))

!
"!#$%&&'%()%*!!
+,!
-$)*$,!./0%11%23!405!6!7897!
! !" "# #$ $% %&' '( (&) )' '* *+ +% %* *+ +, ,&
&
!
!
- -% %. .% %+ +&" "* */ /&0 0% %1 11 1" "2 2&! !3 3' '&4 4( (5 56 61 1" "* *&7 7' '$ $8 8&9 9" "* */ /, ,! ! ! ! ! " "# #$ $!
!
%&!!""#$%#&'(#)*+$",#
%%&!)-.$&/#01#&'(#2*+(#3-((#
#
4 4+ +: :. .; ;4 4/ /" ". .2 2&< <$ $" "1 1= =&> >' '/ /&' '( (&0 0" " " "+ +&" "* */ /&? ?, ,$ $" ". .& ! ! ! ! ' '# #( ($ $!
!
%&!!&.+#4#!5*+#
%%&!!&.+6#3'(#7%(#8&(-%*"#905#
%%%&!!&.+6#3'(#:"*;<#=-(*&0->905#01#?(+(&#
%)&!!&.+#$%#&'(#@(A-(B#:$A"(#
%)&"&!!5*+6#3'(#:"*;<#:05,#01#905#
)&!!5*+C!&.+#$%#&'(#D.-%#
#
! !@ @% %&- -" " # #" "&" "* */ /&+ +@ @% %&< <$ $" "1 1= =&> >' '/ /&' '( (&- -% %. .% %+ +!! ! ! ! ! ( (' '# #* *+ +!
!
%&!=0E%*&(#F("$E$0%/##
%&"&!!%;$(%&#8E,G&$*%#7%&0"0E,#
#
7 76 6, ,&! !@ @5 5' '* *% %&6 6, ,&A AB B% %5 5&' '* *&+ +@ @% %&C C" "+ +% %5 5 &! ! ! ! ! ! * *( (# #$ $* *!
!
%&!3'(#3'-0%(#01#!""*'#
%%&!905/#3'-0%(#0%#&'(#H*&(-/#
%%&"&!905/#!I.*&$;#:05,#
%%&(&!J*'B('>8"0'$+#K!""*'L6#3'(#!I.*&$;#:05,#$%#:$A"$;*"#3-*5$&$0%#
%%%&!3'(#D.-%#*%5#$&/#!%;$(%&#M(*-#8*/&(-%#=0%&(N&C2.A&(N&#
#
#
#
!"
"
! !" "# #" "$ $%& &' '( (%) )" "* ** *& &+ +%, ,- -. .%/ /0 01 12 2* *& &' '%3 3. .4 45 5%6 6& &' '( (7 7%




!"#$%"&'($)")'*+,$"+%'-./0%$*+&1'*+2'34*5$*+'6"#$%"&'*4"'7$%8'*+2'7$+'



I. A|| in |nc |ani|q

The HonoialIe LIijah Muhannad said:

We, lhe liile of Shalazz, says AIIah (Cod), veie lhe fiisl lo discovei lhe lesl pail of oui pIanel lo Iive on.
The iich NiIe VaIIey of Lgypl and lhe piesenl seal of lhe HoIy Cily, Mecca, Aialia.

This suggesls lhal Meccan and Lgyplian civiIizalion and ieIigious cuIluie oiiginaled vilh
diffeienl lianches of lhe sane elhnic-cuIluiaI faniIy. They vouId le cognale civiIizalions and
cuIluies: ieIaled ly lIood and descendenl fion a connon ancesloi. The elhnogiaphic,
Iinguislic, genelic and aichaeoIogicaI evidence confiins lhis.
Ciaflon LIIiol Snilh, AusliaIian analonisl and LgyploIogisl, vas lhe fiisl chaii of
analony al lhe Caiio SchooI of Medicine. He aulhoied lhe pioneeiing LgyploIogicaI voik, The
Anclent Egtlans and the Orlgln of Cltl|ltatlon (1923). In an inpoilanl ailicIe in 19O9 on lhe
elhnogiaphy of Lgypl Snilh viole:

il seens piolalIe lhal lhe sulslialun of lhe vhoIe popuIalion of Noilh Afiica and Aialia fion lhe
AlIanlic lo lhe Ieisian CuIf - if nol fuilhei easl - vas oiiginaIIy one iaciaI slock, vhich, Iong lefoie lhe
eaiIiesl piedynaslic peiiod in Lgypl, had lecone speciaIized in physicaI chaiacleiislics and in cuIluie in
#"
"
lhe vaiious pails of ils vide donain, and deveIoped inlo lhe eilei, lhe Lgyplian, lhe Llhiopian Hanilic
and lhe Aials popuIalions.
1


Snilh vas sliII convinced of lhe elhnic and cuIluiaI ieIaledness of ancienl Lgyplians
and ancienl Aialians in 1923 vhen he pulIished The Anclent Egtlans:

The laIance of piolaliIily is sliongIy in favoui of lhe viev lhal lhe Aials and lhe Iiolo-Lgyplians veie
spiung fion one and lhe sane slock, lhe lvo divisions of vhich Iiving in lhe leiiiloiies sepaialed ly lhe
Red Sea, had lecone definileIy speciaIized in sliucluie, in cuslons and leIiefs, Iong lefoie lhe davn of
lhe peiiod knovn as Iiedynaslic in Lgypl.lhe Iinguislic evidence.accoiding lo nany schoIais, poinls lo
a siniIai concIusion.
2


Thal lhe Lgyplian/Kenelic and Aialian peopIes aie dislincl vaiialions of a connon
cuIluiaI sulslialun is indicaled as veII ly lhe anlhiopoIogicaI evidence. As Dana Reynods
(Mainiche) iecoids in an inpoilanl ailicIe,

Ancienl Aialia vas occupied ly a peopIe fai diffeienl in appeaiance lhan nosl nodein-day occupanls.
These veie a peopIe vho once occupied Lgypl, unc ucrc affi|ia|cd ui|n |nc |as| African s|cc|s, and vho nov
speak lhe 'Hanilic oi Senilic Ianguages.In lhe days of Mohanned and lhe Ronan coIonizalion of
IaIesline, Noilh Aialia and Afiica, lhe lein Aial vas nuch noie lhan a nalionaIily. Il specificaIIy
iefeiied lo peopIes vhose appeaiance, cuslons and Ianguage veie lhe sane as lhe nonadic peopIes on
lhe Afiican side of lhe Red Sea.The evidence of Iinguislics, aichaeoIogy, physicaI ienains and
elhnohisloiy suppoil lhe olseivalions and desciiplions ve find in lhe hisloiies of lhe Cieeks and Ronans
and in Ialei Iianian docunenls aloul nonadic Aialians of lhe eaiIy eia. The Aials veie lhe diiecl
piogeny and kinsnen of lhe daik-liovn, giaciIe and kinky haiied 'Llhiopic peopIes lhal fiisl spiead ovei
lhe deseil aieas of Nulia and Lgypl.

eaiIy Cieeks and Ronans did nol usuaIIy dislinguish elhnicaIIy lelveen lhe peopIe caIIed lhe Saiacens
and lhe inhalilanls of soulhein Aialia (lhe Yenen) vhich vas caIIed India Minoi oi LillIe India in lhose
days, noi soulhein Aialians fion lhe inhalilanls of lhe Hoin of Afiica. Whal diffeiences lheie veie
lelveen lhen veie noie cuIluiaI and enviionnenlaI lhan anylhing eIse. Slialo, aiound lhe 1
sl
cenluiy
.C., IhiIoslialus and olhei viileis, speak of lhe aiea easl of lhe NiIe in Afiica as 'Aialia and lhe peopIe
aie peisislenlIy and indisciininaleIy and sonelines sinuIlaneousIy iefeiied lo as eilhei Aials, Indians oi
Llhiopians.il is cIeai fion lhe ancienl viilings on lhe 'Aials lhal lhe peopIes of lhe Aialian peninsuIa
and lhe noninnigianl, indigenous nonads of lhe Hoin veie consideied elhnicaIIy one and lhe sane and
lhoughl lo have oiiginaled in aieas neai lhe calaiacls of lhe NiIe.
3


So loo does lhe Iinguislic evidence leai oul lhe facl of lhe cuIluiaI and elhnic ieIaledness of
ancienl Aialians and ancienl Lgyplians. Iiof NichoIas IaiacIas, Iinguisl fion lhe Univeisily of
Iueilo Rico, expIain:

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
1
C. LIIiol Snilh, The IeopIe of Lgypl, The Calro Sclentlflc ]ourna| 3 (19O9): 51-63.
2
C. LIIiol Snilh, The Anclent Egtlans and the Orlgln of Cltl|ltatlon (1923) 1O1-1O2.
3
Dana ReynoIds (Mainiche), The Afiican Heiilage & Llhnohisloiy of lhe Moois, in Ivan van Seilina, Go|den Age
of the Moor (Nev iunsvick: Tiansaclion IulIisheis, 1992) 99, 1OO, 1O5-1O6.
$"
"
lhe oiigins of lhe Ancienl Lgyplian, Heliev, alyIon, Assyiian, and Aialic Ianguages (liace) lack lo a
cenliaI Afiican honeIand.nany of lhe speakeis of lhe Ianguages fion vhich aII lhese Ianguages
deveIoped nay have pailicipaled in a lIack civiIizalion lhal vas diiven oul of CenliaI Afiica ly lhe
expanding Sahaia Deseil sone 7,OOO yeais ago.When lhe evidence.is synlhesized, lhe foIIoving
scenaiio eneiges. Al lhe oulsel of lhe Iasl Majoi Wel SpeII, lhe Ancienl Lgyplian speakeis vouId have
nade lheii vay noilh dovn lhe NiIe, vhiIe lhe eja speakeis vouId have gone easlvaid up lhe Allaia.
The Onolic speakeis vouId have headed soulh on lhe While NiIe, foIIoved and Ialei aInosl conpIeleIy
dispIaced ly lhe Cushilic speakeis. The Chadic and eilei gioups vouId have gone vesl inlo lhe naishes
and svanps of lhe of lhe Chad asin, vheie lhey finaIIy divided and venl lheii sepaiale vays, lhe eilei
speakeis lo lhe noilhvesl and lhe Chadic speakeis lo lhe soulhvesl.IinaIIy, lhe Senilic gioup vouId
have foIIoved lhe Iue NiIe lo lhe Llhiopian highIands (vheie lhe najoiily of Senilic Ianguages aie
found lo lhis day) and vouId evenluaIIy have ieached lhe naiiov sliails lhal sepaiale lhe hoin of Afiica
fion lhe Aialian IeninsuIa. Theie is convincing loponynic evidence lhal lhe Senilic speakeis fiisl
ciossed ovei inlo lhe MiddIe Lasl via lhis ioule. Tiaces of diffeienl sulgioups of Senilic aie found aII
aIong lhe easlein and veslein shoies of Aialia.avaiIalIe evidence poinls lovaid a MiddIe Afiican oiigin
nol onIy foi Afioasialic as a vhoIe, lul aIso foi lhe Senilic gioup.
4


This evidence indicales lhal Keniles (Lgyplians) and (Aialian) Seniles aie silIings,
cousins al lhe veiy Ieasl. Theii elhnic, anlhiopoIogicaI, and Iinguislic ieIaledness suggesl lhal
ve shouId expecl lheii ieIigio-
cuIluiaI heiilages lo le ieIaled in lhe
sane vay. The evidence does nol
confiin lhe popuIai and ofl-iepealed
cIain lhal IsIan deiived fion
Kenelic Maal. Ralhei, a noie
ieasonalIe concIusion lhal lhe
evidence aIIovs is lhal lhe
ienaikalIe siniIaiilies lelveen
Maal and (piolo-)IsIan aie due lo
lhen lolh leing vaiianl liadilions of
ieIaled Afiican peopIes vho
inhaliled opposile sides of lhe Red
Sea and vho nay have uIlinaleIy
deiived fion lhe aieas aiound lhe
calaiacls of NiIe. As Iiof enaid Leenan, Iinguisl and hisloiian of Afiica iepoils:
AichaeoIogicaI evidence shovs lhal a connon cuIluie did exisl on lhe opposile shoies of lhe
Red Sea, ca. 15OO-1OOO .C.L.
5

Il lhus shouId cone as no suipiise lhal lhe ieIigious liadilions on lolh sides of lhe Red
Sea veie ienaikalIy siniIai. The ieIigion of lhe piehisloiic Afiican Seniles of Aialia is lhe
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4
NichoIas IaiacIas, They Cane efoie lhe Lgyplians: Linguislic Lvidence foi lhe Afiican Rools of Senilic
Languages, in SiIvia Iedeiici (ed.), Endurlng Western Cltl|ltatlon: The Constructlon of the Concet of Western
Cltl|ltatlon and lts Others" (Weslpoil, Conneclicul and London: Iiaegei, 1995) 175-96
5
einaid Leenan, Queen of Sheba and Blb|lca| Scho|arshl (QueensIand, AusliaIia: QueensIand Acadenic Iiess,
2OO5) 176.
9+2$."+:;&'34*5'<"2:;$+'
%"
"
genelic ancesloi of lhe IsIan of Iiophel Muhannad and lhe Iack Aials of Lale Anliquily.
6

The IsIan of Iiophel Muhannad and lhe eaiIy MusIins vas an incainalion oi ailicuIalion of
an ancienl Afiican syslen of spiiiluaIily. Maal fion Kenel vas an eaiIiei and cognale
expiession, as veie lhe spiiiluaI/ieIigious syslens of ancienl Mesopolania and ancienl India.
These aie aII cognale syslens, daughleis of lhe sane nolhei (i.e. Afiican spiiiluaI
consciousness) and falhei (Cods ieveIaloiy visdon). The siniIaiilies lhal exisl acioss aII of
lhese alove ciled ieIigious liadilions aie lo le undeislood in lhis conlexl. IsIan did nol deiive
fion Maal of Kenel, lhey aie lolh lianches fion a connon spiiiluaI liunk, spiiiluaI fiuils
fion lhe sane Afiican liee.
ul lhis Afiican IsIan of lhe Iiophel Muhannad
7
did nol suivive nuch pasl lhe fiisl
IsIanic cenluiy. Whiles (IaigeIy Ieisians, yzanlines and Tuiks) conveiled lo IsIan and lo
Aialisn, squeezing lhe oiiginaI Iack Aial foundeis oul poIilicaIIy, niIilaiiIy, inleIIecluaIIy,
and ieIigiousIy, and in lhe piocess lhey liansfoined IsIan lo vhal vouId le uniecognizalIe lo
lhe Iiophel Muhannad.
8
This 'Aiyanizalion lioke IsIans conneclion vilh ils Afiican pasl
and iolled il of ils Afiican spiiiluaI coie. As Iiof CeiaId Havling olseives:

One shouId nol inagine lhal IsIan as uc |ncu i| cane fuIIy foined oul of Aialia vilh lhe Aials al lhe
line of lheii conquesl of lhe MiddIe Lasl and vas lhen accepled oi iejecled, as lhe case nighl le, ly lhe
non-Aial peopIes. AIlhough nany of lhe delaiIs aie olscuie and oflen conlioveisiaI, il seens cIeai lhal
IsIan as uc |ncu i| is IaigeIy a iesuIl of lhe inleiaclion lelveen lhe Aials and lhe peopIes lhey conqueied
duiing lhe fiisl lvo cenluiies oi so of lhe IsIanic eia vhich legan in AD 622. Duiing lhe Unayyad peiiod,
lheiefoie, lhe spiead of IsIan and lhe deveIopnenl of IsIan veie laIking pIace al lhe sane line.
9


In lhis viiling I hope lo give sone evidence of lhe facl lhal lhe pie-Aiyanized,
Afiican IsIan is cognale vilh lhe Afiican Maal lhal deveIoped on lhe opposile side
of lhe Red Sea niIIennia eaiIiei. As such, lhe Quian of 7lh cenluiy CL Aialia and lhe
ieIigious lexls of Lgypl aie aII 'sciipluies and equaIIy inpoilanl pieces of lhe 'puzzIe of liulh.
%

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6
On lhe Iack Aials of eaiIy IsIan see WesIey Muhannad, B|ack Arabla and the Afrlcan Orlgln of ls|am (AlIanla:
A-Tean IulIishing, 2OO9)
7
On vhon see especiaIIy WesIey Muhannad, Gods B|ack Prohets: Deconstructlng the Mth of the Whlte
Muhammad of Arabla and the ]esus of ]erusa|em (AlIanla: A-Tean IulIishing, 2O1O), Iden. Anyone vho says lhal
lhe Iiophel is lIack shouId le kiIIed": The De-Aializalion of IsIan and lhe Tiansfiguialion of Muhannad in IsIanic
Tiadilion, hllp://divesIeyviIIians.con/yahoo_sile_adnin/assels/docs/Muhannad_AilicIe.17O121832.pdf,
Iden. Iiophel Muhannad and lhe Iack Aials:'The Wilness of Iie-Modein Chinese Souices,"
=hllp://divesIeyviIIians.con/yahoo_sile_adnin/assels/docs/Muhannad_Iack_Aials_China_Sile.187112134.p
df.
8
See WesIey Muhannad, The Aiyanizalion of IsIan, hllp://lIackaialia.lIogspol.con/2O11/O7/aiyanizalion-
of-isIan.hlnI.
9
CeiaId Havling, The |lrst Dnast of ls|am: The Umaad Ca|lhate AD 661-750 (RoulIedge, 2OOO).

&"
"
II. |rui|s cf |nc Sanc Trcc

ala Rafiq iIaI (d. Novenlei 28, 2OO8) and Thonas
Coodvin's 1987 pulIicalion, Egtlan Sacred Sclence ln ls|am:
The Sacred Sclence of Anclent Egt as retea|ed ln A|-ls|am,
vas gioundlieaking. Iiofessoi Wade NolIes, vho viole lhe
foivaid lo lhe look, caIIed lhe voik a lhoioughIy suppoiled
liidge lelveen IsIan and lhe Ancienl Kenelic undeislanding
of lhe nosl HoIy of HoIies. Egtlan Sacred Sclence ln ls|am
vas ceilainIy a liaiIlIazei nol unIike Di Yosef en
Yochannans, The Afrlcan Orlgln of the Ma]or Western
Re|lglons. Accoiding lo iIaI and Coodvins ieseaich, a
seiious sludy of lhe ancienl ieIigion of Lgypl and lhe ieIigion
of aI-IsIan ieveaIs lhe lvo lo acluaIIy le diffeienl expiessions
of lhe sane liulhs.
1O
The sludy of lhese lvo liadilions
convinced iIaI and Coodvin lhal:

AInighly piesenled essenliaIIy lhe sane liulhs lo lhe pie-hisloiic Lgyplians vho luiIl lhe faluIous
civiIizalion upon lhe piincipIes of lhe Sacied ReveIalion, as He piesenled lhousands of yeais Ialei lo
Iiophel Muhannad Iln Ald AIIah in lhe HoIy Quian. HoIy Quian is lhe puiificalion and iefinenenl of
lhis ancienl syslen of knovIedge. The liulh fion Cod is one liulh. In oidei lo convey lhe lody of
knovIedge vhich lhey ieceived, lhe ancienl Lgyplians deveIoped lhe nosl eIaloiale educalionaI syslen
in lhe hisloiy of nan. Iiophel Muhannad, lhe unIelleied Iiophel (lhe Uni Iiophel) ieceived and
liansnilled lhe sane lody of knovIedge lhiough ieveIalion nany lhousands of yeais Ialei.
11


iIaI and Coodvin sel oul lo docunenl lhe nexus lelveen lhe Quianic Iexicon and
hisloiiogiaphy and Kenelic Sacied Science, aiguing lhal:

Wilhin lhe pages of lhe HoIy Quian, viapped in lhe ancienl Aialic Ianguage aie pieseived lhe foIIoving
aspecls of Lgyplian hisloiy and sacied science (anong olheis): 1: Concepl of Cod, Naluie and KnovIedge
2: Lgyplian sacied neasuienenls |elc.j .
12


I fuIIy concui vilh iIaI and Coodvin. A cIose exaninalion of lhe ieIigious Iileialuie of
ancienl Lgypl and Quinic/IsIanic liadilion confiins lhal lhe lvo liadilions (Kenelic and
IsIanic) shaie a lasic undeislanding of Cod. This concuiience of Kenelic and IsIanic lheoIogy
goes a Iong vay in denonslialing lhal Maal and IsIan aie cognale liadilions and spiing fion
lhe sane Afiican Tiee of SpiiiluaIily.

