What is an אל? A philosophical analysis of the concept of generic Godhood in the Hebrew Bible

Abstract

In the Hebrew Bible words like אלחיםאל and אלוה are often encountered in the generic sense as a classification of the type of entity יהוה and other related beings were assumed to be. But what, according to the Hebrew Bible, was meant by calling something an אל ? Is it possible to define the phenomenon of generic אל - hood? What were assumed to be necessary and / or sufficient conditions for being classified as a member of the אלהים ? What criteria were used to determine whether an entity should be called an אל or not? In this paper the author provides an introduction to the concept of generic אל - hood in the Hebrew Bible with reference to perplexing questions involved in its understanding, related research and the gaps therein and the need for philosophical (conceptual) analysis in future inquiries.

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