Mele-i Âla in the Jewish Bible: The Divine Council

Year 2022, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 11 - 48, 30.06.2022

Eldar Hasanoğlu

https://doi.org/10.31834/ortadoguvegoc.1117102

Abstract

In the sacred texts of Judaism which is a monotheistic belief, there is the depiction of God in an assembly atmosphere. This assembly is called Divine Council and is evaluated as a solid belief, in spite of that the sacred texs does not refer it conceptually. The concept of the Divine Council in Judaism can be compared with the concept of Mele-i Âla in Islam. The council is described with the terms of “edah”, “moed”, “qahal” and “sod” which express plurality and privicy. The head of the council is God and also several members such as Sons of God, Angel, Holy Ones, Satan participate in the meetings. The meeting place of this heavenly assembly is mentioned with a symbolic style. The sacred texts formerly described it had gathered on the mountains of Sinai and Zion but later the holy temple was accepted as a meeting place. It should not be forgotten that these descriptions are of symbolic meaning, since in Judaism God is not a physical one. The concept of the Divine Council was not unique to the Jews, but it was also seen in the religious culture of other nations of the region in ancient times. Thatswhy some researchers have brought this theme to the agenda in the context of the influence of Judaism by the nations of the region. Experts made comparative research on the expressions refer to the Divine Council, the structure of the council, its members, meeting places, etc and subsequently claimed that the early Hebrews were in polytheist belief like as the nations of the region while at 6th century B.C.E. they abondoned it and adopted monotheism. They put forward the Divine Council phenomenon as evidence for this approach. However, some who approached the issue from a religious perspective, analyzed the the content of the sacred texts and argued that those claims are inconsistent. They stated that the common religious discourse between Judaism and the nations of the region should not be considered as evidence of influence. They have refuted the claims of polytheism with various arguments.

Keywords

Judaism, Divine Council, God, Polytheism, Monotheism, Ancient Middle East

Yahudi Kutsal Kitabında Mele-i Âlâ: İlahi Konsey

Abstract

Monoteist inanca sahip olan Yahudiliğin kutsal metinlerinde Tanrı’nın bir meclis ortamında tasvirine rastlanır. İlahi Konsey adı verilen bu oluşum, Yahudilikte kavramsal olarak bulunmasa da kutsal metinlerdeki betimlemeler dolayısıyla yerleşik bir inanış olarak görülür. Yahudilikteki İlahi Konsey anlayışı İslamiyetteki Mele-i Âlâ kavramıyla karşılaştırılabilir. Kutsal metinlerde bu konsey “eda”, “moed”, “kahal” ve “sod” gibi topluluğu ve mahremiyeti ifade eden farklı tabirlerle anlatılır. Konseyin başkanı Tanrı’dır ve toplantılara katılımcı olarak Tanrı’nın Oğulları, Melek, Kutsallar, Şeytan gibi üyeler iştirak eder. Bu göksel meclisin toplantı mekânından sembolik bir dille bahsedilir. İlahi Konsey’in önceleri Sina ve Siyon dağlarında toplandığı anlatılırken daha sonra kutsal mabet de toplantı mekanı olarak kabul görmüştür. Yahudilikte Tanrı’nın fiziki varlığı olmaması dolayısıyla bu betimlemelerin sembolik anlam taşıdığı unutulmamalıdır. İlahi Konsey anlayışı sadece Yahudilere özgü olmayıp eski çağlarda bölgenin diğer halklarının din kültüründe de kendisine rastlanır. Bu nedenle bazı araştırmacılar bu motifi Yahudiliğin bölge halkından etkilenmesi bağlamında gündeme taşımışlardır. İlahi Konsey’i ifade eden kavramlar, konseyin yapısı, üyeleri, toplanma yerleri vs gibi hususlar üzerinde mukayeseli araştırmalar yapan uzmanlar eski İbranilerin de bölge halkları gibi çoktanrıcı olduklarını, ancak M.Ö. 6. yüzyılda onu bırakıp tektanrıcılığı benimsediklerini iddia etmiş ve İlahi Konsey olgusunu da bu yaklaşıma kanıt sunmuşlardır. Buna karşın, konuya dini perspektiften yaklaşan bazıları da kutsal metinlerin içeriğini analiz yaparak ileri sürülen iddiaların tutarsız olduğunu savunmuş ve Yahudilikle bölge halkları arasındaki müşterek dini söylemin etkilenmeye delil olarak değerlendirilmemesi gerektiğini belirtmiş, çeşitli argümanlarla politeizm iddialarını çürütmüşlerdir.