"
"
"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!'
Rafiq iIaI and Thonas Coodvin, Egtlan Sacred Sclence ln ls|am: The Sacred Sclence of Anclent Egt as
retea|ed ln A|-ls|am (n.p.: n.p., 1987)147."
!!
iIaI and Coodvin, Egtlan Sacred Sclence, 8."
!#
iIaI and Coodvin, Egtlan Sacred Sclence, 8."
("
"
/ /$ $8 8# #9 9/ /( (& &# #+ +%: :4 4& &* *; ;%< <. .( (%. .0 0%) )& & & &$ $%& &' '( (%= =7 74 4& &# #%

8isni||n ir-rann nir-ran
Qu|. nuua ||nu nad
A||nu -anad
|an qa|id ua-|an qu|ad
la-|an qa|un |anu |ufuan nad

In lhe nane of AIIah, lhe eneficenl, lhe MeicifuI
1 Say: He AIIah is One
2 AIIah is lhe LleinaI (a|-anad)
3 He legels nol, noi is He legollen
4 And none is equaI lo Hin.

Sial aI-IkhIs |112j

"
)* A|un=Adan"

iIaI and Coodvin viile:

The HoIy Quian specifies and iepeals lhal divine piophecy exlends fion Adan lo Muhannad.
Theiefoie, lhe fiisl in lhe Iine of Osiiian-Hoiian figuies vas Adan hinseIf. The oiiginaI nane foi Adan
vas (lhe ancienl Lgyplian) Ten, oi Alen, Ialei Alun. Ten in Lgyplian sacied science is lhe fiisl soIai
heio, vho evoIved inlo Hoius, nol lhe fiisl physicaI nan, as laughl in }udaeo-Chiislian nylhoIogy.
Quianic ieveIalion is consislenl vilh lhe univeisaI piincipIe of Ten found in ancienl Lgypl.
13
"

This is an inpoilanl, lhough adnilledIy slunning confession ly oui MusIin liolhei Rafiq iIaI,
lul il is iighl on: The Quianic Adan is no doull lhe Lgyplian Alun. iIaI and Coodvin
coiieclIy poinl oul Ialei:

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!$
"iIaI and Coodvin, Egtlan Sacred Sclence, +&*"
,"
"
The ancienl Lgyplian Iegend of Ten and Tenpl (i.e. Tens fenaIe conpIinenl) is lhe piololype of lhe
nylhoIogy of Adan and Lve in lhe gaiden.

This is as liue in ieIalion lo lhe Quian as il is in ieIalion lo lhe Heliev ilIe. Regaiding lhe
Iallei Di. ChaiIes Iinch poinled oul:

The iool of ATM is TM (TLM/TUM) vhich has seveiaI neanings, anong lhen 'peopIe and 'conpIelion
(Adan iepiesenled lhe conpIelion of Cods voik on lhe 6lh day). Alun is no Iess lhe COMILLTL OR
ILRILCT DIVINL MAN. A cognale iool of TLM is DLM and lhis neans 'lo nane (Adan vas lhe nanei
of aII lhe aninaIs). Thus, lhe nosl eIenenlaiy and indispulalIe elynoIogicaI anaIysis denonsliales lhal
ALL THL ATTRIUTLS OI THL LCYITIAN DLITY ATUM ARL LMRACLD IN THL HLRLW
ADAM.
14
"

Thal lheie aie lhe sane IexicaI and nylhoIogicaI conneclions vilh lhe Quians Adan vas
equaIIy poinled oul ly iIaI and Coodvin:

Adan vas lhe fiisl lo le laughl lhe nanes of aII lhings.The void-nane 'Ten neans lo le conpIele, 'lo
nake an end of. He vas knovn as lhe Sun-god (piincipIe) vhich lioughl lhe day lo an end, i.e. as lhe
evening oi nighl sun. The Aialic void (vilh lhe sane Ielleis) is lanna vhich neans lo lecone
conpIeled, finished done, lo cane lo an end, le oi lecone leininaled.
15
"

ul lhe paiaIIeIs lelveen lhe Lgyplian Alun and lhe ilIicaI/Quianic Adan go nuch
deepei lhan lhis and lhe inpIicalions foi undeislanding lhe Quian aie piofound. To liuIy
appieciale lhis facl, ve nusl undeisland jusl vho Alun is.

))* A|un. Tnc Onc ||crna| Gcd"
"
Qu|: huua ||hu had
6*/>'?"'3@@*8'(3%;#1'$&'A+" '

Like nany olhei ieadeis of Lgyplian ieIigious Iileialuie iIaI and Coodvin veie
convinced lhal lhe ancienl Lgyplians veie nonolheisls, leIieveis in one Supiene Cod, ialhei
lhan poIylheisls, voishipeis of an indisciininanl assoilnenl of nany gods.

An exaninalion of lhe eaiIiesl ieIigious viilings knovn lo nan, indicales lhal lhe oiiginaI concepl of
nonolheisn vas lhe Lgyplian 'Nelei of Nelei oi 'Cieal IiincipIe oi 'Cieal Cod.In lhe eaiIiesl of lexls,
lhe aichaic Lgyplians give liilule lo 'lhe Cieal Cod fion vhich aII ciealion enanaled.

They say fuilhei:

In lhe piincipIe (nc|cr) of Anon, lhe hidden, ve have an inpoilanl aspecl of nonolheisn vhich is
ielained in.aI-IsIan, lhe unseealIe, non-depiclalIe chaiaclei of lhe AInighly, The vaIidily of lhe
piincipIe is fuilhei iIIuslialed ly lhe nane Anen in Chiislian, }evish and IsIanic piayeis. Al lhe end of
each piayei, ve pionounce lhe nane of lhis piincipIe vhen ve say: Anen."

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!%
ChaiIes Iinch, Echoes of the O|d Dark|and (Decalui, Ceoigia: Khenli, Inc., 1992) 144."
!&
iIaI and Coodvin, Egtlan Sacred Sclence, 95. "
-"
"
WhiIe lhis Ialei cIain is lo a ceilain exlanl liue, il nusl le
seveieIy quaIified. Anun is jusl anolhei nane foi Alun. As
AIleil Chuichvaid confiins:"

Anen.vas anolhei nane foi Alun.In lhe hynns lo Alen-Ra he is
adoied as one and lhe sane as Alun, vhich shovs lhal Anen is a Ialei
nane foi Alun, and he is iepiesenled as 'lhe hidden god of Anenla, oi
'lhe seciel eailh.
16
"

Alun vas aIvays depicled as an anlhioponoiphic deily, i.e. a
god vilh a hunan (an|nrcpcs) foin (ncrpnc). Yel Alun, in his
guise as Anun, vas voishipped as lhe c|crna| Gcd. "

Anen is lhe one god vho is aIvays depicled in hunan
foin.Anen.vas lhe onIy deily in aII Lgypl vho vas expiessIy
voishipped ly lhe lilIe of 'Ankhu, lhe evei-Iiving one eleinaI Cod.
17
"

Alun is lhus lhe evei Iiving one Cod of ancienl Lgypl.

A||hu -amad'
3@@*8'$&'%8"'-%"4+*@'

Chuichvaid noles:

Alun-Ra decIaies lhal he is lhe One Cod, lhe one jusl oi iighleous Cod, lhe one Iiving Cod.He is Unicus,
lhe soIe and onIy one (Ril., Chaps. 2, 17) leside vhon lheie is none olhei.

Al lhe sane line ve nusl nol foigel lhal aII of lhese diffeienl nanes of gods (in Lgypl) veie sinpIy lhe
alliilules of lhe One Cod. In lhe 17
lh
chaplei of lhe (Lgyplian) RiluaI il says: 'His nanes logelhei
conpose lhe cycIe of lhe gods.In lhe 17
lh
chaplei of 'The ook of lhe Dead' il is said: 'I an lhe Cieal
Cod-seIf ciealed, lhal is lo say, vho nade his nanes - 'lhe conpany of lhe gods of Cod.
18












""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!(
Chuichvaid, Orlgln and Eto|utlon, 254. "
!,
Chuichvaid, Orlgln and Eto|utlon, 255."
!-
Chuichvaid, Slgns and Smbo|s, 62. "
3%;#B''
C4"*%:4'D:2':E'!"#"%'
+"
"
III. A|un. Tnc 8|ac| Crca|cr-Gcd cf Kcnc|

In lhe ancienl cily of Annu (HeIiopoIis), Alun vas incoipoialed inlo lhe IocaI divine
liiad: Kncpri, Ra and A|un.
19
These veie nol vieved as sepaiale deilies lul as 'liansfoinalions
(fion lhe Lgyplian void |ncpcr, 'lo cone inlo leing, lo liansfoin) of lhe singuIai soIai deily.
2O

Though Aluns nane cIoses lhis liiad, he acluaIIy opens lhe Lgyplian 'Mylh of Ciealion.
Alun, vhose nane neans 'lhe AII, vas conceived lolh as lhe |c|a|i|q cf ocing lefoie lhe
ciealion sel in nolion,
21
lhe sun of aII nallei,
22
as veII as lhe inleinaI, unconscious foice,
lhal lecane conscious of ilseIf lhen nanifesled ilseIf of ils ovn viII.
23
In olhei voids, A|un
vas lhe alliilule given lolh lo lhe daik, aqualic piinoidiaI nallei - eIsevheie caIIed Nun -
and lhe Iuninous foice lhal iesided hidden and unconscious vilhin lhis nallei.
24
Al a ceilain
poinl divine unconsciousness luined inlo divine consciousness and lhe divine Iuninosily
concenlialed ilseIf inlo an alon, synloIized ly lhe Iuninous egg vilhin lhe daik ocean.
25

ConpeIIed ly his ovn viII, lhe Iuninous aspecl of Alun eneiged - seIf piopeIIed - oul of lhe
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!+
}. Cvyn Ciiffilhs, Tiiune Conceplions of Cod in Ancienl Lgypl, Zeltschrlft fr gtlsche Srache und
A||cr|uns|undc 1OO (1973): 28-32, IascaI Veinus, The Gods of Anclent Egt (London and Nev Yoik: Tauiis Iaike
ooks, 1998) 45, David, Re|lglon and Maglc, 58."
#'
Iianoise Dunand and Chiisliane Zivie-Coche, Gods and Men ln Egt: 3000 BCE to 395 CE (Ilhaca and London:
CoineII Univeisily Iiess, 2OO4) 23: Despile lhis liipaililion.he vas one."
#!
Dunand and Zivie-Coche, Gods and Men ln Egt, 25."
##
Quiike, Cu|t of Ra, 25."
#$
Dunand and Zivie-Coche, Gods and Men ln Egt, 47."
#%
On lhe daik piinoidiaI nallei and divine Iuninosily vilhin see HeInei Ringgien, Lighl and Daikness in Ancienl
Lgyplian ReIigion, in Llber amlcorum. Studles ln Honour of Professor Dr. C.]. B|eeker. Pub|lshed on the Occaslon of
hls Retlrement from the Chalr of the Hlstor of Re|lglons and the henomeno|og of Re|lglon at the Unlterslt of
Amsterdam Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1969: 14O-15O, Dunand and Zivie-Coche, Gods and Men ln Egt, 45-46, }anes I. AIIen,
The CosnoIogy of lhe Iyianid Texls. In Re|lglon and Phl|osoh ln Anclent Egt (Nev Haven: YaIe
LgyploIogicaI Seiies, 1989): 1-28. "
#&
See L.A. WaIIis udge, The Egtlan Book of the Dead (The Parus of Anl). Egtlan Text Trans|lterated and
Trans|ated (Nev Yoik: Dovei IulIicalions, Inc. 1967) xcviii, vho quoles: lheie vas in lhe leginning neilhei heaven
noi eailh, and nolhing exisled excepl a loundIess piinevaI nass of valei vhich vas shiouded in daikness and
vhich conlained vilhin ilseIf lhe geins oi leginnings, naIe and fenaIe, of eveiylhing vhich vas lo le in lhe fuluie
voiId. The divine piinevaI spiiil vhich foined an essenliaI pail of lhe piinevaI nallei feIl vilhin ilseIf lhe desiie lo
legin lhe voik of ciealion, and ils void voke lo Iife lhe voiId, lhe foin and shape of vhich il had aIieady depicled
lo ilseIf. The fiisl acl of ciealion legan vilh lhe foinalion of an egg oul of lhe piinevaI valei, fion vhich lioke
foilh R, lhe innediale cause of aII Iife upon eailh. On lhe cosnogonic egg in Lgyplian liadilion see fuilhei:
Ringgien, Lighl and Daikness, 141, OiIy CoIdvassei, ||n - lhe 'CoIden Lgg (CT IV 292l-c |9C
a
j), in Essas on
Anclent Egt ln honour of Herman te Ve|de (Cioningen: Slyx, 1997): 79-84, CIiffoid, Creatlon Accounts, 1O6, 112,
R.T. RundIe CIaik, Mth and Smbo| ln Anclent Egt (London: Thanes and Hudson, 1959) 56. On lhe cosnogonic
egg see fuilhei Maiie-Louise von Iianz, Creatlon Mths ievised edilion (oslon and London: ShanlhaIa, 1995),
Chaplei Lighl (Ceins and Lggs), ER 5:36-7 s.v. Lgg ly Venelia NevaII, iden, An Egg at Easter: A |o|k|ore Stud
(Iooninglon: Indiana Univeisily Iiess, 1971) Chaplei One, Anna-iilla HeIIlon, The Ciealion Lgg, Ethnos 1
(1963): 63-1O5, H.}. Sheppaid, Lgg SynloIisn in AIcheny, Amblx 6 (Augusl, 1958): 14O-148, IhiIip Iieund, Mths
of Creatlon (Nev Yoik: Washinglon Squaie Iiess, Inc, 1965), Chaplei Iive, Mailli Haavio, Vlnmlnen: Eterna|
Sage (HeIsinki, 1952) 45-63, On lhe cosnic egg as prina na|cria see aIso C.C. }ung, Pscho|og and A|chem (2
nd
ed.,
Iiincelon: Iiincelon Univeisily Iiess, 1968) 2O2. On lhe goIden cosnogonic egg and lhe piinoidiaI alon see Iieund,
Mths of Creatlon, Chaplei 15. "
!'"
"
daik, aqualic nallei. This iniliaI, Iuninous, seIf-eneigenl slage of lhe
deilys evoIulion is peisonified in lhe god Kncpri, iepiesenled
synloIicaIIy/hieiogIyphicaIIy as a scaial leelIe. The scaial leelIes
appaienlIy sponlaneous eneigence oul of a laII of dung synloIized
lhe ciealoi-gods seIf-ciealion oul of lhe piinoidiaI nallei - lhal is, lhe
seIf-foinalion of his ovn Iuninous anlhioponoiphic lody.
26
Wilh lhis
Iuninous hunan foin in aII ils iiiadianl gIoiy lhe ciealoi-god is caIIed
Ra. The 'Ra slage in lhis divine evoIulion is iepiesenled ly lhe nidday
sun al ils giealesl slienglh. "
Alun-Ra vas a seIf-ciealed Ciealoi god - he ciealed his ovn
foin:"

O |Alun-jRe vho gave liilh lo iighleousness, soveieign vho ciealed aII lhis, vho
luiIl his Iinls, vho nodeIed his lody, vho ciealed hinseIf, vho gave liilh lo
hinseIf.
27
"

I (Alun) ciealed ny lody in ny gIoiy, I an he vho nade MyseIf, I foined
MyseIf accoiding lo ny viII and accoiding lo ny heail.
28
"

As }. Zandee noles:

Alun is 'conpIele as an andiogynous god. He uniles vilhin hinseIf nascuIinily and fenininily. He
possesses aII condilions lo liing foilh lhe aII oul of hin. He vas a Monad and nade hinseIf niIIions of
ciealuies vhich he conlained polenliaIIy in hinseIf. Hc uas |nc cnc unc canc in|c ocing cf ninsc|f (hpi ds.f),
unc uas |nc crca|cr cf nis cun cxis|cncc, lhe causa sui |cause of ilseIfj.
29


Il shouId le poinled oul heie lhal as lhe eleinaI, seIf-evoIved deily Alun vas unocgc||cn,
in conliasl lo Ialei geneialions of Cods (neleiu) vho veie, and as an andiogynous naIe leing
Alun aIso vas undeislood lo ocgc| nc|. As WiIIian I. iovn noles: UnIike lhe lheogonic paiis
in Mesopolanian ciealion, Alun is a singIe paienl, Iike IsiaeIs Cod YHWH.
3O
Alun did nol
ocgc| lhe deiivalive deilies ly copuIaling vilh a goddess as viII Ialei lecone lhe noin vilh
lhese deilies. Ralhei, he spi| cu| lhe fiisl geneialion of gods.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
#(
Ceoige Hail, A Dlctlonar of Egtlan Gods and Goddesses (London, oslon and HenIey: RoulIedge & Kegan
IauI, 1986) 1O8-11O s.v. Khepii. See fuilhei }. Zandee, The iilh-Civing Ciealoi-Cod in Ancienl Lgypl, in AIan .
LIoyd (ed.), Studles ln Pharaonlc Re|lglon and Soclet, ln Honour of ]. Gun Grlfflths London: The Lgypl
LxpIoialion Sociely, 1992: 168-185, Dunand and Zivie-Coche, Gods and Men ln Egt, 47-49."
#,
Iion Thel. Tonl 157. "
#-
Iion Hieialic Coffin Texl 714. "
#+
Zandee, iilh-Civing Ciealoi-Cod, 49. "
$'
"WiIIian I. iovn,The Seten Pl||ars of Creatlon (2O1O). "
F*B''
MIdday "5un" Gnd '
!!"
"
O Alun-Khepiei, you lecane high on lhe heighl, you iose up as lhe lnln-slone in lhe Mansion of lhe ln-
liid in On, you 6G3H'AIH (isnisn) Shu, you 6G9H'AIH (|fn|) Tefnul, and you sel youi ains aloul lhen
as lhe ains of a ka-synloI, lhal youi essence nighl le in lhen...
31


