Estudios de Historia de España, 2005, vol. 7 (número completo)

Contenido: Problemas para la localización del texto base de un fragmento neotestamentario incluído en Almaqãmi’ Assulbãn de Alhazrağī (S. XII) / Juan Pedro Monferrer Sala – Pax alphonsina: el ideal de imperium y el conocimiento en algunos textos alfonsíes / Santiago Disalvo – El niño en al-Andalus a través de la medicina y el derecho / Camilo Álvarez de Morales – Algunos aspectos de la castellanización de Álava. El conflicto en torno a la sucesión del señorío de Ayala en 1332 / Juan de la Cruz Ojeda – As potencialidades da função de Aia na Baixa Idade Média / Fátima Regina Fernandes – Los que comercian con dinero. 2ª parte / María del Carmen Carlé – Ysabel y la excelente señora en 1504: ¿Razón de estado o usurpación a un trono? Un nuevo documento / István Szászdi León-Borja – La elite de los artesanos (siglo XV y XVI) / María Concepción Rodríguez de Monteagudo – Los milagros de Guadalupe como fuente histórica para la reconstrucción de la vida en la frontera (España, Siglos XV y XVI) / Gerardo Rodríguez – El pensamiento agónico de Unamuno referido a la idea de lo nacional / Evelyn Klein -- Reseñas

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.