with a capital “G”—to refer to the supreme being in Judeo-Christian beliefs.

Key Themes and Symbols

In Canaanite mythology, El was usually represented as an elderly man with a long beard. He was believed to live on Mount Saphon, near the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit. A highly respected deity, El was all-knowing and all-powerful, wise and compassionate. He was sometimes referred to as “the Bull” and was generally shown as a seated figure wearing a crown with bull's horns. The bull suggested El's strength and creative force.

El in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

El appears throughout ancient Middle Eastern religious texts and inscriptions. Over time, however, other names began to appear more frequently in references to the supreme being. These include Elohim and Yahweh. Although early Christian leaders recognized El as the first Hebrew name of God, the term is usually associated with beliefs and practices that existed in times before the Bible.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

It is widely recognized that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all arose in the same region of the world and from the same core belief in a single supreme being, with El being one of the names of this deity. However, modern followers of these three religions each typically view members of the other two religions as completely different in their beliefs. Using your library, the Internet, or other available resources, research the basic beliefs of these three religions and write down at least three common elements found in all of them.

SEE ALSO Semitic Mythology