Lam a|ld ua-|am u|ad'
?"'5"."%&'+:%B'+:4'$&'?"'5".:%%"+'

Ra is lhen said lo have 'enleied lack inlo lhe piinoidiaI valeis (vhich aie nov
peisonified as lhe cov goddess Nul/Halhoi/Meheluiel
32
) and he assuned
fion lhen a lIack lody: he is nov lhe lIack, anlhioponoiphic god Alun
(again).
33
Alun of lhe liiad is Ra hinseIf, incainale in a lIack lody nade
fion lhe piinoidiaI valeis. When Ra enleis lhe daik, aqualic Dua| oi
UndeivoiId, he is acluaIIy assuning lhe daik foin of Alun vho is lheiefoie
caIIed Auf-Ra, 'lhe fIesh of Ra.
34
In Ialei nylh lhis lIack aqualic lody of
Alun-Ra is peisonified in lhe lIack deily Osiiis, vhose lIack lody ilseIf is
iepiesenled ly lhe lIack luII Apis, lhe peisonificalion of lhe piinoidiaI
valeis. The nylh of Ra joining Osiiis in lhe Dual oi UndeivoiId is acluaIIy a
picluiesque vay of piesenling Ras incainalion in lhe lIack lody, peisonified
in Osiiis, iuIei of lhe Dual. The Dual iepiesenls lhe piinoidiaI valeis and is
expIicilIy idenlified vilh lhe lIack lody of Osiiis.
35
Mouslafa CadaIIa is
coiiecl: Ra is lhe Iiving nelei vho descends inlo dealh |c occcnc Ausai - lhe
nelei of lhe dead.
36
ul Ausai/Osiiis is onIy lhe lIack lody assuned ly Ra in lhe Dual. As
Iiofessois }ohn CoIenan DaineII and CoIIeen Manassa infoin us:"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
$!
"Utterance 600 of lhe Pqranid Tcx|s as liansIaled ly R.O. IauIknei."
$#
On Halhoi/ Meheluiel as 'univeisaI cov-goddess and piinoidiaI ocean see Hail, Dlctlonar, 76 s.v. Halhoi.
Veinus, Gods of Anclent Egt, 79."
$$
On Ra ie-enleiing lhe piinoidiaI valeis and leconing Alun (again) see Dunand and Zivie-Coche, Gods and Men
ln Egt, 27, 45-46, Veinus, Gods of Anclent Egt, 45. On Ra daikening and liansfoining inlo Alun see See
Ringgien, Lighl and Daikness, 15O, KaiI W.Luckeil, Egtlan Llght and Hebreu |lre. Theo|oglca| and
Phl|osohlca| Roots of Chrlstendom ln Eto|utlonar Persectlte (AIlany: Slale Univeisily of Nev Yoik Iiess, 1991)
73. On Alun as a lIack god see }uIes TayIoi, The Iack Inage in Lgyplian Ail, ]ourna| of Afrlcan Cltl|ltatlon 1
(ApiiI, 1979) 29-38."
$%
See Quiike, Cu|t of Ra, 48, Ions, Egtlan Mtho|og, 42-43, AIexandie Iiankoff, and N. Ranlova. The Tomb of
Ramesses Vl: Texts. (oIIingen Seiies XL, Nev Yoik: Ianlheon ooks, 1954) 36-37. "
$&
See: AIIen, CosnoIogy, 21, Hans-Ielei Hasenfialz, Ialleins of Ciealion in Ancienl Lgypl, in Henning Ciaf
RevenlIov and Yaii Hoffnan (edd.), Creatlon ln ]eulsh and Chrlstlan Tradltlon (}SOTSup 319, SheffieId: SheffieId
Acadenic Iiess, 2OO2) 176, }an Assnann, The Search for God ln Anclent Egt, liansIaled fion lhe Ceinan ly David
Loilon (Ilhaca and Nev Yoik: CoineII Univeisily Iiess, 2OO1) 41, iden, Death and Sa|tatlon ln Anclent Egt,
liansIaled fion lhe Ceinan ly David Loilon (Ilhaca and London: CoineII Univeisily Iiess, 2OO5) 188, CIaik, Mth
and Smbo|, 158, Mailin Lev and CaioI Ring, }ouiney of lhe Nighl Sun, Parabo|a 8 (1983): 14-18, Teience
DuQuesne, Re in lhe Daikness, Dlscusslons ln Egto|og 26 (1993): 96-1O5, AIleil Chuichvai d, Slgns S
Smbo|s of Prlmordla| Man: The Eto|utlon of Re|lglous Doctrlnes from the Eschato|og of the Anclent Egtlans
(iookIyn: A& IulIisheis Cioup, 1994, iepiinl ) 63-66, 274-6, 322. "
$(
Mouslafa CadaIIa, Egtlan Cosmo|og: The Anlmated Unlterse (Cieensloio, N.C.: Tehuli Reseaich Ioundalion,
2OO1) 42. "
!#"
"
Accoiding lo lhe ook of Andual, in lhe fiflh houi of lhe nighl, lhe sun god pIunged inlo lhe piinoidiaI
valeis, oul of vhich ciealion oiiginaIIy aiose
37
.lhe sun god alsoiled lhe chaolic povei of lhe piinoidiaI
valeis, vhich enguIfed lhe iennanls-'fIesh-of lhe once viiiIe soIai god.
38
"

And as AIleil Chuichvaid had aIieady sav:

Osiiis is a figuie of inaninale naluie, peisonaIized as lhe nunny
vilh a hunan foin and face, vhiIsl leing aIso an inage of nallei as
lhe physicaI lody of lhe god.
39
"

The lIack luII (| |n) of Osiiis, Apis, peisonified lhe
valeis of lhe NiIe vhich vas iegaided as a lype of Nun, lhe
daik, piinevaI valeiy nass oul of vhich ciealion spiang.
4O

The Lgyplian Alun-Ra is lhus a duaIily, lhe Ccniunc|ic
cppcsi|crun: in lhe
Iyianid Texls he is
lolh lon-urr, lhe
Cieal One vho shines foilh, as veII as Ialhei Alun
vho is in Daikness.
41
This duaIily is iIIuslialed
fuilhei ly lhe hieiogIyph foi 'fIood: il is a heion liid
peiched on a slick, an aIIusion lo lhe connon sighl
duiing lhe sunnei high NiIe of liids cIinging lo
vood. The heion is lhe sign of lhe enu liid, lhe
piinevaI liid of Alun-Ra.
42
The enu enlodies lhe
iadiance enanaling fion lhe sun.
43
This hieiogIyph is
consislenl vilh olhei Lgyplian souices vhich affiin
lhal lhe enu liid piesides ovei lhe fIood. We lhus
have synloIized in lhis hieiogIyph lhe conjunclion of
lhe soIai eIenenl and lhe aqualic eIenenl.
44
Alun is lhe
conjunclion lelveen lhe soIai (Ra) and lhe aqualic
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
$,
Liik Hoinung, Das Amduat, dle Schrlft des terborgenen Raumes, Tel| ll: Ubersettung und kommentar (Wiesladen:
Ollo Haiiassovilz, 1963) 1O4-1O8. "
$-
}ohn CoIenan DaineII and CoIIeen Manassa, Tutankhamuns Armles: Batt|e and Conquest durlng Anclent Egts
Late 18
th
Dnast (Holoken, Nev }eisey: }ohn WiIey & Sons, Inc., 2OO7) 22-23. "
$+
AIleil Chuichvaid, The Orlgln and Eto|utlon of Re|lglon (1924, ensenviIIe, II: Lushena ooks, Inc., 2OO3) 57. "
%'
See LniIe Chassinal, La Mise a Moil RilueIIe DApis, Recuel| de trataux re|atlfs a |a hl|o|og et a |archeo|ogle
egtlennes et assrlennes 38 |1916j 33-6O, L.A. WaIIis udge, The Egtlan Book of the Dead (The Parus of Anl).
Egtlan Text Trans|lterated and Trans|ated |Nev Yoik: Dovei IulIicalions, Inc. 1967j cxxiii."
!"
Ringgien, Lighl and Daikness, 142. #
%#
Hail, DlctlonarB 57-58 s.v. enu."
%$
Quiike, Cu|t of Ra, 28."
%%
Quiike, Cu|t of Ra, 29-3O."
J*2/'H*0"4"%'04*/$+.'%:'3%;#)'K/+*&%/'
LMNLO)'J:;P4"'-'OLNQRSSR'
!$"
"
(piinoidiaI valeis/Osiiis). This conjunclion of lhe soIai Iuninosily (Ra) and lhe lIack, aqualic
eIenenl (Osiiis) pioduced lhe dislinclive o|uc coIoi of lhe gieal Cods. "

).* A|un in |nc Hcorcu 8io|c "
"
In his connenlaiy on lhe ook of Cenesis, CIaus Wesleinann caIIed oui allenlion lo an
inpoilanl facl, lhe iecognilion of vhich is ciilicaI lo a piopei undeislanding of lhe Cenesis
ciealion accounl and, indeed, lhe lheoIogy lehind il.

The fiisl chaplei of Cenesis had ils oiigin in lhe couise of a hisloiy of liadilion of vhich lhe viillen lexl of
I (i.e. lhe IiieslIy aulhoi of Cenesis) is lhe Iasl slage, and vhich slielches lack ocqcnd and cu|sidc |srac| in a
Iong and nany-lianched oiaI pie-hisloiy.
45
"

The oiigin of lhe Cenesis 1 ciealion naiialive does indeed Iie oulside of IsiaeI, and lheie
can le no doull as lo ils geneiaI piovenance: Thal sone foin oi olhei of lhe ancienl Neai-
Laslein nylh of ciealion Iies lehind lhe IiieslIy accounl cannol le denied.
46
The spccific
piovenance, hovevei, has leen delaled. Since lhe pulIicalion of lhe alyIonian ciealion
accounl, |nna c|s, in 1876 ly Ceoige Snilh lhe siniIaiilies lelveen lhe alyIonian and
Heliev naiialives have leen oflen noled.
47
The alyIonian LxiIe (587-538 CL), duiing vhich
Iaige nunleis of }evish piiesls and olheis veie exiIed in alyIon, is suieIy a piopei conlexl in
vhich lo undeisland lhese siniIaiilies. ul IsiaeI aIso, eaiIiei and foi a Iongei peiiod of line,
veie in Lgypl. Moses vas an Lgyplian (Lxod. 2:19) Ieained in aII lhe visdon of Lgypl (Acl
7:22). Indeed, vhiIe alyIonian infIuence is disceinalIe in lhe sliucluie of Cenesis 1, sone of
lhe vocaluIaiy and sone of lheii lheoIogicaI conlenl, schoIais have poinled oul lhal lhis
ciealion accounl lhal vas ediled duiing lhe LxiIe ilseIf oiiginaIIy deiives fion lhe nuch oIdei
Heliev conlacl vilh Lgyplian cosnogonic liadilion.
48
"

When lhe lenpIale of ancienl Lgyplian ciealion liadilions is heId up againsl lhe Cenesis I ciealion accounl
lheie is a quile ienaikalIe coiiespondence. The concIusion is slaik and conpeIIing: ancienl Lgypl
piovided lhe foundalion liadilion vhich vas shaped and handed dovn ly successive piieslIy
geneialions.Ancienl Lgypl pioves lo le lhe singIe, coheienl and iich souice of lhe piieslIy ciealion
liadilion. The NiIe civiIizalion piovides nol sinpIy a possilIe conlexl foi odd veises, lul again and again
accounls foi lhe delaiIs of lhe Cenesis I ciealion naiialive and is lhe key lo ils connon lhiead.
49
"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
%&
Wesleinann, Genesls 1-11, 83."
%(
IsIvyn Iylhin, A Nole on Cenesis 1
2
, VT 12 (1962): 12O |ail.=12O-121j. See aIso WhilIey, Ialleins of Ciealion,
36, Aivid S. KapeIiud, The MylhoIogicaI Iealuies in Cenesis Chaplei 1 and lhe Aulhois Inlenlion, VT 24 (1974):
179. Susan Nidilch (Chaos to Cosmos: Studles ln Blb|lca| Patterns of Creatlon |SISH 6, Chico, CaIifoinia: SchoIais
Iiess, 1985j 18) noled aIso lhal Theie is no doull a shaied Neai Laslein nolion of lhe vay lhe cosnos oidei
unfoIded, and Cen. 1 iefIecls lhal shaied nolion."
%,
See e.g. A. HeideI, The Bab|onlan Genesls (Chicago: Univeisily of Chicago Iiess, 1942)."
%-
Rikki L. Walls (On lhe Ldge of lhe MiIIenniun: Making Sense of Cenesis 1, in Hans oeisna |ed.j. Lltlng ln the
LambLlght: Chrlstlanlt and Contemorar Cha||enges to the Gose| |Vancouvei: Regenl CoIIege IulIishing, 2OO1j
138-9 |ail.=129-51j) aigues lhal in lhe Iighl of lhe line IsiaeI spenl in Lgypl, lhe doninanl lackgiound againsl
vhich Cenesis 1 is iead and heaid shouId le lhe Lgyplian ciealion accounls."
%+
}anes L. AlveII, An Lgyplian Souice foi Cenesis I, ]TS 51 (2OOO): 466-7 |ail.=441-77j."
!%"
"
The fiisl chaplei of Cenesis is in facl a Heliev adaplalion of an ancienl Lgyplian cosnogony
vilh heavy alyIonian infIuence.
5O
As such, lhe Lgyplian oiiginaI casls an iIIuninaling Iighl on
Cenesis 1. As Aliahan Yahuda noled:"

lhe Lgyplian lackgiound.lhiovs fuII Iighl on lhe nosl inpoilanl and conspicuous poinls of ciealion (in
Cenesis), and expIains nany fealuies vhich have aIvays puzzIed lhe inleipieleis and lheoIogians. In
sone inslances il gives us lhe key lo lhe soIulion of piolIens vhich veie consideied insoIulIe.
51
"

Theiefoie, in oidei lo nake since of lhe enignalic piieslIy ciealion accounl, ve nusl
avaiI ouiseIves lo nol onIy lhe lilIicaI piieslIy naleiiaIs in lhe Toiah and lhe Heliev ilIe
geneiaIIy, lul aIso lo lhe Lgyplian and alyIonian oiiginaIs.
52
"

IV.1. Adan. Tnc 8|ac| 8cdq cf Gcd

The ciealion of Adan on Day Six of lhe Cenesis ciealion naiialive (cosnogony) vas lhe
ciovn of Cods ciealive aclivily.
"
And Cod said: Lel us nake Adan/nan as oui inage ( !c|cn), accoiding lo oui Iikeness ( dn|)(Cen.
1:26)
53
"

Adan vas lhus nade lo le lhe inage of Cod, , !c|cn "nin. The Heliev !c|cn
neans piinaiiIy slalue
54
and !c|cn !nin is a cognale of lhe Akkadian !a|an i|i/i|ni, lhe
connon Mesopolanian lein foi god-slalues.
55
SchoIais have nov seen lhal lhis leininoIogicaI
congiuence conlains concepluaI congiuence as veII: lhe !c|cn (inage) of Cenesis is lhe
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
&'
Heinan CunkeI (InfIuence of alyIonian, 44) viole lhal Cen. 1 is neieIy lhe }udaic ievoiking of nuch oIdei
liadilionaI naleiiaI lhal oiiginaIIy nusl have leen consideialIy noie nylhoIogicaI in naluie, and accoiding lo W.I.
AIliighl (Conliilulions, 365) I effaced lhe oiiginaI oulIines of lhe Lgyplo-Ihoenician cosnogonic naiialive lhal
he ieceived. "
&!
Aliahan ShaIon Yahuda, The Accurac of the Blb|e (London: WiIIian Heinenan Lld., 1934), 136."
&#
This is nol lo deny lhe nev and idiosyncialic vays in vhich IsiaeI nay have ieceived, inleipieled and uliIized
lhese ancienl liadilions. Il is lo say, hovevei, lhal any allenpl lo inleipiel lhis lexl nusl considei aII avaiIalIe souice
naleiiaIs lhal leai on lhe lexl, lhe Lgyplian naleiiaIs incIuded. "
&$
The oc|n in o!a|nnu, usuaIIy liansIaled in oui inage is lo le iead as oc|n csscn|iac, as oui inage (!#"#$).
See TLOT 3:1O82 s.v. , ly WiIdleigei, TDOT 12:394 s.v. ly Slendelach, D.}.A. CIines, The Inage of Cod in
Man, TnBu| 19 (1968): 76-8O. On oc|n csscn|iac see }.H. ChaiIesvoilh, The 8c|n |sscn|iac And lhe Ieinissive
Meaning of lhe HiphiI (ApheI), in H.W. Alliidge, }.}. CoIIins and T.H. Tolin (edd.), Of Scrlbes and Scro||s: Studles
on the Hebreu Blb|e, lntertestamenta| ]udalsm, and Chrlstlan Orlglns, Presented to ]ohn Strugne|| on the Occaslon
of Hls Slxtleth Blrthda (Lanhan: Univeisily Iiess of Aneiica, 199O) 67-78, Cyius H. Coidon, 'In of Iiedicalion oi
LquivaIence, ]BL 1OO (1981) 612-613, Lavience N. Manioss, lh Lssenliae, ]BL 73 (1954): 238-9. On lhe olhei
hand, ve undeisland lhe in |idnu|nnu as |apn of lhe noin (accoiding lo oui Iikeness). See nov W. RandaII
Caii, ln Hls Oun lmage and Llkeness: Humanlt, Dltlnlt, and Monothelsm (Leiden: iiII, 2OO3) Chaplei Six.""
&%
Ludvig KoehIei and WaIlei aungailnei, The Hebreu and Aramalc Lexlcon of the O|d Testament (heieaflei
HALOT) (5voIs., Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1994-) 3:1O28-29, s.v. ."
&&
The Assrlan Dlctlonar (heieaflei CAD, Chicago: OiienlaI Inslilule of lhe Univeisily of Chicago, 1962) 16: 78l-
8Oa, 84l-85a, s.v. $aInu, L. DougIas Van uien, The !a|nc in Mesopolanian Ail and ReIigion, Orlenta|la 5 (1936):
65-92. "
!&"
"
Mesopolanian !a|nu (cuIl-inage), lhus Adan vas ciealed lo le lhe Iiving slalue of lhe deily,
lhe deilys veiy piesence on eailh.
56
"

Cen 1:26.can onIy le undeislood againsl lhe lackgiound of an ancienl Yahveh slalue.Heie lhe leins
!|n and dnu| aie used as synonyns denoling 'slalue. Hunans aie lhus ciealed lo le lhe Iiving slalues of
lhe deily. The iiluaI of vivifying lhe cuIl slalue vas liansfeiied lo nan in Cenesis 2. Theie vas no fuilhei
need of a divine inage lecause.hunans iepiesenled Yahveh, as a slalue vouId have done.
57
"