Keywords

Yahudilik, İlahi Konsey, Tanrı, Politeizm, Monoteizm, Eski Ortadoğu

References

• Albright, W. F. (1994). Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan: a Historical Analysis of Two Contrasting Faiths. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
• Alomia, K. M. (1987). Lesser Gods of the Ancient Near East and Some Comparisons with Heavenly Beings of the Old Testament. Berrien Springs: Andrews University. Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi.
• Becking, B. (2002). “Only One God: on Possible Implications for Biblical Theology”. Only One God? Monotheism in Ancient Israel and the Veneration of the Goddess Asherah içinde (ss. 189-201). London: Sheffield Academic Press.
• Clifford, R. J. (1972). The Cosmic Mountain in Canaan and the Old Testament. Cambridge: Harvard UP.
• Crook, M. B. (1959). The Cruel God: Job’s Search for the Meaning of Suffering. Boston: Beacon.
• Cross, F. M. (1950). Notes on a Canaanite Psalm in the Old Testament. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 117, 19-21.
• Cross, F. M. (1953). The Council of Yahweh in Second Isaiah. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, (12)4, 274-277.
• Cross, F. M. (1973). Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Davidson, A. B. (1904). The Theology of the Old Testament. Edinburgh: T &T Clark.
• Day, J. (2000). Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
• Frymer-Kensky, T. (1992). In the Wake of the Goddess: Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth. New York: Free Press.
• Gnuse, R. K. (1997). No Other Gods: Emergent Monotheism in Israel. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
• Handy, L. K. (1990). Dissenting Deities or Obedient Angels: Divine Hierarchies in Ugarit and the Bible. Biblical Research, 35, 18-35.
• Handy, L. K. (1995). The Appearence of Panteon in Judah. The Triumph of Elohim: From Yahwisms to Judaisms içinde (ss. 27-43). [ed. Diana Vikander Edelman], Kampen: Kok Pharos.
• Handy, L. K. (1993). The Authorization of Divine Power and the Guilt of God in the Book of Job: Useful Ugaritic Parallels. Journal for the Study of Old Testament, 60, 107-118.
• Haring, J. W. (2017). “The Lord Your God is God of Gods andLord of Lords”: is Monotheism a Political Problem in the Hebrew Bible, Political Theology, 18 (6), 512-527.
• Heiser, M. S. (2012). Does Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible Demonstrate an Evolution from Polytheism to Monotheism in Israelite Religion?. Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament, 1(1) , 1-24.
• Heiser, M. S. (2008). Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry or Henotheism?: Toward an Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible. Bulletin for Biblical Research, 18(1), 1-30.
• Heiser, M. S. (2004). The Divine Council in Late Canonical and Non-Canonical Second Temple Jewish Literature. Madison: University of Wisconsin-Madison. Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi.
• Huntress, E. (1935). “Son of God” in Jewish Writings Prior to the Christian Era. Journal of Biblical Literature, 54(2), 117-123.
• Kitchen, K. A. (1966). Ancient Orient and Old Testament. London: Inter-Varsity Press.
• Lemaire, A. (2007). The Birth of Monotheism: The Rise and Disappearance of Yahwism. Washington: Biblical Archaeological Society.
• Lipschitz, O. ve Sperling, S. D. (2006). Sinai, Mount. Encyclopaedia Judaica içinde (ss. 627-628), 2nd ed., XVIII.
• McGinn, A. R. (2005). The Divine Council and Israelite Monotheism. Hamilton: McMaster University, Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
• Mettinger, T. N. D. (1988). In Search of God: The Meaning and Message of the Everlasting Names. [tr. F. Cryer], Philadelphia: Fortress.
• Mettinger, T. N. D. (1982). The Dethronement of Sabaoth: Studies in the Shem and Kabod Theologies. [tr. F. Cryer], Sweden: CWK Gleerup.
• Miller, P. D. (1987). Cosmology and World Order in the Old Testament: The Divine Council as Cosmic-Political Symbol. Horizons in Biblical Theology, 9(2), 53-78.
• Miller, P. D. (1967). El the Warrior. The Harvard Theological Review, 60(4), 411-431.
• Morgenstern, J. (1939). The Mythological Background of Psalm 82. Hebrew Union College Annual, 14, 29-126.
• Mullen, T. E. (1980). The Divine Council in Canaanite and Early Hebrew Literature, California: Scholar Press.
• Pakkala, J. (1999). Intolerant monolatry in the Deuteronomistic History, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
• Parker, S.B. (1999). “Son(s) of The God(s)”. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible içinde (ss. 794-800), 2nd. ed., [ed. Karel Van Der Toorn ve dğr.], Leiden: Brill.
• Penchansky, D. (2005). Twilight of the Gods: Polytheism in the Hebrew Bible. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
• Perry, J. M. (1999). Exploring the Evolving View of God: From Ancient Israel to the Risen Jesus, Franklin: Sheed & Ward.
• Polley, M. E. (1980). Hebrew Prophecy within the Council of Yahweh: Examined in its Ancient Near Eastern Setting. Scripture in Context: Essays on the Comparative Method içinde (ss. 141-156). [ed. Carl D. Evans ve dğr.], Eugene: Pickwick Press.
• Provan, L. (2016). Discovering Genesis: Content, Interpretation, Reception. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing.
• Robinson, H. W. (1944). The Council of Yahweh. Journal of Theological Studies, 45(179-180), 151-157.
• Sayce, A. H. (1889). Polytheism in Primitive Israel. The Jewish Quarterly Review, 2(1), 25-36.
• Smith, M. S. (2001). The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Stokes, R. E. (2014). Satan, Yhwh’s Executioner. Journal of Biblical Literature, 133(2), 251-270.
• Sumner, P. (2012), Visions of the Divine Council in the Hebrew Bible, Malibu: Pepperdine University, Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
• Tate, M. E. (2002). Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51–100, Dallas: Word Books Publishers.
• Tsevat, M. (1969-1970). God and the Gods in Assembly: an Interpretation of Psalm 82. Hebrew Union College Annual, 40/41, 123-137.
• White, E. (2014). Yahweh’s Council: Its Structure and Membership. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.
• Wyatt, N. (2002). Religious Texts from Ugarit. (2nd ed.), London: Sheffield Academic Press.
• Wyatt, N. (2007). Religion in Ancient Ugarit. A Handbook of Ancient Religions içinde (ss. 105-160). [ed. John R. Hinnels], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.