Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

746 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
(comp. Ai-'ezer, 1 Yo-chebed '),
meant originally " moon."
Moses first gave this ancient name a new significance by
changing it, in the spirit of popular etymology, to Yahve,
" he who exists," (by the way, another purely Arabico-
Aramaic formation, which in Hebraeo - Canaanite would
rather be Yihve), thus freeing it from every trace of polytheism.
But not unfrequently the memory of the former
Arabian moon-worship in the family of Terah was revived
among the children of Israel, as is shown by the golden calf
(comp. "young bull" as an appellation of the Moon-god),
also by the name, purposely avoided in the Pentateuch,
Yahve Zebaoth (Lord of the heavenly hosts), by the liturgical
formula Hallelu-Yah (from hilal= new moon), etc.
Even the fact that Terah emigrated from Ur, one centre of
the moon-worship, to Haran, the other centre of the same
worship among the western Semites, is
to be judged accordingly,
2 likewise the other fact that the " mountain of the
moon" (= Sinai) was the very place chosen by Moses for
transmitting to the children of Israel the law revealed to
him by God ;
mountain, a " mountain of God " (Ex. 3:1).
from the earliest times this had been a holy
Finally, the holv " name " of the Moon-god, from fear
often only hinted at without being pronounced, is signified
in the numerous personal proper names beginning with
sumu-hu, " his name." Such proper names occur among the
inhabitants of South Arabia, especially the Mineans, as well
as among the Arabians mentioned in the Babylonian contract
tablets dating from the time of Abraham, — e. g.,
Sumu-atar, " His name is glorious" (South Arabian Sumuhu-watar).
Compare Hebrew Shemida' (corresponding to
Sumuhu-jada') and Shemu-el? There is an exact parallel to
1
In the English Version Jeezer or Iezer and Jochebed, comp. Num. 26 :
30, 59. — The Editor.
2
See my Semitische V'olker und Sprachen, vol. i., p. 487, annotation, and
my Geschichte Babylotiiens und Assyrian, p.
215, annotation.
3
See Hommel, " The Ancient Hebrew Tradition," p. 99.