Some implications of the volcanic theophany of YHWH on his primeval identity

Abstract: YHWH’s theophany and mode of action are frequently evoked in the Bible as a volcanic event. It is shown here that this representation, of central importance in the story of the Sinai Covenant, is probably not anchored in any specific volcanic eruption experienced by the Israelites in the past. In Antiquity, volcanic activity was specifically associated with the gods who patronized metallurgy, given the homology between lava flowing from a volcano and slag released from a furnace at smelting. Evidence towards such a link is also identified in the Bible. Accordingly, rather than being simply a literary artifice imaging the outstanding powers of YHWH, volcanism may reflect the existence of metallurgical roots in Israelite theology. This contention is supported by Biblical evidences associating YHWH with metal production: (i) his primeval dominion in mining areas, (ii) his special worship by metalworkers, (iii) the representation of his celestial universe as a giant furnace. It is concluded that the volcanic representation of YHWH’s theophany and mode of action reveal a surprising level of preservation of the metallurgic religious traditions in the ancient Israelite theology.

Letras, 1990-1991, nº 23-24 (número completo)

Contenido: Un pequeño gran gigante. Más notas acerca de la hipérbole de lo corporal en la obra de Rabelais / Susana G. Artal – Una lectura de los cuatro cuartetos de T. S. Eliot (segunda parte) / Inés de Cassagne – Los estudios lingüísticos con base computacional / María Amalia García Jurado – Bucolismo en una carta de Sidonio Apolinar / Raúl Lavalle – La seducción estética de la barbarie como poesía de lo original originario / María Rosa Lojo – La elegía a María Blanchard / Lía Noemí Uriarte Rebaudi – Nota – Reseñas bibliográficas