Yahweh, God of the storm, God of history

Abstract

Canaanite mythology portrays its principal deity, Baal, as a ‘storm god’, who acts as such both in nature and in human society. Thunder and lightning are his weapons, which ensure his unrivalled power and at the same time proclaim his blessing: the rain, which brings fertility. The Hebrews adopted this divine image and applied it to their own God, Yahweh, who replaced Baal in all his functions. However, besides supplying fertility, the God of Israel provides his people with his word throughout history, which is heard in the silent and attentive reception of the prophetic message, not in the rumble of thunder that accompanied the revelation on Sinai according to the Canaanite model.