The Mesopolanian !a|nu, Iike lhe Lgyplian and ancienl Neai Laslein cuIl-inage
geneiaIIy, vas dislinguished ly ils anlivaIenl god.nol god idenlily: vhiIe lhe slalue is
dislinguished fion lhe god vhon il iepiesenls, il is aIso idenlified vilh and liealed as lhe god
ilseIf.
58
The ieason is lhal lhe ancienl Neai Laslein cuIl slalue vas nol onIy a iepiesenlalive
iepIica of lhe god, il vas aIso lhe dveIIing pIace of lhal gods essence/spiiil (oa).
59
As Zainal
ahiani puls il: (The slalue) vas nol consideied lo iesenlIe an oiiginaI ieaIily lhal vas
piesenl eIsevheie lul lo ccn|ain lhal ieaIily in ilseIf.
6O
Il signified, accoiding lo }ohannes
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
&(
See alove, HALOT 3:1O28-1O29, DDD s.v. Inage, ly A. Livingslone, 448-45O, SanueI L. Loevenslann,
'eIoved is Man in lhal he vas ciealed in lhe Inage, in iden, Comaratlte Studles ln Blb|lca| and Anclent
Orlenta| Llteratures (AOAT, 2O4, KeveIaei: ulzon & eickei, Neukiichen-VIuyn: Neukiichenei VeiIag, 198O) 48-5O. "
&,
Heileil Niehi, In Seaich of Yahvehs CuIl Slalule in lhe Iiisl TenpIe, in The lmage and the Book, 93-94. See aIso
S. Dean Mciide }i., Divine IiolocoI: Cenesis 1:1-2:3 as IioIogue lo lhe Ienlaleuch, in W.I. iovn and S.Dean
Mciide (edd.), God Who Creates: Essas ln Honor of W. Slb|e Touner (Ciand Rapids, Michigan: W.. Leidnans
IulIishing, 2OOO) 16: Adanic leings aie aninale icons.The pecuIiai puipose foi lheii ciealion is 'lheophanic: lo
iepiesenl oi nediale lhe soveieign piesence of deily vilhin lhe cenliaI nave of lhe cosnic lenpIe, jusl as cuIl-inages
veie supposed lo do in convenlionaI sancluaiies, Andieas SchIe, Made in lhe >Inage of Cod<: The Concepls of
Divine Inages in Cen 1-3, ZAW 117 (2OO5): 1-2O, UIiich Mausei, Cod in Hunan Ioin, Ex Audltu 16 (2OOO): 81-1OO
(9O-93, Ciispin H.T. IIelchei-Louis, The Woiship of Divine Hunanily as Cods Inage and lhe Woiship of }esus, in
]eulsh Roots of Chrlsto|oglca| Monothelsm, 113-128, esp. 12O-128,, }ohn Kulsko, Betueen Heaten and Earth: Dltlne
Presence and Absence ln the Book of Etekle| (Winona Lake, Indiana: Lisenliauns, 2OOO), 53-6O. See aIso iden, WiII
lhe ReaI c|cn "nin IIease Sland Up` The Inage of Cod in lhe ook of LzekieI, SBL 1998 Semlnar Paers, 55-85,
iden, LzekieIs AnlhiopoIogy and ils LlhicaI InpIicalions, in OdeII and Sliong, Book of Etekle|, 119-141,
Theo|oglca| Lexlcon of the O|d Testament, eds. Linsl }enni and CIaus Wesleinann, lis. Maik L. iddIe (3voIs.,
Iealody, Massachusells: Hendiickson IulIisheis, Inc, 1997, heieaflei TLOT) 3:1O8O-82 s.v. , ly H. WiIdeigei,
Caiiell Cieen, lmaglnlng God: Theo|og and the Re|lglous lmaglnatlon (San Iiancisco, elc.: Haipei & Rov,
IulIisheis, 1989) 91-97, Ldvaid Mason Cuilis, Man as lhe Inage of Cod in Cenesis in lhe Lighl of Ancienl Neai
Laslein IaiaIIeIs (Ih.D. diss., Univeisily of IennsyIvania, 1984), iden, Inage of Cod (OT), in ABD 3:289-91."
&-
On lhis 'god.nol god idenlily of lhe idoI see especiaIIy T. }acolsen, The Ciaven Inage, in I.D. MiIIei }i., I.D.
Hanson and S.D. Mciide (edd.), Anclent lsrae|lte Re|lglon: Essas ln Honor of |rank Moore Cross (IhiIadeIphia:
Ioiliess Iiess, 1987) 15-32, esp. 16-2O, MichaeI . Dick, The ReIalionship lelveen lhe CuIl Inage and lhe Deily in
Mesopolania, in }i Iiosecky (ed.), lnte||ectua| Llfe of the ancicn| Ncar |as|: Papcrs Prcscn|cd a| the 43rd Rcnccn|rc
assqric|cgiquc in|crna|icna|, Praguc, ]u|q 1-5, 1996 (Iiague: OiienlaI Inslilule, 1998) 11-16. On lhe liealnenl of idoIs see
Iiene }. Winlei, 'IdoIs of lhe King: RoyaI Inages as Recipienls of RiluaI Aclion in Ancienl Mesopolania, ]ourna|
of Rltua| Studles 6 (Winlei 1992):13-42, Cuilis, Man as lhe Inage of Cod, 1O3-1O6. On lhe ANL cuIl of divine
inages see fuilhei NeaI H. WaIIs (ed.) Cu|t lmage and Dltlne Reresentatlon ln the Anclent Near East (Aneiican
SchooIs of OiienlaI Reseaich ooks Seiies 1O, oslon: Aneiican SchooIs of OiienlaI Reseaich, 2OO5), Zainal ahiani,
The Graten lmage: Reresentatlon ln Bab|onla and Assrla (IhiIadeIphia: Univeisily of IennsyIvania Iiess, 2OO3),
MichaeI . Dick (ed.), Born ln Heaten, Made on Earth: The Maklng of the Cu|t lmage ln the Anclent Near East
(Winona Lake, Indiana: Lisenliauns, 1999)."
&+
K.H. einhaidl, Gott und Bl|d. Eln Beltrag tur Begrndung und Deutung des Bl|dererbotes lm A|ten Testament
(eiIin: LvangeIische VeiIagsanslaIl, 1956) 17-68, David Loilon, The TheoIogy of CuIl Slalues in Ancienl Lgypl, in
Born ln Heaten, 123-21O, esp. 179-184, Cuilis, Man as lhe Inage of Cod, 97-1O2. "
('
ahiani, Graten lmage, 127. "
!("
"
Hehn, lhe Iiving incainalion of lhe iepiesenled peison,
61
i.e. lhe deily. The !a|nu oi cuIl
slalue vas lhe veiy lody of lhe god on eailh, in vhich his/hei divine spiiil/essence
'incainaled. Slendelach: The cuIl slalue of a god is lhe acluaI lody in vhich lhal deily
dveIIs.
62
Accoiding lo ThoikiId }acols, lhe slalue vas lhe deilys oulei foin, lhe exleinaI
halilalion
63
and Assnann noles lhal lhe lasic Lgyplian concepl is Tnc s|a|uc is nc| |nc inagc
cf |nc ocdq, ou| |nc ocdq i|sc|f (enphasis oiiginaI).
64
Andieas SchIe puls il succinclIy: "

Il is lhiough an inage lhal a god/goddess is piesenl in lhe ciealed voiId and execules his/hei poveis in
hisloiy and naluie.The cuIlic inage is in facl lhe nediun of nanifesl divine piesence and aclion in lhe
voiId and as such pail of lhe divine peison. Il is, lo pul il poinledIy, >god on eailh<.The inage
vas.lhal side of lhe gods peison lhiough vhich he enleied lhe spheie of ciealed Iife.lhe lodiIy
appeaiance of a god, lhe veiy nediun.lhiough vhich he can le addiessed ly piayei, voiship and
saciifice.
65
"

In lhe ancienl Neai Laslein cuIl of inages lhe
slalue vas incainaled ly lhe essence oi spiiil (8a) of lhe
deily onIy aflei lhe successfuI conpIelion of a seiies of
iiluaIs peifoined on/vilh lhe cuIl inage. These aie lhe so-
caIIed pi| pi (Opening-of-lhe-noulh) and ns pi
(Washing-of-lhe-noulh) iiluaIs vhose oljeclive vas lo
liansfoin lhe IifeIess slalue inlo lhe Iiving god (oi king).
66
Il
is nov videIy iecognized lhal lhe idea lehind lhese iiluaIs
undeiIie lhe inageiy of Cen. 2:7l: lhen lhe LORD COD
foined nan of dusl fion lhe giound, and liealhed inlo his
nosliiIs lhe liealh of Iife, and nan lecane a Iiving leing
(Nev Oxfoid Annolaled ilIe).
67
As Aliahan ShaIon
Yahuda sav:"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(!
}ohannes Hehn, Zun Teininus 'iId Colles, in C. WeiI (ed.), |estschrlft Eduard Sachau (eiIin: C. Reinei, 1915)
36. "
(#
Slendelach, TDOT 12:389 sv. ."
($
ThoikiId }acols, The Treasures of Darkness (Nev Haven: Yake Univeisily Iiess, 1967) 14."
(%
Assnann, The Search for God, 46. See aIso Hoinung, Concetlons of God ln Anclent Egt, 135: These inages
nay le lhe 'lodies of lhe gods inlo vhich lhey 'enlei."
(&
SchIe, Made in lhe >Inage of Cod<, 5-6, 12."
((
See Vicloi Avigdoi Huiovilz, The Mesopolanian Cod Inage, Iion Wonl lo Tonl, ]AOS 123 (2OO3): 147-157,
Chiislophei WaIkei and MichaeI . Dick, The Induclion of lhe CuIl Inage in Ancienl Mesopolania: The
Mesopolanian ns pi RiluaI, in Born ln Heaten, 55-121. On lhe Lgyplian iiluaI t. Loilon, The TheoIogy of CuIl
Slalues in Ancienl Lgypl,153-158. "
(,
SchIe, Made in lhe >Inage of Cod<, 11-14, Ldvaid L. Cieenslein, Cods CoIen: The Ciealion of lhe Hunan in
Cenesis 2, in Henning Ciaf RevenlIov and Yaii Hoffnan (edd.), Creatlon ln ]eulsh and Chrlstlan Tradltlon (}SOT
SuppIenenl Seiies 319, SheffieId: SheffieId Acadenic Iiess, 2OO2) 219-239 (224-229), }anes K. Hoffneiei, Sone
Thoughls on Cenesis 1 & 2 and Lgyplian Cosnogony, ]ANES 15 (1983): 46-48, ABD 3:39O s.v. Inage of Cod (OT)
ly Cuilis, WaIlei WifaII, The iealh of His NosliiIs: Cen 2:7l, CBQ 36 (1974): 237-24O, Cyius Coidon, Khnun and
LI, in Saiah IsiaeIil-CioII (ed.), Egto|oglca| Studles (}eiusaIen: The Magnes Iiess, 1982): 2O2-214 (2O4-5),
Aliahan ShaIon Yahuda, The Accurac of the Blb|e (London: WiIIian Heinenan Lld., 1934) 152. S.C.I. iandon,
'In lhe leginning: The Heliev Sloiy of lhe Ciealion in ils Conlenpoiaiy Selling, Hlstor Toda 11 (1961): 38O-387
(384). See aIso Ciegoiy Yuii CIazov, The Brld|lng of the Tongue and the Oenlng of the Mouth ln Blb|lca| Prohec
Ay pcrfnrmIng thc 'OpcnIng nf
thc Mnuth' rItua! nn thc
#;##$E$"2'H;%*+78*#;+''
!,"
"
In Cen. 2
7
lhe piocess of aninaling lhe lody of Adan is desciiled ly lhe voids: 'And lhe Loid.liealhed
inlo his nosliiIs lhe liealh of Iife, and nan lecane a Iiving souI. This passage is in eveiy delaiI in
expiession and sulslance lypicaIIy Lgyplian. To legin vilh, lhe expiession 'liealh of Iife is lhe sane as
lhe Lgyplian |au cn an|n. The idea of giving a 'liealh of Iife inlo lhe nosliiIs is veiy connon in Lgyplian.
The vhoIe phiase, lolh in Lgyplian and Heliev, is IileiaIIy and giannalicaIIy idenlicaI.Thus foi
inslance il is said of lhe god Ilah lhal he il is 'vho gives lhe liealh of Iife lo eveiy nose.
68
"

Il is inpoilanl lo ienind oui ieadeis lhal, accoiding lo lhe Heliev of Cenesis 1:26,
Adan vas nol nade in oi acccrding |c lhe !c|cn of Cod, lul as lhe !c|cn.
69
This !c|cn vas nade
'accoiding lo lhe Iikeness ( dn|)of Cods ovn Iuninous foin, caIIed |ocd in IsiaeI and Ra
in Kenel. This neans lhal lhe !c|cn oi hunan slalue
had lhe shape of Cods ovn Iuninous foin, lul il vas
nade fion a diffeienl sulslance: adnn ('eailh: Cen.
2:7), a lein vhich suggesls a daik ieddish-liovn
incIining lovaids lIack.
7O
}evish, Chiislian and
IsIanic liadilion lheiefoie desciiles lhe naleiiaI of
Adans lody as a daik oi lIack sulslance.
71
" The
Heliev 'opening of lhe noulh iiluaI desciiled in
Cen. 2:7 indicales lhal lhe Iuninous foin incainaled
vilhin lhe !c|cn, tiz., Adan, Iike lhe 8a incainales
vilhin lhe Lgyplian Ka-slalue.
72
In Lgypl lhe deily
Anun (Alun) is said lo le lhal liealh vhich slays in
aII lhings and lhiough vhich one Iives.
73
In lhe Luxoi
TenpIe Anun is depicled hoIding lhe sign of Iife
(an|n) lovaid lhe phaiaoh Anen-holep saying, My leIoved son, ieceive ny Iikeness in lhy
nose.
74
This indicales lhal lhe lIoving of lhe liealh of Iife inlo lhe nosliiIs signifies lhe
incainalion of lhal deilys 'liealh, aIso caIIed his 'Iikeness. And as WaIlei WifaII noled: The
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(}SOT SuppIenenlaI Seiies 311, SheffieId: }SOT Iiess, 2OO1). On ieading Cenesis I and 2 as pails of a (iedacled) vhoIe
t. Savyei, Inage of Cod, 64-5."
(-
Yahuda, The Accurac of the Blb|e, 152. "
(+
See alove."
,'
Cf. lhe Akkadian cognales adan|u, daik ied eailh and adana|u lIack lIood. CAD 1.94, TDOT 1:75-77 s.v.
dnn ly Maass, ilid, 1:88-9O s.v.
a
dnnn ly }.C. IIgei, ABD 1.62 s.v. Adan ly Hovaid N. WaIIace."
,!
}evish: see e.g. lhe haggadic liadilion accoiding lo vhich Adan vas nade fion dusl laken fion aII foui coineis of
lhe eailh, and lhis dusl vas iespecliveIy ied, lIack, vhile and gieen-ied foi lhe lIood, lIack foi lhe lovIs, vhile foi
lhe lones and veins, and gieen foi lhe paIe skin. Cinzleig, Legends of the ]eus, 1:55, cf. PR| 11 (IiieIandei lins.,
77). The gieen heie al lines sulslilules foi |c|nc|c|, lhe daik lIue of lhe high piieslIy iole. See Ceishon SchoIen,
CoIouis and Theii SynloIisn in }evish Tiadilion and Myslicisn: Iail I, Dlogenes 1O8 (1979): 94, Ralli AIfied
Cohen, Inlioduclion, in iden (ed.) Tekhe|et: The Renalssance of a Mltttah (Nev Yoik: Yeshiva Univeisily Iiess,
1996), 3. See aIso Mainonides vho desciiles lhe sulslance of dusl and daikness fion vhich Adans lody vas
nade. The Gulde of the Per|exed, lins. M. IiiedIandei (Nev Yoik: L.I. Dullon & Co., 1947) 3.8. Chiislian: cf. Sl.
Lphien lhe Syiians desciiplion of lhe daik nass |of duslj s%qnu|', see discussion ly Tiyggve KionhoIn, Motlfs
from Genesls 1-11 ln the Genulne Hmns of Ehrem the Srlan (Sveden: CWK CIeeiup Lund ,1978) 53, 57, Ldnund
eck, IlIis und Mensch, Salan und Adan, Mus 89 (1976): 214. IsIan: Qui!"n 15:28 and paiaIIeIs: I an going lo
cieale nan fion sounding cIay (!a|!|), fion felid lIack nud (%ana na!nn). "
72
See leIov page
,$
H. Iiankfoil, Klngshl and the Gods (Chicago: Univeisily of Chicago Iiess, 1965) 161."
,%
Ilid. "
!-"
"
Lgyplian poiliail appeais lo le an olvious paiaIIeI lo lhe.desciiplion of Cod and 'lhe nan in
Cen. 2.
75
R.}. WiIIians aIso poinled oul lhal lhe concepl of a god pIacing liealh inlo lhe nosliiIs
of nan is an 'Lgyplianisn.
76
Thus, lhe conposile naiialive of Cenesis (Cen. 1-2)
77
piesenls us
vilh a picluie sliikingIy ieniniscenl of ancienl Neai Laslein cuIl liadilion: a !c|cn (cuIl-slalue)
is nade foi/ly lhe deily
78
fion nundane naleiiaIs
79
inlo vhich lhal deily (his liealh/Iikeness,
i.e. his Iuninous foin) sulsequenlIy enleis and dveIIs.
8O
This indveIIing enIivens lhe !c|cn,
naking il god and king.
81
Adan, as lhe !c|cn of Cod, is hinseIf lhe veiy lody of Cod in vhich
lhe spiiil (Iuninous foin) of Cod incainaled.
82
As WiIdleigei noles:""
"
Il cannol le sliessed enough lhal IsiaeI.ly a daiing adaplalion of lhe inage lheoIogy of lhe suiiounding
voiId, piocIains lhal a hunan leing is lhe foin in vhich Cod hinseIf is piesenl.
83
"

As !c|cn, Adan is nol onIy lhe eailhIy lody of Cod, lul lhe o|ac| ocdq cf Gcd. The Akkadian
!a|nu neans lolh inage/slalue and lIack, lhe Iallei neaning deiiving fion ils veilaI foin
!a|nu, lo lecone daik, lo luin lIack.
84
This senanlic duaIily is found aIso in lhe Heliev
iool !|n (!|n I: inage/slalue, !|n II: daik, daikness, fion !|an II: lo le daik).
85
In an
exhauslive phiIoIogicaI sludy in 1972 I.H. Lyleis suggesled laking lhe Heliev !c|cn as !c|
('shadov, 'daik inage) expanded ly lhe encIilic nn (lhe finaI 'n).
86
MaishaIIing an
inpiessive anounl of conpaialive naleiiaI Lyleis concIuded: "

