Talk:Baal
From Academic Kids
Oops. Dispraise was not a neologism. Yet my dictionary doesn't list etymology or whether the word has become anachronistic. Koyaanis Qatsi 23:24 22 Jul 2003 (UTC)
- "Dispraise" is an excellent word. It doesn't carry the baggage of "condemn." I have given up "contemn" as people no longer understand it. Words may become obsolete but never anachronistic. The use of a word may be an anachronism though. Wetman 01:53, 3 May 2004 (UTC)
I might change "Canaanite" to "Ancient Syrian" for a few reasons. Canaanite is a biblical term and suggests that the source of the entry is the Bible. However, most of the material comes from Ugarit. Also, Canaan usually implies the territory between biblical Judea and the sea. However, Ba'al was worshipped in a much wider area throughout ancient Syria (particularly the west, I think). Therefore, I find "Ancient Syrian" less ambiguous.--Administer 01:30, 3 May 2004 (UTC)
- It's always best to check some good archaeology sites and go with their flow, without deciding in the comfort of your own home. Wetman 01:53, 3 May 2004 (UTC)
It depends on their specialty: biblical studies on one hand or Ugaritic language, ancient Middle Eastern disciplines, and comparative religion on the other. I'll leave it "Canaanite" for now, since that may be more meaningful to the audience most likely interested in the topic.--Administer 03:56, 4 May 2004 (UTC)
Ba‘al as a divine title in Israel and Judah
I've added the following quote from Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary to this section.
At first the name Baal was used by the Jews for their God without discrimination, but as the struggle between the two religions developed, the name Baal was given up in Judaism as a thing of shame, and even names like Jerubbaal were changed to Jerubbesheth.
I think it says very succinctly almost everything the section says. However, it's still short enough to quote without infringing on the copyright.
I also think that it is from a source that is likely to be trusted by people with a religious point of view and this will help to make it clear that what is being described in this section is not an attempt to somehow undermine Judiasm and Christianity (by equating YaHWeH with Baal), but is simply an accepted fact regarding the evolution of the usage of the term baal in Hebrew.--Heathcliff 01:28, 6 May 2005 (UTC)