Taking aII lhe dala inlo consideialion lhe neaning of !c|cn in Cen. 1:26-27 couId le lhal nan is a
'shadovy (and lheiefoie veak) iepIica and ciealion of Cod.
87
"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
,&
The iealh of His NosliiIs: Cen. 2:7l, CBQ 36 (1974): 239 |ail.=237-24j."
,(
" R.}. WiIIians, Sone Lgyplianisns in lhe OId Teslanenl, Studles ln Honor of ]ohn A. Wl|sons 70
th
Blrthda
(Sludies in Ancienl OiienlaI CiviIizalion 35, Chicago, Univeisily of Chicago Iiess, 1969) 93-4. "
,,
As aiianged ly lhe finaI iedacloi. On ieading Cenesis I and 2 as pails of a (iedacled) vhoIe t. Savyei, Inage of
Cod, 64-5."
,-
On lhe iiluaI alliilulion of lhe ciealion of lhe cuIl slalule lo lhe deily t. WaIkei and Dick, Induclion, Dick,
ReIalionship, 113-116."
,+
See Vicloi Huiovilz, Whal Coes In Is Whal Cones Oul - MaleiiaIs foi Ciealing CuIl Slalues in C. ecknan and
T.}. Levish (edd.), Text and Artlfact - Proceedlngs of the Co||oqulum of the Center for ]udalc Studles, Unlterslt of
Penns|tanla, Arl| 27-29, 1998, iovn }udaic Seiies, 2OO6 (in piess). My lhanks lo piofessoi Huiovilz foi
pioviding a nanusciipl copy of lhis voik. "
-'
On lhe divine enleiing lhe foin of lhe slalue t. Winlei, 'IdoIs of lhe King, 23, Dick, ReIalionship, 113-114,
Cuilis, Man as Inage of Cod, 97-99."
-!
On nade fion dusl in Cen. 2 as a lilIicaI nelaphoi foi enlhionenenl t. WaIlei iueggenann, Iion Dusl lo
Kingship, ZAW 84 (1972): 1-18. I. LngeII aIieady iead Cen 1:26-8 as a desciiplion of a divine, enlhioned Adan: see
KnovIedge and Life in lhe Ciealion Sloiy, in M. Nolh and D. Winlon Thonas (edd.), Wlsdom ln lsrae| and ln The
Anclent Near East Presented to Haro|d Henr Rou|e (Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1955) 112. "
-#
As Mciide puls il (Divine IiolocoI, 18) Adan is Cods ovn incainaled inage."
-$
H. WiIdleigei, Das AlliId Colles, Cen 1:26-3O, ThZ'21 (1965): 245-59."
-%
CAD 16:7O,77-85."
-&
HALOT, 3:1O28-1O29 s.v , TDOT 12:396 s.v. ly Niehi. "
-(
I.H. Lyleis, The Rool -| in Heliev Woids, ]NSL 2 (1972): 23-36 (29-32). See aIso lnternatlona| Standard Blb|e
Encc|oedla 4voIs. (Ciand Rapids, MI: W. . Leidnans, 1979-, heieaflei lSBE) 4:44O s.v. Shade, Shadov, ly C.
ChanleiIain."
-,
Lyleis, The Rool -|, 32 n. 2. "
!+"
"
LaiIiei, Iieiie oidieuiI, aIso noling lhe elynoIogicaI ieIalionship lelveen lhe Heliev !c|cn
and Akkadian !a|nu,
88
poinled oul lhe concepluaI Iink lelveen Cen. 1:26-27 and lhe ancienl
Neai Laslein chaiacleiizalion of lhe king as lolh inage of a god and as iesiding in lhal gods
(pioleclive) shadov.
89
The phiIoIogicaI dala is nov sufficienl foi IsiaeIi lilIicaI schoIai Avivah
CollIiel Zoinleig lo nole sinpIy: Inage-|sc|cn in Heliev.Al lhe heail of lhal void is lhe
void 'shadov.
9O
This loo is an Lgyplianisn: lhe cuIl slalue in Lgypl vas aIso al lines
desciiled as snu|, shadov. "
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
--
The fiisl lo piopose such as ieIalion seens lo have leen lhe AssyioIogisl Iiiediich DeIilzsch vho desciiled ic|cn as
a alyIonian Ioanvoid: Pro|egomena elnes neuen hebrlsch-aramlschen Wrterbuchs (Leipzig: }. C. Hiniichs, 1886)
141. On deniaIs of such a ieIalion t. leIov n. 154. "
-+
Iieiie oidieuiI, 'A LOnlie DLIohin: Le lhene de Ionlie piolecliice dans IAncien Oiienl el ses iappoils
avec 'LInago Dei, RHPhR 46 (1996): 368-391."
+'
In iII Moyeis, Genesls: A Lltlng Contersatlon (Nev Yoik: DoulIeday, 1996) 19. The ieIalion of &|n II and &c| lo
each olhei and lo Cen.1:26-27 has leen dispuled. Tvo ieIevanl issues veie acluaIIy delaled: (1) vhelhei &|n II lo
le/lecone daik evei exisled in Heliev oi Noilhvesl Senilic (NWS) al aII and: (2) if so, vhelhei il vas in any vay
ieIaled lo &c|cn. This discussion oflen focused on lhe nuch dispuled lein (}ei. 2:6, Iss. 44:2O, 23:4, }ol 16:16,
38:17, see discussion in D. Winlon Thonas, in lhe OId Teslanenl, ]SS 7 |1962j: 191-2OO). Aflei Iiiediich
DeIilzschs iniliaI suggeslion in 1886 of a &c|cn/!a|nu (lIack) ieIalion, he vas dispuled ly his falhei, OT schoIai
Iianz DeIilzsch (Neu Commentar on Genesls |Ldinluigh, T. & T. CIaik, 1888-89j 1:91. The Iongesl Iasling ielullaI
cane fion Theodoi NIdeke, fiisl in a ieviev of Iiiediich DeIilzschs Wrterbuchs (ZDMG 4O (1886): 733-34) and
Iallei in an ailicIe devoled lo lhe suljecl ( und , ZAW 17 |1897j: 183-187). NIdeke doulled lhe exislence of
a Heliev !|n II lo le/lecone daik and deiived !c|cn fion an Aialic &|n neaning lo cul off (on lhe deniaI of a
NWS &|n II t. aIso }.I.A. Savyei, Reviev of W.L. HoIIaday, A Conclse Hebreu and Aramalc Lexlcon of the O|d
Testament in ]SS 17 |1972j 257, D.}.A. CIines, The LlynoIogy of Heliev c|cn, ]NSL 3 (1973):23-25, WaIlei L.
MicheI, 'LMWT, 'Deep Daikness oi 'Shadov of Dealh` BR 29 |1984j: 5-13). ul lhe veakness of lhis Aialic
deiivalion has nov leen adequaleIy denonslialed (oidieuiI, 'A LOnlie DLIohin, 368-372, }anes aii, The
Inage of Cod in lhe ook of Cenesis-A Sludy of TeininoIogy, B]RL 51 (1968): 18-22, iden, Comaratlte Phl|o|og
and the Text of the O|d Testament |1
sl
ed., Oxfoid, 1968, iepi. Wilh addilions and coiieclions: Winona Lake, Indiana:
Lisenliauns, 1987j 375-38O, Lyleis, The Rool -|, 31-32, CIines, LlynoIogy, 19-21) and lhe exislence of a NWS
&|n II lo le/lecone daik has leen affiined and accepled (IauI Hunleil, Etudes sur |e reclt du aradls et de |a
chute dans |a Genesls (Menoiies de IUniveisile de NeuchaleI 14, 194O) 156, aiuch MaigaIil, A Matter of "Llfe" and
"Death": A Stud of the Baa|-Mot Elc (CTA 4-5-6) |KeveIaei: ulzon & eickei, Neukiichen-VIuyn: Neukiichenei
VeiIag, 198Oj 72 n. 1, HALOT 3:1O28 s.v. , TDOT 12: 396 s.v. ly Niehi, Chain Cohen, The Meaning of
'Daikness: A Sludy in IhiIoIogicaI Melhod, in MichaeI V. Iox el aI (edd.), Texts, Tem|es, and Tradltlons: A Trlbute
to Menahem Haran |Winona Lake, Indiana: Lisenliauns, 1996j 287-3O9). }anes aii (Comaratlte Phl|o|og, 375)
noled in 1987 lhal ly lhal line lhe deiivalion of fion a Heliev iool !|n lo le/lecone daik had lecone so
conpIeleIy accepled lhal sone voiks have ceased lo nenlion lhal lhe oIdei liadilion of neaning (tiz. 'shadov of
dealh) evei exisled. Cf. MicheI, $LMWT, 5. "
A conneclion lelveen !|n II and !c| is piolalIe (Pacc NIdeke, und and CIines, LlynoIogy, 21-
22) c| is lhoughl lo deiive fion lhe lasic foin lo le/lecone daik, cf. Ai. &|| IV, Llh. sa|a|a II, Akk. !i||nu. See
TDOT 12:372-73 s.v., . HaIpei, The IailicipiaI Ioinalions of lhe Ceninale Veils, ZAW 3O (191O): 216. On t.
fuilhei: The Broun-Drlter-Brlggs Hcorcu and Eng|lsh Lexlcon (19O6, Iealody, Mass.: Hendiickson IulIisheis, 1996,
heieaflei BDB) 853 s.v. III , HALOT 3:1O27 s.v. III , Lexlcon ln Veterls Testamentl |lbrosB'ed.'Ludvig KoehIei
and WaIlei aungailnei (Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1985) 8O4l s.v. III . On lhe Ai. &|| IV t. L.W. LaneB' Arablc-Eng|lsh
Lexlcon'(2 voIs., Canliidge, LngIand : IsIanic Texls Sociely, 1984) 2: 1914 s.v. . On lhe Akk. !i||nu t. CAD 16: 188
s.v. !i||nu. "
Conpaialive phiIoIogicaI evidence suppoils lhe conneclion lelveen !c|cn and !c|: See e.g.: Akk. !a|nu
lIack>>inage/slalue and !i||u shadov>>Iikeness (in a liansfeiied sense, t. CAD 16:19O s.v. !i||u), OId Soulh Aialic
&|n/!|n daikness/lIack>>inage/slalue (see A.I.L. eeslon el aI, Sabalc Dlctlonar (Louvain-Ia-Neuve: Ldilions
Ieeleis, eyioulh: Liliaiiie du Lilan, 1982) 143, 172. Thus Savyei, The Inage of Cod, The Wisdon of Seipenls and
#'"
"
Adan is lheiefoie lolh lhe inage and shadov of lhe ilIicaI gods Iuninous foin (|ocd), his
shadov picluie, as N.W. Ioileous said il,
91
jusl as lhe Kenelic god Alun is lhe lIack
inage/foin/lody of lhe Iuninous soIai god Ra. Adan, as !c|cn, is lhus Cods lIack lody on
eailh in vhich Cods Spiiil/CIoiy (|ocd=8a) incainales, lhe sancluaiy in vhich he iesides, and
lhe pIace vheie he is encounleied. We lhus have a lellei appiecialion foi and undeislanding of
Iinchs olseivalion quoled alove: "

The iool of ATM is TM (TLM/TUM) vhich has seveiaI neanings, anong lhen 'peopIe and 'conpIelion
(Adan iepiesenled lhe conpIelion of Cods voik on lhe 6lh day). Alun is no Iess lhe COMILLTL OR
ILRILCT DIVINL MAN. A cognale iool of TLM is DLM and lhis neans 'lo nane (Adan vas lhe nanei
of aII lhe aninaIs). Thus, lhe nosl eIenenlaiy and indispulalIe elynoIogicaI anaIysis denonsliales lhal
ALL THL ATTRIUTLS OI THL LCYITIAN DLITY ATUM ARL LMRACLD IN THL HLRLW
ADAM.
92
"
"
.* Adan/A|un in |nc Quran"

Thiough lhe use of vocaluIaiy and
concepls deiiving fion lhe ancienl Neai Laslein
cuIl of inages, Cen 1:26-27 (and 2:7) piesenls
Adan as lhe lIack lody of Cod on eailh. The cuIl
slalue !c|cn/!a|nu is usuaIIy voishipped as lhe
god. This Iallei poinl is nol expIicilIy nade in
Cenesis. Il is, hovevei, nade in lhe Qui!"n. In
lhis iegaid, Ida }. CIaseis voik is significanl.
CIasei has veII aigued lhal lhe Qui!"nic accounl
of Adans ciealion shouId le iead as a ccnncn|
cn and ccnp|cncn| |c lhe ilIes accounl.
93
When lhe Heliev and Aialic accounls aie iead
logelhei, il lecones appaienl lhal lhe Qui!"nic accounl

(1) fiIIs in gaps in lhe ilIicaI accounl. L.g. vho vas Cod laIking lo in Cen. 1:26, Lel US
nake nan` The Qui!"n ansveis: lhe LxaIled AssenlIy oi counciI of angeIs.
(2) offeis expIanalions lo aspecls of lhe ilIicaI accounl. L.g. vhal vas lhe ieason lhe
seipenl lenpled Adan and Lve` Quin: ecause on Adans accounl he (IlIs) vas casl oul of
Iaiadise.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
lhe KnovIedge of Cod and LviI, 66, Lyleis, The Rool -|, 29-32, aii, The Inage of Cod, 21. Pacc nosl iecenlIy
WiIdleigei, TLOT 3:1O8O, s.v. , Slendelach, TDOT 12:388, s.v. . "
+!
lDB II:683 s.v. Inage of Cod. In his discussion of Pcinandrcs in 1935 C. H. Dodd (The Blb|e and the Greeks
|London: Hoddei & Sloughlon, 1935j 157-8, n. 1), olseiving lhal lhe Cieek leins and used vilh iegaid lo
lhe divine Anlhiopos coiiesponded vilh lhe lilIicaI and used in lhe ciealion accounl of Adan (Cen. 1:26-7),
noled: .ceilainIy lheie is an oId exegelicaI liadilion accoiding lo vhich and in Gcncsis nean 'Iikeness and
'shadov iespecliveIy, coiiesponding faiiIy veII vilh lhe and of Pcinandrcs. UnfoilunaleIy, I cannol liace
lhis liadilion failhei lack lhan lhe }esuil CoineIius a Lapide, vho died in 1637. Is lheie any evidence lhal il vas
knovn al a dale vhich vouId nake il possilIe lhal lhe Heinelisl vas acquainled vilh lhis inleipielalion.` We
can nov ansvei Dolls queslion in lhe affiinalive. "
+#
Iinch, Echoes, 144."
+$
Qui!"nic ChaIIenges foi Cenesis, ]SOT 75 (1997): 3-19."
#!"
"
(3) offeis coiieclions lo aspecls of lhe ilIicaI accounl. L.g. vhiIe lhe Cenesis accounl has
Adan and Lve pievaiicaling aflei leing discoveied in lhe viong, lhe Qui!"nic accounl has
lhen iepenling innedialeIy.

When lhe Qui!"nic accounl is iead as such connenlaiy on lhe ilIicaI accounl an
unnislakalIe olseivalion junps oul al us: lhe Qui!"n does nol deny oi coiiecl lhe Cenesis
Adan-as-!c|cn lheoIogy, lul confiins il in a nosl lIalanl vay. Wheie lhe Cenesis accounl
conspicuousIy Iacks onIy a desciiplion of lhe cuIl-slalue (Adan-as-!c|cn) ieceiving lhe voiship
lhal cuIl-slalues noinaIIy ieceive, THL QUR!#NIC ACCOUNT IROVIDLS IT.
The ciealion of Adan is ieloId in sone delaiI in onIy sIighlIy vaiying (lhough non-
conliadicloiy) vays in five suiahs in lhe Qui!"n (A|-8aqara 2:28-39, A|-A'()*+ 7:1O-25, A|-,ijr
15:26-48; A|-Kanf 18:51-59, - 2O:115-123). As Maicia K. Heinansen undeiIined, each veision
piesenls lhe sloiy of Adans ciealion in oidei lo convey a dislincl poinl (lhus lhe sIighl
diffeiences in lhe ieleIIing).
94
We viII legin vilh A|-,ijr 15:26-34:

26. SuieIy We ciealed nan of diy iinging cIay (!-"!)"$%
Of lIack nud (%-$-.$&vioughl inlo shape&'$-/010$
27. And lhe }inn We ciealed pieviousIy of fIaning fiie.
28. And vhen youi Loid said lo lhe angeIs, 'See I an ciealing a nan of diy iinging cIay, of lIack nud vioughl
inlo shape.
29. When I have shaped hin, and liealhed My spiiil inlo hin, lhen faII dovn in pioslialion lefoie hin (fa-qa'1+
"-23+/-45670$
3O. So lhe angeIs pioslialed (sajada), aII of lhen
31. Save IlI(s, he iefused lo le anong lhe piosliale.
32. (Cod) said: 'O IlI(s! Whal aiIs lhee, lhal you ail nol anong lhe piosliale`
33. He ansveied: 'I viII nol lov dovn (| sujud) lefoie a nan vhon You have ciealed of diy iinging cIay, of
lIack nud vioughl inlo shape.
34. (Cod) said, 'Then gel oul hence, foi, suieIy lhou ail iejecled.

Adan is heie desciiled as leing nade fion !-"!)", lhal is diied cIay lhal pioduces a
sound Iike polleiy (cf. 55:14-15) and %ana., feinenled lIack nud (see %anna 'lo lIacken,
lecone lIack). Iion lhese naleiiaIs Adans lody vas vioughl inlo shape ($-/010). This
inage of cIay iecaIIs lhe Lgyplian nolif of god Khnun ciealing hunanily on his polleis vheeI
(see leIov page 27). ul lhis is nol lhe onIy Lgyplianisn in lhe IsIanic naiialive. Accoiding
lo lhe IsIanic connenlaiies, lhis lIack lody caIIed Adan ienained ineil and IifeIess, hoIIov
Iike a slalue foi foily days (oi foily yeais) lefoie AIIah lIev his spiiil inlo il, enIivening il.

He (Adan) ienained foily nighls as an ineil lody, and IlI(s used lo cone lo hin and kick hin, and he
(Adan) gave a hoIIov iing Iike a cIay pol.Then he (IlI(s) used lo go in (Adan) lhiough his noulh and
cone oul lhiough his ieai, and go in lhiough his ieai and cone oul lhiough his noulh, lhen (IlI(s) said:
'You aie nolhing-lo lhe hoIIov iing.When Cod liealhed inlo (Adan) of His spiiil, liealh cane fion lhe
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
+%
Iallein and neaning in lhe qui!"nic Adan naiialives, Studles ln Re|lglon 17 (1988): 45 |ail.=4O-52j. See aIso
Toislen Lfsledl, The ciealion and faII of Adan: A Conpaiison of lhe Quianic and ilIicaI accounls, Suedlsh
Mlsslo|oglca| Themes 93 (2OO5): 453-477. On Adans ciealion in lhe Qui!"n se aIso: AngeIika Neuviilh, Qui!"n,
Ciisis and Menoiy: The Qui!"nic palh lovaids canonizalion as iefIecled in lhe anlhiopogonic accounls, in
AngeIika Neuviilh and Andieas IfIilsch (edd.), Crlsls and Memor ln ls|amlc Socletles. Proceedlngs of the thlrd
Summer Academ of Worklng Grou Modernlt and ls|am he|d at the Orlent lnstltute of the German Orlenta|
Soclet ln Belrut (eiiul, 2OO1)113-52, Kennelh L. NoIin, The Sloiy of Adan, MW 65 (1964): 4-13, "
##"
"
fionl of his head, and eveiylhing vhich cane lo fIov fion il lecane fIesh and lIood. And vhen lhe
liealhing had ieached his naveI, he Iooked and naiveIed al hov leaulifuI vas vhal he sav.
95


ehind lhis inageiy is suieIy lhe ancienl Neai Laslein cuIl slalule enIivened lhiough lhe ns pi
and pi| pi iiluaIs.

When an 'inage (!c|cn/!a|nu) iepiesenls a deily, lhe dislinclion lelveen iepiesenlalion and iefeienl
disappeai. A divine inage nay le conpIeleIy liansfoined inlo ils iefeienl lhiough lhe peifoinance of
iiluaI. efoie lhe iiluaI, lhe 'inage is an inaninale oljecl.In lhe couise of lhe iiluaI, lhe 'inage lecones
a god. Like nagicaI figuiines, lhe divine inage assunes lhe idenlily of ils iefeienl. Il loo is a suiiogale,
iepiesenling lhe god incainale.The liansfoinalion is effecled ly iiluaI.Wilhoul lhis iiluaI, lhe slalue
vas onIy lhe pioducl of hunan ailisans. ul vilh lhis iiluaI, lhe once-IifeIess 'inage lecones an
aninale enlily. Thiough a coIIaloialion of divine and hunan ciealive foices, lhe iiluaI liansulslanliales
lhe naleiiaI inage and liings il lo Iife. The 'inage is lheiely 'loin.
96


The onIy diffeience heie in lhe Quin is lhal lhe lvo slep piocess - fashion slalue and lhen
iiluaIislicaIIy enIiven il - is a conpIeleIy divine ialhei lhan a coIIaloialive divine-hunan effoil.
The divine iealh/Spiiil lIovn inlo Adans nosliiIs is lhe Lgyplian 8a incainaling vilhin lhe
Ka-slalue, Adan.
97
As Wade NolIes expIains in his Afrlcan Pscho|og:

The 8A vas lhe second (of seven divisions) of lhe psychic naluie. Il iepiesenled lhe liansnission of lhe
liealh of Iife. The ancienls leIieved lhal lheie vas onIy one povei, vhich vas synloIicaIIy iepiesenled
as 'THL RLATH, and lhal lhis povei oi liealh vas liansnilled fion lhe anceslois lo lhe descendanls.
The ancienls leIieved lhal lhis povei oi eneigy has aIvays exisled and viII aIvays exisl. The 8a vas lhe
invisilIe souice, Iike eIecliicily, of aII visilIe funclions. The 8a vas in effecl lhe vilaI piincipIe vhich
iepiesenled lhe essence of aII lhings.
98


}usl as Cen. 2.7 depicls lhe liansnission of lhe 8a oi divine essence lo lhe slalue - Adan -
lhiough lhe 'iealh of Life nelaphoi, so loo
does lhe Quin. This lackgiound is
confiined ly lhe facl lhal aflei lhis
'enIivening of lhe Adan-slalue lhe angeIs
aie oideied lo na|c prcs|ra|icn lefoie Adan.
Sajada is vhal MusIins do vhen piaying lo
Cod. Il is voiship of Cod: And lo AIIah
nakes pioslialion eveiy Iiving ciealuie lhal
is in lhe heavens and lhe eailh, and lhe
angeIs loo (16:49). ul heie Adan is
voishipped ly lhe angeIs, on Cods ovn
oideis. IlI(s, vhich nane deiives fion lhe
Cieek diaoc|us DeviI, iefused lo voiship
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
+&
" )*/Tnbnr" iepoils in his connenlaiy (ad Suiah 2:3O) fion Iln" +),,"-*" TiansIalion fion }. Coopei in" 82#+
9:$$#0;-(<+:*+;2#+=3(.)0+><&?>1+@-'*-(+A3%-$$-6+>B+@-(7(+-"!&'&7&(Oxfoid: Oxfoid Univeisily Iiess, 1987)
1:212-13."""""
96
Caii, ln Hls Oun lmage and Llkeness, 142, 143.
97
On lhe Lgyplian nolion of 8a and Ka see leIov pages 27-28. "
+-
Wade NolIes, Afrlcan Pscho|og (OakIand: Iack IaniIy Inslilulions, 1986) 36. "
#$"
"
lhis lIack Adan. Why` I (IlI(s) an lellei lhan he, You (Cod) have ciealed ne fion fiie, hin
You have ciealed of cIay (7:12). Ioi IlI(ss piide and disoledience he vas casl oul of heaven lo
lecone C2-<D)0 oi Salan.
99

Iiof CaliieI Said ReynoIds in his inpoilanl nev look, The Qurn and lts Blb|lca|
Subtext (2O1O) coiieclIy poinls ouls:

Refeiences lo lhe pioslialion of lhe angeIs lefoie Adan appeai in no Iess lhan seven diffeienl Sias,
suggesling lhal lhis is an accounl of fundanenlaI inpoilanl lo lhe Quin.
1OO


Indeed il is of fundanenlaI inpoilance, as il defines nol onIy lhe naluie of Adan lul lhe naluie
of AIIah as veII. ReynoIds coiieclIy peiceived lhe neaning of lhis iecuiienlIy Quinic lhene:
The Quinic sullexl suggesls lhal.Cod vas.in hin (Adan).
1O1
Like lhe Heliev naiialive,
lhe Quinic sloiy of Adan is an incarna|icna| naiialive, il naiiales Cods (AIIahs) incainalion
vilhin lhe lIack slalue, Adan. Thal lhis is a picluie of AIIahs incainalion in lhe lody of Adan
vas expIicilIy slaled ly sone MusIins vhon aI-aghddi (d. 1O37 AD) IaleIed %3"1"7<-,
incainalionisls. He iepoils fion +Ald aI-Q"hii:"

I found one (of lhen) ciling, in pioof of lhe possiliIily of Cods incainalion in lodies, Cods void lo lhe
angeIs iegaiding Adan: So lhal vhen I have nade hin conpIele and liealhed inlo hin of ny spiiil, faII
dovn naking oleisance lo hin. (The incainalionisl) heId lhal Cod connanded lhe angeIs lo lov dovn
lefoie Adan onIy lecause he enlodied hinseIf in Adan and ieaIIy alode in hin lecause he ciealed hin
in lhe nosl leaulifuI foin. Theiefoie, (Cod) said: We have ciealed nan in lhe finesl foin (95:4).
1O2
"

AI-aghddis poIenicaI lone nolvilhslanding, lhese so-caIIed %3"1"7<- coiieclIy
peiceived lhe inpIicalions of lhe Qui!"nic naiialive. In lolh Sunn and Sh+ liadilion ve aIso
Ieain lhal lefoie lhe ciealion of lhe voiId Cod lioughl foilh an anlhioponoiphic Iighl, usuaIIy
idenlified vilh N1r Mu%annad7 (lhe Lighl of Mu.annad), fion vhose lody lhe
ceIesliaI/heavenIy voiId is sonelines said lo le deiived. When AIIah (Cod) liealhed of his
spiiil inlo Adan, lhe N1r Mu%annad7&'incainaled in lhe noIded lody of Adan.
1O3

In suiah 2:3O, lhis lIack Adan vhon lhe angeIs of Cod aie oideied lo voiship is
desciiled as Cods |na|fa.
1O4
The lasic neaning of lhe iool |n-|-f, as" /01"1& 0*/Qd" has
denonslialed,
1O5
is lo succeed and iepIace oi sulslilule foi anolhei. As lhe cuIl slalue
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
++
On IlI(s in MusIin liadilion see Ielei }. Avn, Satans Traged and Redemtlon: lb|7s ln Sufl Pscho|og (SHR 44,
Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1983)."
!''
"CaliieI Said ReynoIds, The Qurn and lts Blb|lca| Subtext (RoulIedge, 2O1O) 39. "
!'!
"ReynoIds, Qurn and lts Blb|lca| Subtext, 46-7. "
!'#
" !"#$ %&'234& +),1& 0*()hir b. Thir nl(*&+,-"15%& a|-|arq Ban a|-|lraq, liansIaled ly Aliahan S. HaIkin,
Mose|m Schlsms and Sects (A|-|arE Baln a|-|lraE), Velng the Hlstor of the Varlous Phl|osohlca| Sstems
Dete|oed ln ls|am (TeI Aviv, 1935) 79."
!'$
U. Rulin, Iie-exislence and Lighl: Aspecls of lhe concepl of F1(+ A3%-$$-67, lsrae| Orlenta| Studles 5
(1975):62-119, }ohn MacDonaId, IsIanic LschaloIogy-1: The Ciealion of Man and lhe AngeIs in lhe LschaloIogicaI
Lileialuie, ls|amlc Studles 3 (1964): 285-3O8."
!'%
WhiIe sone connenlalois have specuIaled vhelhei nan vas nade a successoi lo anolhei species vhich heId
lhe lilIe of |na|fan lefoie hin, ve can safeIy accepl lhe najoiily opinion lhal nan vas nade lhe caIiph of Cod.
Muslanii Mii, Adan in lhe Qui!"n, ls|amlc Cu|ture 62 (1988): 4 |ail.=1-11j."
!'&
The Tein 'KhaIfa in LaiIy LxegelicaI Lileialuie, Dle We|t des ls|ams 28 (1988): 392-411. See aIso Lane, Lexlcon,
1:792-98 s.v. ."
#%"
"
sulsliluled foi lhe god on eailh, as lhe Heliev Adan as"!c|cn sulsliluled foi Cod on eailh, so
loo does lhe Qui!"nic Adan as |na|fa sulslilule foi Cod on eailh ('I an going lo pIace a |na|fa
in lhe eailh |fi |-ar5 2:3O). The Heliev !c|cn and Aialic |na|fa aie cognale concepls.
1O6

SiniIai lo lhe Heliev Adan-as-!c|cn, lhe Qui!"nic Adan-as-|na|fa has leen idenlified as lhe
Iikeness (ni|n|) oi foin (!1(-) of Cod. The inpoilanl and ofl-iepealed Quinic veise ?""C21()
42:11: |aqsa |ani|n|ini snaq., Theie is none Iike Hin, ieaIIy ieads Theie is nolhing Iike (|a) His
Iikeness (ni|n|ini).
1O7
And as Iln aI-}avz( (d. 12O1) noled, laken IileiaIIy (&)25() lhese voids
indicale lhal Cod has a ni|n|, Iikeness, vhich is Iike nolhing and Iike vhich lheie is nolhing.
1O8

The iool n-|n-| neans lo le Iike, conpaie, ni|n| siniIai, inage, |an|n7| assiniIalion,
Iikening. The ni|n| oi divine Iikeness of 42:11 vas undeislood in sone ciicIes as a iefeience lo
Cods foin, !1(-, vhich lein is a synonyn of ni|n)|.
1O9
His ni|n|, 'Iikeness, IS Adan, lhe
Ieifecl Man (a|-|nsn a|-Kni|), accoiding lo lhe Sufi Snci|n a|-A|oar Iln aI-'Aiali (d. 124O).
11O
$
Sura| a|-C21() 42:11 is lhus iead as, Theie is nolhing Iike His Likeness (Adan)."Accoiding lo
a hadilh of Iiophel Muhannad, Cod ciealed Adan accoiding lo His foin (!1(-;525).
111
Cod
HinseIf has an -%/-0+ !1(-, nosl leaulifuI foin,
112
vhich vas equaled vilh Adans -%/-0+
;-GH7$, nosl leaulifuI slaluie (95:4).
113
Cods and Adans foins aie lheiefoie aIike, and
Adan is lhe veiy Likeness, ni|n|, of AIIah.
The ni|n| oi Divine Likeness (Adan) has no equaI. We find lhe sane decIaialion nade
in Lgyplian Iileialuie aloul Alun/Anun, King of lhe Cods. In lhe Leiden Hynn lo Anun Re il
affiins:

AII gods aie lhiee:
Anun, Re, Ilah, |ncq natc nc cqua|.
His nane is hidden as Anun,
he is Re in lhe face,
and his lody is Ilah.
"

Wa-|am akun |ahu kufuan had'
3+2'+:+"'$&'"T;*@'%:'?$#'

The Iack Adan of lhe Quin lhus is lhe divine slalue oi eailhIy lody of AIIah in vhich lhe 8a
oi essence of AIIah indveIIs.
"
"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!'(
On lhe ieIaledness of lhe lvo concepls see Aliahan I. Kalsh, ]udalsm ln ls|m: Blb|lca| and Ta|mudlc
Backgrounds of the Koran and lts Commentarles (Nev Yoik: Ioch IulIishing Conpany, 1954) 26 n. 2. "
!',
See Tiue IsIan, The Truth of God: The Blb|e, The Quran and the Secret of the B|ack God (AlIanla: A-Tean
IulIishing, 2OO7) 78-85. "
!'-
Ilid. "
!'+
Lane, Arablc Lexlcon, s.v. 2340. "
!!'
On Iln aI-'Aials 'a|-|nsn a|-Kni| see }ohn T. LillIe, A|-|nsn A|-Kni|: The Ieifecl Man Accoiding lo Iln aI-
'Aial, Mus|lm Wor|d 77 (1987): 43-54."
!!!
6789"4(%&&, 5/;5.62)0,1.

"
!!#
Tiinidhi, ]aml a|-Sahlh, #3288, Iln HanlaI, Musnad, 5:243. "
!!$
Ahnad l. HanlaI, Kltab a|-Sunna (Mecca, 1349 H) 159. "
#&"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
#("
"
, ,> >" "%! !& & ? ?& &%& &' '( (%$ $> >" "%: :4 4& &* *; ;%< <. .( (%. .0 0%! !" "# #" "$ $


I. Ccgna|c Rc|igicns


Di. Cheikh Anla Diop had aIieady poinled oul sone of lhe paiaIIeIs lelveen Kenelic
and IsIanic liadilions.
114
These veie piinaiiIy iiluaI paiaIIeIs: lhe MusIin alIulion, lhe iiluaI
piayeis, lhe 3O-day fasl, lhe alslenlion fion poik, aII find piecedenl in ancienl Lgypl.
115
To lhis
Iisl nay le added lhe seven-foId ciicunanluIalion aiound lhe sacied lenpIe.
116
"


"

ul lhe lheoIogies inpIied lehind lhese iiluaIs veie equaIIy siniIai. Diop hinls al lhis facl:

Il is ienaikalIe lhal nany Aialic ieIigious leins can le ollained ly a sinpIe conlinalion of lhe lhiee
Lgyplian onloIogicaI nolions, a, Ra, Ka. As exanpIes ve can cile:

KAAR (a) = The aclion of iaising lhe ains in piayei
RAKA = The aclion of pIacing lhe foiehead on lhe giound
KAAA = The hoIy pIace of Mecca
117
"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!!%
Cheikh Anla Diop, Cltl|ltatlon or Barbarlsm: An Authentlc Anthroo|og (Nev Yoik: Lavience HiII ooks,
1991), The Afrlcan Orlgln of Cltl|ltatlon (Weslpoil: Lavience HiII & Conpany, 1967), The Cu|tura| Unlt of B|ack
Afrlca (1963/1989). "
!!&
See aIso LniIy Teelei, Re|lglon and Rltua| ln Anclent Egt (Canliidge: Canliidge Univeisily Iiess, 2O11), Seie
Sauneion, The Prlests of Anclent Egt, Nev Ldilion (1957, Ilhaca: CoineII Univeisily Iiess, 2OOO). "
!!(
See Heiniich iugsch, Re|lglon und Mtho|ogle der a|ten Aegter (Leipzig: }.C. Hiniichsche uchhandIung,
1891) 346, Hugo Cienann, Tod und Aufeislehung des Osiiis nach seinei Ieslliuchen und Unzgen, Der A|t
Orlent 23 (1923): 23. "
!!,
Diop, Cu|tura| Unlt of B|ack Afrlca, 89."
#,"
"
Oui focus heie viII le on lhe Iasl poinl:
IsIans nosl sacied house of Cod, 8aq|
A||an, and aIso ils cenliaI ieIigious synloI
(i.e. lhe Iack Slone oi A|-Hajar A|-Asuad)
housed lheiein aie lolh caIIed Kaoa. In oidei
lo fuIIy undeisland and appieciale lhis
veilaI assonance lelveen Kenelic
onloIogicaI nolions and IsIanic ieIigious
leininoIogy and sacied aichilecluie - and
lhus appieciale Diops insighl - ve nusl have a cIeai undeislanding of lhe ieIevanl Kenelic
concepls. "

I.1. Ancicn| |gqp|ian On|c|cgq "

Kenelic onloIogy iecognized diffeienl aspecls oi nodes (upvaids of nine) of divine and
hunan leing-ness, usuaIIy idenlified ly such leins as: |na|, ao, rcn, |a, oa, snu|, a|n, sanu.
Hovevei, iegaiding lhe gods lhe enphasis vas cIeaiIy on lul lhiee of lhese:

Youi oa is in lhe sky
Youi lody (|na|) is in lhe nelheivoiId
Youi slalue (=|a) is in lhe lenpIe






This iecuiienl liipailile lhene has leen eIucidaled ly LgyploIogisl }an Assnann.
118
The
oa, lhe |a, and lhe |na| of lhe gods veie oflen lhe focus of lhe lheoIogians of Kenel. The Kna|
vas lhe noilaI lody of lhe god, IialIe lo decay and lhus
leconing a coipse and a nunny (sanu). The |a, on lhe olhei
hand, vas lhe inncr|a| lody of lhe god. Il is a peifecl iepIica
of lhe |na| oi noilaI lody, vilhoul lhe ncr|a|i|q of il. In a
fanous depiclion, lhe god Khnun vho ciealed hunans on
his polleis vheeI is shovn ciealing lhe |na| and ils lvin |a
sinuIlaneousIy. Conliaiy lo popuIai Weslein nolions, lhe |a
vas nc| lhe innaleiiaI souI oi spiiil of nan/gods. Il
vas as nuch a spiiiluaI-naleiiaI node of leing as lhe |na| vas, lul il vas a noie lianscendenl
node of leing. Il is idenlified vilh lhe cuIl slalue of lhe god in lhe lenpIe, vhich ilseIf vas
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!!-
The Search for God ln Anclent Egt (CoineII Univeisily Iiess, 2OO1)."
"
#-"
"
undeislood lo le lhe divine lody of lhe god on eailh. The oa, oflen desciiled as lhe souI, is
lellei desciiled as lhe Kenelic nolion of ti|a| fcrcc oi lhe esscncc of lhe gods. Accoiding lo
Lleihaid Ollo, in hunans lhe oa iepiesenled lhe enlodinenl of his/hei vilaI foices and in lhe
gods lhe enlodinenl of divine poveis.
119
Il vas lhis vilaI foice/povei lhal vas iiluaIislicaIIy
caIIed dovn ly lhe Lgyplian piiesls lo innaoi| (!) and lhus enIiven lhe cuIl slalule. As Iiof LniIy
Teelei of lhe OiienlaI Inslilule of lhe Univeisily of Chicago expIains:

The divine slalue vas piovided as a physicaI foin (|a) in vhich lhe oa couId ieside so lhal hunan leings
couId connunicale vilh il.Once fiIIed vilh and enIivened ly lhe oa of lhe god, lhe cuIl slalue lecane
lhe |a, oi physicaI foin of lhe god.
12O
"

Hov does lhis ieIale lo lhe IsIanic Kaoa (=Ka + a)` The Iack Slone in pie-IsIanic
Aialia seived lhe sane puipose as lhe cuIl slalue did in Kenel: "

A piincipaI sacied oljecl in Aialian ieIigion vas lhe slone. . . .
Such slones veie lhoughl lo le |nc rcsidcncc cf a gcd hence lhe
lein appIied lo lhen ly yzanline Chiislian viileis of lhe fiflh
and sixlh cenluiies: 'laelyI', fion oc|'c|, 'lhe house of god'. "

Like lhe |a-slalue of lhe Kenelic deilies a oac|q| oi oaq|
i||an (Aialic house of god) vas iegaided as lhe
conlainei of lhe god.
121
And as Waivick aII poinls oul,
lhis chaiacleiislicaIIy Aialian/Senilic liadilion of lhe
cuIlic slone finds ils gieal expiession loday in lhe Kala of
Mecca: "

Alsliacl iepiesenlalions of deily in lhe foin of a squaie oi cule
vas connon lhioughoul lhe (Iie-HeIIenic) Senilic Neai
Lasl.This vas lhe oac|q|, oi slone cuIl oljecl, lhe focaI poinl of so
nany lenpIes nol suljecl lo CIassicising infIuences.Indeed, lhe
ancienl Senilic idea of lhe sacied cule ieaches cuIninalion in lhe
cenlei of Senilic voiship loday: lhe Ka'la.al Mecca.
122
"

Tienendous Iighl vas shed on lhe Aialian/IsIanic Kaoa and lhus on ils siniIaiilies
vilh lhe Kenelic |a-slalue ly Iiof HiIdegaid Levy (d. 1969), Ronanian }ev fion KIausenluig
and Senilics schoIai and AssyiioIogisl fion Heliev Union CoIIege, Cincinnali. In hei
exceplionaIIy inpoilanl ailicIe Oiigin And Significance of lhe Magcn Dauid: A Conpaialive
Sludy in lhe Ancienl ReIigions of }eiusaIen and Mecca,
123
Levy docunenled an ancienl
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!!+
L. Ollo, Die Anschauung von 3 nach Coffin Texls Sp. 99-1O4, Mlsce||anea Gregorlana (1941), 151-6O. Ioi noie
iecenl discussions see Louis Vico Zalkai, A Stud of the Ba Concet ln Anclent Egtlan Texts (Univeisily of
Chicago Iiess, 1968), R.. Iinneslad, On liansposing' SouI and ody inlo a nonislic conceplion of eing. An
exanpIe fion Ancienl Lgypl, Re|lglon 16 (1986): 359-373. "
!#'
Teelei, Re|lglon and Rltua|, 44."
!#!
HeaIey, Re|lglon of the Nabataeans, 157."
!##
Waivick aII, Rome ln the East: the transformatlon of an emlre (RoulIedge, 2OOO) 379-38O."
!#$
HiIdegaid Levy, Oiigin And Significance of lhe Magcn Dauid: A Conpaialive Sludy in lhe Ancienl ReIigions of
}eiusaIen and Mecca, ArOr 18 (195O): 33O-365."
C;@%'6%*%;"'(ka1':E'A&$4$&"
#+"
"
Senilic liadilion - oul of vhich lhe cuIls of }eiusaIen and Mecca evoIved
- cenleied on a lIack slone lhal vas consideied lo le lolh an enlodinenl
of lhe piinoidiaI valeis and a piece of lhe lody of a deily, lhe divine
lody leing nade fion lhose daik valeis. Levy noled: "

lhe Iack Slone.vas lhoughl lo le.a pail of lhe lody of a gieal god.(I)n lhe foin
of a lIack neleoiile a piece of lhe deilys asliaI lody vas visilIe lo lhe congiegalion
al aII lines.
124
"

This slone, lhiough vhich lhe deily vas voishipped, vas
ancienlIy housed in a culed lenpIe oi shiine coveied in lIack cuilains.
The 'lIackness of lhis pie-IsIanic Aialian/Senilic deily and his cuIl
inspiied associalions vilh lhe asliaI deily Saluin, lhe 'Iack IIanel,
125

vhose lenpIe vas aIso nade of lIack slone, diaped vilh lIack cuilains,
and fealuied a lIack slone iepiesenling lhe deily oi an
anlhioponoiphic slalue of lhe deily nade fion lIack slone. olh aI-Masudi (d. 956) and aI-
Dinasq$'(d. 1327)578 iepoil idenlificalions of lhe Meccan Ka'la vilh lhe cuIl of lhe lIack deily
Saluin, as did lhe Daois|n -i Maznio."
The lIack slone of lhe Meccan Ka'la, Levy has veII aigued, nusl le undeislood againsl
lhe lackdiop of lhe lioadei Senilic cuIl of slones. WhiIe lhe shiine oi lenpIe ilseIf vas
feninized and lheiefoie idenlified vilh a goddess, lhe slone inside lhe shiine is idenlified vilh
lhe naIe god, A@@h. This poinl is expIicilIy nade in a MusIin liadilion accoiding lo vhich aI-Z
ulayi l. aI-'Avvn (d. 656), fanous conpanion of lhe Iiophel Muhannad, vas digging in aI-
?iji vhiIe ieluiIding lhe Ka'la and found a slone on vhich vas viillen: lnnn A||n Dh
Bakka, I an A@@h, Loid of ekka (=Mecca).
126
"
We have eveiy ieason lo leIieve lhal lhe cuIl of lhe Ka'la had lhe sane significance foi
lhe piophel Mu8annad lhal il did foi lhe ancienl Aialians: il vas lhe cuIl cenlei of lhe Iack
Cod, A@@h. As Levy veII aigues in hei sludy of lhe cuIl of lhe Iack Cod in Mecca and
}eiusaIen:"

lhe Iack Slone.vas lhoughl lo le.a pail of lhe lody of a gieal god.(I)n lhe foin of a lIack neleoiile a
piece of lhe deilys asliaI lody vas visilIe lo lhe congiegalion al aII lines.Il vas.no lieak vilh lhe
ancienl ieIigion of Mecca vhen Mohanned.sel up lhe Hajai aI-asvad (Iack Slone) in a pIace vheie il
vas accessilIe lo lhe eyes and lhe Iips of lhe voishipeis.Il is.peilinenl lo iecaII lhal, lefoie
designaling.lhe Ka'la as lhe qilIa. Mohanned oideied his foIIoveis lo luin lheii faces in piayei
lovaid lhe sacied iock in }eiusaIen. The significance of lhis connand lecones appaienl if il is kepl in
nind lhal lhe qilIa is an oulgiovlh of lhe leIief.lhal nan can addiess his piayeis onIy lo a leing visilIe
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!#%
Levy, Oiigin and Significance, 345. 348, 349."
!#&
The alyIonians caIIed Saluin Mi The Iack. See Roleil iovn, The Great Dlonslak Mth (London:
Longnans, Cieen and Co., 1878) 329. Accoiding lo lhe Daois|n -i Maznio oi SchooIs of ReIigions Saluins lenpIe
vas consliucled oul of lIack slone as vas his slalue lhal slood lheie. In addilion, Saluins officialing ninisleis veie
aII lIack conpIexioned peisons, Llhiopians, elc. The Dablstn or Schoo| of Manners, lians. David Shea and Anlhony
Tioyei (Nev Yoik and London: M. WaIlei Dunne, 19O1) 22."
!#(
AI-Aziaq$B'Kltab Akhbar MakkaB'apud Dle Chronlken der Stadt Mecca, ed. Ieidinand WslenfeId (Leipzig, 1858-
61) 42-3, Halai$B'Tafslr (Caiio ed.) III:61."
<@*,7'6%:+"':E'3084:2$%"'''''''''
G*08:&B'C/04;&"

$'"
"
lo lhe eyes
127
.vhen piaying.lhe voishippei luined his eyes eilhei lo lhe heavenIy lody ilseIf oi, in il
alsence, lo lhe slone oi slalue iepiesenling il on eailh. If, hovevei, he vas nol piesenl in lhe lovn vheie
a sacied slone, assuned lo le a pail of lhe deilys asliaI lody, vas visilIe lo lhe congiegalion, he sliII
luined his eyes in lhe diieclion of lhis sancluaiy, il leing supposed lhal, having visiled and inspecled lhe
deilys lody on lhe occasion of lhe annuaI piIgiinage, he couId visuaIize il and lhus addiess his piayei lo
il even fion a dislanl poinl oi IocaIily."

WhiIe Muhannad, upon conqueiing Mecca, deslioyed nosl of lhe 36O pie-IsIanic idoIs
lhal had leen housed in lhe Kala, he nol onIy kepl lhis pie-IsIanic idoI, i.e. lhe Iack Slone,
lul he nade il lhe cenlei of IsIanic iiluaI. Muhannads iepoiled inleiaclion vilh A|-Hajar a|-
Asuad oi lhe Iack Slone is equaIIy suggeslive. He is knovn lo have ciicunanluIaled lhe Ka'la
on caneIlack vhiIe poinling lo lhe Iack Slone vilh a slaff excIaining, A||nu A|oar (AIIh is
lhe giealesl).
128
He vas olseived louching lhe slone vilh a slick and lhen kissing lhe slick.
Accoiding lo 'Ald AIIah l. 'Unai, son of lhe second caIiph, Muhannad vouId louch lhe Iack
Slone, kiss il, and veep foi a Iong line. He iepoiledIy said lo 'Unai: O 'Unai, lhis is lhe pIace
vheie one shouId shed leais. Il is nol nade cIeai vhy inleiacling vilh lhe Iack Slone vas a
souice of such sadness, lul lhal lhe Iiophel nade sone inlinale, deepIy enolionaI associalion
lelveen lhe slone and AIIh is quile evidenl fion lhese iepoils. In lhis iegaid, a fanous hadilh
of lhe Iiophel is ieIevanl: "

The Ka'la (slone) is lhe Righl Hand of AIIh and vilh il He shakes lhe hands of His seivanls as a nan
shakes lhe hand of His fiiend.
129
"

Righl Hand heie seens lo le synecdoche (a pail of sonelhing slanding foi lhe vhoIe). In lhe
hisloiy of ieIigious synloIisn lhe Hand synloIized a liansnillei of spiiiluaI and physicaI
eneigy.
13O
This is an apl desciiplion of lhe lIack lody lhal lhe ciealoi-god nade foi hinseIf in
oidei lo le alIe lo liansnil his divine Iuninosily lo eailh vilhoul scoiching il. As lhe Indian
IsIanic schoIai Muhannad HaniduIIah sunned up lhe neaning of lhe Iack Slone: The iighl
hand of lhe invisilIe Cod nusl le visilIe synloIicaIIy. And lhal is lhe a|-Hajar a|-Asuad, lhe
Iack Slone in lhe Ka'lah.

"

Diops insighl is lhus veII-founded: IsIans Kala is lhe Kenelic |a and oa, lhe |a oi divine
lody/cuIl slalue in vhich iesides lhe oa oi divine essence of lhe god, AIIah. "







""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!#,
We aie heie ieninded of lhe fanous ?adlh of }iliI in vhich Mu8annad defines ihsan as lo voiship Cod as
lhough you see Hin, and if you cannol see Hin, lhen indeed He sees you.""
!#-
ukhai, SahlhB'II, 697."
!#+
Iln Qulayla, Ta' ul| Mukhta|lf a|-Hadlth (1972) 215 (=1995 ed, p. 198, 262), AI-Quiluli, a|-Asna fl Sharh Asma'
A||ah a|-Husna, II:9O-91."
!$'
}ack Tiessiddei, Smbo|s and Thelr Meanlngs (Nev Yoik: aines and NolIe, 2OO6) 22."
$!"
"







"
""
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
%
$#"
"
3 32 27 7%, ,> >1 1. .' '" "%2 27 7%@ @A A" "1 1%. .' '%, ,> >" "%B B& &$ $" "1 1 %
"

)* Tnc Tnrcnc cf A||an"


And He il is Who ciealed lhe heavens and lhe eailh in six Days -
*+2'?$&'H84:+"'U*&';0:+'%8"'U*%"4 -
lhal He nighl liy you, vhich of you is lesl in conducl. ...
-- Suia 11:7"

The alove passage fion lhe Quin is fanous, lul veiy enignalic. I suggesl lhal a
piopei undeislanding is possilIe if ve iead il in lhe Iighl of Lgyplian Sacied Science. Iiisl, il
nusl le poinled oul lhal lhe vhoIe lhene of a god enlhioned has veiy specific connolalions.
In lhe Hisloiy of ReIigions lhe divine lhione is lhe signaluie of a veiy specific lype of deily: lhe
anlhioponoiphic (hunan-Iike) deily. Thioughoul lhe Ancienl Neai Lasl and India lhe
anlhioponoiphic gods of lhe highesl oidei veie depicled silling on lheii lhione. As lhe gods
veie naleiiaI leings, lhe lhiones veie naleiiaI oljecls.


"
"

"










V"&:0:%*#$*+'D:2'I4NQ*##;'
"+%84:+"2'
AncIcnt IndIc 'PrntnN
5hIva''.:2'"+%84:+"2''
C*+**+$%"W9&4*"@$%"'D:2'
A|a'(-@1'E4:#'I.*4$%'BMRXX'
<C-)'''
9&4*"@$%"'D:2'Y*8U"8'"+%84:+"2'
:+'*'Z
%8
',"+%)'<C-'D*[*',:$+)'!
$$"
"
In IsIanic liadilion lhe divine lhione is equaIIy naleiiaI. The Thione of AIIah has a veiy
significanl and exaIled pIace in lhe Quin.
131
Il is caIIed lhe Thione of Ciace (23:117), lhe
Mighly Thione of Iovei (23:86), and lhe CIoiious Thione of Iovei (83:15). The Aialic void
arsn IileiaIIy neans a lhing consliucled foi shade oi anylhing ioofed. The couil oi silling
pIace of lhe king is caIIed arsn. The nosl fanous of lhese Thione passages in lhe Quin
desciile AIIah anlhioponoiphicaIIy silling HinseIf on lhe arsn. In Suia 57:4 il ieads, "He il is
vho ciealed lhe heavens and lhe eailh in six days, lhen He nounled lhe Thione (|nunna s|aua
a|a |-arsn)."' Suia 2O:5 ieads: Ar-Rannan 'a|a-'|-'arsn is|aua, neaning "The eneficenl One has
sal dovn fiinIy on lhe Thione." AIIah's angeIs aie said lo enciicIe lhe Thione (39:75) and hoId
il up, Those vho leai lhe Thione of Iovei and lhose aiound il (Suia 4O:7). "
Accoiding lo lhe eaiIy MusIins (Sa|af oi Iious Anceslois) lhe Thione is a naleiiaI
oljecl, sepaiale fion lhe iesl of ciealion and nol lo le undeislood as an aIIegoiicaI expiession
foi lhe ciealion of heaven and eailh.
132
As AIIah sils fiinIy on lhe Thione of Iovei, His feel
aie said lo iesl on lhe Kursi oi slooI lhal acconpanies lhe Thione. Though Kursi can signify
'seal in a veiy geneiaI sense, il usuaIIy neanl a seal vilh no lack oi ainiesls, a slooI.
133
Kursi
is nenlioned onIy lvice in lhe Qui!"n, lul seveiaI lines in lhe sayings of lhe Iiophel. The
Iallei iepoiledIy nade il cIeai lhal lhe lhione - and ils divine occupanl - veie naleiiaI.
Accoiding lo a liadilion on lhe aulhoiily of }ulayi l. Mulin and found in Alu Davud, Iln
Khuzayna, al-Talaiani and olheis, Cod sils on lhe Thione Iike a nan silling on a Iealhei
saddIe and nakes il cieak. "

|}ulayi l. Mul'inj naiiales: A edouin cane lo find lhe Messengei of Cod and said lo hin: "O Messengei
of Cod, lhe nen aie aII in, lhe vonen and lhe chiIdien peiish, lhe iesouices aie gioving lhin, lhe leasls
aie dying. Iiay lhen lo Cod in oui favoi so il iains! We ask of you lo inleicede foi us aIongside Cod, and
ve ask of Cod lo inleicede foi us aIongside of you." "Unfoilunale one!" ansveied lhe Messengei of Cod,
"do you knov vhal you'ie saying`" Then he slailed lo say suonana ||an, and did nol slop iepealing il so
Iong as he didn'l see his Conpanions doing as nuch. Then he said |lo lhe edouinj: "Unfoilunale one!
One does nol ask Cod lo inleicede aIongside any one of His ciealuies! Cod is veiy nuch alove lhis!
Unfoilunale one! Do you knov vho Cod is` (Cod is on His Thione, vhich is alove His heavens, and
heavens aie alove His eailh,) Iike lhis"~and lhe Messengei of Cod pul his fingeis in lhe shape of a lenl~
and i| crca|s undcr Hin |i|c |nc crca|ing cf |nc sadd|c undcr |nc ridcr.
134
"

The Iiophel conpaies AIIah silling on lhe Thione and naking il cieak lo a nan silling on a
saddIed hoise and naking lhe saddIe cieak. The anlhioponoiphisn is lIalanl. The Iiophels
physicaI gesluiing haidIy aIIovs us lo see in lhis iepoil anylhing olhei lhan a physicaI
desciiplion of Cods eslalIishnenl on a physicaI Thione.




""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!$!
Cf. Thonas }. OShaughnessy, Cods Thione and ilIicaI SynloIisn in lhe Quian, Numen 2O (1973), 2O2-221."
!$#
Ioi a Iook al lhe eaiIy liadilionaIisl inleipielalion of lhe arsn naiialives cf. Cosla Vileslan, Arsn and Kursi. An
Lssay on lhe Thione Tiadilions in IsIan, in Lltlng Waters Scandinavian OiienlaIislic Sludies ed. ly Lgon Keck,
Svend Sondeigaad, and LIIen WuIff (Copenhagen: Museun TuscuIanun Iiess, 199O), 372."
!$$
"Kuisi," El2, 5O9."
!$%
Alu Davud, as-Sunan, 18 4726, Iln Khuzayna, Klt)b a|- Tau%7d 1O3: 6ff."
$%"
"
))* Gcds Tnrcnc cn |nc la|crs"

"

9#*."',:;4%"&/'375*4'68*4""E'V;8*##*2'


The alove inage depicls Osiiis silling on his lhione vhich ilseIf sils on a sIal of valei.
This loo is a veiy connon Ancienl Neai Laslein lhene. See foi exanpIe lhe Mesopolanian
Sun-Cod Shanash silling enlhioned alove a sIal of fiozen valei, and lhe IsiaeIile god Yahveh
depicled on a 7
lh
cenl. CL Heliev seaI fion }udah enlhioned in a loal in valei. In lhis
Ancienl Neai Laslein conlexl, and in lhe Lgyplian conlexl in pailicuIai, lhis divine lhione
alove valei has specific nelaphoiicaI as veII as physicaI significance. "



" "
"
"
6;#"4$*+'6;+'68*##*8'"+%84:+"2'*5:P"'
U*%"4'
"
9&4*"@$%"'.:2'Y*8U"8'"+%84:+"2'*5:P"'
U*%"4'
"
$&"
"
II.1. Gcds Aqua|ic 8cdq"

The ieIigious lexls of lhe ancienl Lasl, i.e. lhe hieiogIyphic viilings of ancienl Kenel
(Lgypl), lhe cuneifoin viilings of ancienl Sunei (ChaIdea/Mesopolania), and lhe Sanskiil
viilings of ancienl India, iecoid lhe hisloiy of Cod lhe Ciealoi of lhe cosnos as a divine Iack
nan. Accoiding lo lhese lexls, lhe Ciealoi Cod vas oiiginaIIy a Iuninous, foinIess essence
hidden vilhin a piinoidiaI sulslanlive daikness caIIed 'valeis. Al sone poinl, lhis divine
Iuninosily concenlialed ilseIf vilhin lhis aqualic daikness and pioduced lhe alon oi fiisl
pailicIe of dislincl nallei, lhe 'goIden egg of ancienl nylh. Iion lhis fiisl alon lheie eneiged
nany alons, vhich lhe Cod used lo luiId up his ovn Iuninous lody. This lody vas
anlhioponoiphic (nan-Iike) and lhus lhis Cod vas lhe fiisl nan in exislence, a seIf-ciealed
nan. This vas a liiIIianlIy Iuninous nan, iepiesenled ly lhe so-caIIed 'sun-gods of ancienl
nylh Iike Ra of Lgypl and Shannash of Mesopolania.
Al a ceilain poinl lhe Cod decided lo veiI his Iuninosily vilh a lody nade fion lhal
sane piinoidiaI aqualic daik sulslance fion vhich he iniliaIIy eneiged. In Mesopolanian
liadilion lhis aqualic lIackness fion vhich lhe divine o|ac| lody vas foined vas caIIed apsu, in
Indic liadilion |anas, in Kenel, nun, in lhe ilIe, adnn, in lhe Quin, %ana., This divine
lIack lody iefiacled lhe divine Iighl as il passed lhiough lhe haii poies coveiing lhe lody. This
lIack lody is lheiefoie iefeiied lo in Ialei Iileialuie as Cods 'shadov as il shades ciealion
fion lhe scoiching heal of lhe 'sun oi Iuninous lody of Cod. As lhe Iighl passed lhiough lhe
haii poies of lhis divine lIack lody il pioduced a daik-lIue iiidescence oi gIov. The ancienls
synloIized lhis visuaI effecl ly lhe senipiecious slone sappnirc aIso knovn as |apis |azu|i, vhich
vas a daik lIue slone vilh goIden speckIes lhioughoul. The Cods lody vas lhus depicled
daik lIue and said lo le nade of sapphiie/Iapis IazuIi.
135


"

H8"'-%"4+*@'D:2B'3#;+'(3%;#1B'$+'<@*,7'*+2'<@;"''
"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!$&
Ioi docunenlalion of lhis ancienl 'Mylh of lhe Iack Cod see IsIan, Truth of God, Chaplei V. "
$("
"
In anliquily vaiious aspecls of lhe gods veie iepiesenled
zoonoiphicaIIy. Thal is lo say, diffeienl aninaIs veie used lo synloIize
dislincl chaiacleiislics oi alliilules of a deily,
136
vho vas olheivise
anlhioponoiphic. The paianounl 'alliilule aninaI of lhe lIack ciealoi-
god vas lhe lIack lovine, usuaIIy a luII. The luII iepiesenled polency,
fecundily, and piinoidiaI naleiiaIily, aII essenliaI chaiacleiislics of lhe
ciealoi-god.
137
The coIoi of lhe luII vas nol aililiaiy. As Rene L. Vos
poinled oul, CoIoi iefIecled lhe naluie of a god and lhus lhe skin coIoi
consliluled lhe vehicIe of lhe divine naluie of a sacied aninaI.
138
Ovei
againsl lhe goIden Iion oi faIcon, vhich synloIized noining/nidday
sunIighl, lhe lIack lovine synloIized nighl and
naleiiaIily.
139
The lIack lovine vas associaled vilh
lhe lIack piinoidiaI valeis fion vhich lhe ciealoi-
god eneiged. As Asko IaipoIa noles iegaiding lhe Indic liadilion: lhe
daik luffaIo lalhing in nuddy valei vas conceived as lhe
peisonificalion of lhe cosnic valeis of chaos.
14O
The lIack luII lhus
cane lo synloIize lhe lIack naleiiaI lody lhal lhe ciealoi-god viII foin
foi hinseIf, lhe lIack skin of lhe lovine signaIing lhe lIack skin of lhe
deily. See foi exanpIe lhe lIack skin of lhe Lgyplian deily Min, lhe
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!$(
On lhe 'alliilule aninaI of ancienl Neai Laslein ieIigion see Liik Hoinung,' Concetlons of God ln Anclent
Egt: the One and the Man (Ilhaca: CoineII Univeisily Iiess, 1982)1O9-25, I. Aniel, Corus des c|lnders de Ras
Shamra-Ougarlt ll: Sceaux-c|lnres en hematlte et lerres dlterses (Ras Shania-Ougaiil IX, Iaiis: Ldilions
Recheiche sui Ies CiviIisalions, 1992) 68, Alliilule AninaI in iden, Art of the Anclent Near East, lians. }. ShepIey
and C. Choquel (Nev Yoik: Alians, 198O) 44O n. 787. "
!$,
On lhe synloIisn of lhe luII see Miicea LIiade, Patterns ln Comaratlte Re|lglon, liansIaled ly Rosenaiy Sheed
(1958, LincoIn and London: Univeisily of Neliaska Iiess, 1996) 82-93, KaieI van dei Tooin, ol ecking and Iielei
W. van dei Hoisl (edd.), Dlctlonar of Deltles and Demons ln the Blb|e, 2
nd
Ldilion (Leiden and Ciand Rapids, MI.:
iiII and Leidnans, 1999) s.v. CaIf, ly N. Wyall, 18O-182, ERE 2:887-889 s.v. uII, ly C.}. CaskeII. See aIso Rene L.
Vos, Vaiius CoIoiilus Apis: Sone Renaiks of lhe CoIouis of Apis and Olhei Sacied AninaIs, in WiIIy CIaiysse,
Anloon Schoois and Haico WiIIens (edd.), Egtlan Re|lglon: The Last Thousand Years, G*4%'M. Studles Dedlcated to
the Memor of ]an Quaegebeur (Leuven: Uilgeveiij Ieeleis en Depailenenl Oosleise Sludies, 1998) 715, vho noles
lhal lhe luIIs of Lgypl naleiiaIize upon lhe eailh lhe ciealive foices of lhe hidden deniuige (ciealoi-god). "
!$-
Vaiius CoIoiilus Apis, 711."
!$+
Asko IaipoIa, Nev coiiespondences lelveen Haiappan and Neai Laslein gIyplic ail, South Aslan Archaeo|og
1981, 178 noles: Indeed, lhe goIden-skinned haiiy Iion is an aichelypaI synloI foi lhe goIden-iayed sun, lhe Ioid of
lhe day.Nighl.is equaIIy veII iepiesenled ly lhe luII, vhose hoins connecl il vilh lhe ciescenl of lhe noon. On
lhe luII and lhe noon-god in ancienl Neai Laslein nylhoIogy see aIso TaIIay Oinan, The uII and ils Tvo Masleis:
Moon and Sloin Deilies in ReIalion lo lhe uII in Ancienl Neai Laslein Ail, lsrae| Ex|oratlon ]ourna| 51 (2OO1) 1-
26, Doninique CoIIon, The Neai Laslein Moon Cod, in Diedeiik }.W. Meijei (ed.), Natura| Phenomena: Thelr
Meanlng, Delctlon and Descrltlon ln the Anclent Near East (Noilh-HoIIand, Ansleidan, 1992) 19-37. On lhe
faIcon as synloI of lhe sun-god see }. Assnann, Llturglsche Lleder an den Sonnengott. Untersuchungen tur
gtlschen Hmnlk l (MS 19, eiIin, 1969) 17O-1. "
!%'
IaipoIa, Nev coiiespondences, 181. See aIso W.I. AIliighl vho noled lhal lhe conceplion of lhe iivei as
nighly luII is connon: The Moulh of lhe Riveis, A]SL 35 (1991): 167 n.3 |ail.=161-195j. In lhe"!"Vcda lhe cosnic
valeis aie covs (e.g. 4.3.11, 3.31.3, 4.1.11) and in PancatiIa-8rnana 21.3.7 lhe spolled cov alaI is addiessed:
Thou ail lhe |piinevaI oceanj. On valei and covs in Indic liadilion see fuilhei Anne IeIdhaus, Water and
Womanhood. Re|lglous Meanlngs of Rlters ln Maharashtra (Nev Yoik and Oxfoid: Oxfoid Univeisily Iiess, 1995)
46-47. "
C;@%'6%*%;"':E'
C4"*%:4N.:2'V$+'
:E'!"#"%'
V+"P$&'<;@@'
$,"
"
'ciealoi god par cxcc||cncc, and his lIack luII Mnevis.
./.
The Suneiian ciealoi-god Lnki vas
caIIed an-gig-aozu, 'lIack luII of lhe Aps (piinoidiaI valeis),
142
and he possessed a lIack
lody nade fion lhose piinoidiaI valeis.
143
""
Ancienl Indic liadilion, vhich is a Kushile (Afiican) liadilion al
iool, cIeaiIy expiesses lhis nolif. Aflei his iniliaI ciealion of lhe ceIesliaI
cosnos lhe Iuninous, anlhioponoiphic Indic
ciealoi-deily Iiajpali-iahn is said lo have
viapped hinseIf in lhe piinoidiaI valeis vhich
veie peisonified in his daughlei/vife
Vk/Viij.
144
He lhen lecane nari|an qtan, daik
liovn Iike nighl (qtan, g Vcda 6.48.6.) vilh a
ling of yeIIov (a yeIIov gIov, nari|an).
145

Iiajpali-iahns copuIalion vilh Vk is a
nelaphoi foi lhe ieuniling of fiie (liealh) vilh
valei.
146
Iiajpali-iahns (ie-)uniling vilh
Vk (piinoidiaI valei/piinoidiaI cov)
pioduced lhe 56-I+ /-(J-$ oi phenonenaI,
naleiiaI voiId, leginning vilh Manu, lhe fiisl
eailhIy hunan, vhich is onIy Iiajpali-iahn hinseIf ieloin in lhe
phenonenaI, naleiiaI voiId.
147
Accoiding lo lhe Tiinili oi Tiiad
liadilion of lhe Iuinas K5!L3 is lhe nane of lhe ciealoi-god Iiajpali-
iahn vilh his Iuninous lody cIoaked vilhin an aqualic lody nade
fion lhe piinoidiaI valeis. Theiefoie, as :52;7%& (Iiajpali-)iahn is
caIIed he vho dveIIs in lhe |causaIj valeis, Nrqana. y assuning
lhis foin (Iiajpali-)iahn shoved neicy on ciealion. Thus, in his
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!%!
Roleil A. Ainoui, Gods and Mths of Anclent Egt (Caiio and Nev Yoik: The Aneiican Univeisily in Caiio
Iiess, 1986, 2OO1) 157, Veionica Ions, Egtlan Mtho|og MiddIesex: The HanIyn IulIishing Cioup Lld., 1968) 11O.
WhiIe Min vas associaled vilh a vhile luII in Nev Kingdon IanopoIis and Coplos al an eaiIiei peiiod in HeIiopoIis
he vas associaled vilh lhe lIack luII Mnevis. See C.D. HoinlIovei, Min and His Iunclions, Man 46 (1946): 116
|ail.=113-121). On Min and lIack lovines see aIso H. Caulhiei, Les ersonne| du dleu Mln (Le Caiie, 1931, IIAO.
Recheiches dAicheoIogie 2) 55-57. On lhe nylhoIogicaI significance of lhe lIack lovine skin see especiaIIy Vos,
Vaiius CoIoiilus Apis. "
!%#
See See W.I. AIliighl, The Moulh of lhe Riveis, A]SL 35 (1991): 161-195, esp. 167. The alyIonian Tianal
(piinoidiaI saIl-valeis) seens aIso lo have leen piesenled as a lovine in lhe |nna ||isn: see . Landsleigei and }.V.
Kinniei WiIson, The Iiflh TalIel of Lnuna LIis, ]NES 2O (1961): 175 |ail.=154-179j. On lhe lIack luII and lhe lIack
valeis of ciealion see aIso Vos, Vaiius CoIoiilus Apis, 715, 718. "
!%$
See WesIey Muhannad, B|ack Arabla and the Afrlcan Orlgln of ls|am (AlIanla: A-Tean IulIishing, 2OO9) 91-97. "
!%%
See C.H. CodloIe, Lalei Vedic and iahnanicaI Accounls, in Dange, Mths of Creatlon, 13). On Vk as
piinoidiaI nallei see Nagai, lmage of Brhma, viii, }oshi, Iiajpali, 113."
!%&
See Tai||irqa 8rnnaLa 2.3.5.1, a|apa|na-8rnnaLa 6.2.2.2. On Vk and lhe piinoidiaI valeis see ilid., 6.1.1.9,
PaMcaatcIa-8rnnaLa 2O.14.2, g Vcda 1O.125.3, ]aininqa-8rnnaLa 2.252 (Vk as piinoidiaI cov), osch, Go|den
Germ, 52-53."
!%(
See Mishia, Brahm-Worshl. 11. On lhe fieiy liealh (Agni) and lhe valeis see fuilhei Kuipei, CoIden Cein,
27-3O, osch, Go|den Germ, 57-62. "
!%,
a|apa|na-8rnnaLa 6.6.1.19, 9.4.1.12, }. Conda, AII, Univeise and TolaIily in lhe alapalha-ihna;a, ]ourna| of
the Orlenta| lnstltute 32 (1982): 1-17, }oshi, Iiajpali in Vedic MylhoIogy and RiluaI."
PrajpatINBrahm"
:52;7 slalue,"
V*28*P*'V::4%$"
:52;7 "
$-"
"
':52;7 foin he is caIIed auspicious.
148
:52;7&is depicled lolh vilh a pilch-lIack lody, aIIuding
lo lhe daik aqualic nallei fion vhich il vas foined, and a daik lIue lody, aIIuding lo lhe
inleiaclion of lhe Iighl of Iiajpali-iahn vilh lhis lIack nallei."
The lIack luII (|. |n) of Lgypl, Apis, Iikevise peisonified lhe valeis of lhe NiIe vhich
vas iegaided as a lype of Nun, lhe daik, piinevaI valeiy nass oul of vhich ciealion spiang,
and he (Apis) vas associaled vilh lhe Iack Cod Osiiis, vho hinseIf vas idenlified vilh lhe
aqualic eIenenl.
149
IIulaich (d. 12O CL) lhus noles: "

Nol onIy lhe NiIe, lul eveiy foin of noisluie (lhe Lgyplians) caII sinpIy lhe effusion of Osiiis, and in
lheii hoIy iiles lhe valei jai in honoi of lhe god heads lhe piocession.
15O
"

Alove ve noled lhal lhe nylh of Ra joining Osiiis in lhe Dual oi UndeivoiId is acluaIIy
a picluiesque vay of piesenling Ras incainalion in lhe lIack, aqualic lody peisonified in
Osiiis, iuIei of lhe Dual. The Dual iepiesenls lhe piinoidiaI valeis and is expIicilIy idenlified
vilh lhe lIack lody of Osiiis,
151
lhe sun god pIunged inlo lhe piinoidiaI valeis, oul of vhich
ciealion oiiginaIIy aiose.lhe sun god alsoiled lhe chaolic povei of lhe piinoidiaI valeis,
vhich enguIfed lhe iennanls-'fIesh-of lhe once viiiIe soIai god.
152
Osiiis, oi Alun, is lhus
caIIed Auf-Ra, 'lhe fIesh of Ra.








"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!%-
On :52;7 see DanieIou, Mths and Gods of lndla, Chapleis LIeven lhiough Iouileen, Aivind Shaina, The
Significance of :52;7 RecIining on lhe Seipenl, Re|lglon 16 (1986): 1O1-114, Nandilha Kiishna, The Art and
lconograh of Vlshnu-Naraana (onlay, 198O), KaIpana S. Desai, lconograh of K5!L3 (ln Northern lndla, Uto
the Medlaeta| Perlod) (Nev DeIhi: Alhinav IulIicalions, 1973),I..} Kuipei, The Thiee Sliides of :52;7, in iden,
Anclent lndlan Cosmogon, 41-55, hallachaii, lndlan Theogon, Chaplei Iouileen, Mailin, Gods of lndla, Chaplei
Thiee, }. Conda, Asects of Ear| K5!L35/$ (Uliechl, N.V.A. Ooslhoeks Uilgeveis Mij, 1954). See aIso Wendy
Donigei OfIaheily, The Sulnaiine Maie in lhe MylhoIogy of iva, ]RAS 1971 9-27"
!%+
See LniIe Chassinal, La Mise a Moil RilueIIe DApis, Recuel| de trataux re|atlfs a |a hl|o|og et a
|archeo|ogle egtlennes et assrlennes 38 |1916j 33-6O, L.A. WaIIis udge, The Egtlan Book of the Dead (The
Parus of Anl). Egtlan Text Trans|lterated and Trans|ated |Nev Yoik: Dovei IulIicalions, Inc. 1967j cxxiii."
!&'
lsls and Oslrls, 36, 365. "
!&!
See alove nole 38. "
!&#
DaineII and Manassa, Tutankhamuns Armles, 22-23. "
$+"
"
Thal lhe lhione and lhe valeiy dais upon vhich il sils
have sonalic significance, tiz. lhey signify aspecls of lhe ocdq of
lhe deily, can le denonslialed. Iiisl, il is knovn lhal lhe vhoIe
of lhe Ancienl Neai Laslein and Indian sacied lenpIe iefIecled
lhe lod(ies) of lhe god lo
vhon il is dedicaled and lhal
lhe lhione-ioon vas a
ninialuie lenpIe ilseIf. The
lenpIe vas consideied an
aichileclonic icon: an inage in
slone of lhe god. In pailicuIai,
lhe lenpIe aichilecluie
synloIicaIIy iefIecls lhe anlhioponoiphic lody of lhe god
and 'houses lhe sloiy of hov lhis divine lody eneiged oul
of lhe piinoidiaI valeis.
153
Thus, lhe seven IeveIs of lhe
Mesopolanian zigguial oi slepped-pyianid iepiesenled
lhe seven slages of lhe divine descenl fion lhe highesl
heaven inlo naleiiaI enneshnenl (incainalion).
154
The
lenpIe is lhus lhe Iink lelveen heaven and eailh, dur-an-|i,
ils lop poilion louching heaven, ils lollon ieaching deep
inlo lhe Alzu oi piinoidiaI valeis.
155
The Iovesl IeveI of
lhe zigguial and lhe exleiioi vaIIs of lhe lenpIe iepiesenl lhe exleinaI lody of lhe god, vhich is
associaled vilh lhe piinoidiaI valeis: lhus lhe unduIaling couise of lhe liicks on lhe exleinaI
vaIIs of lhe Lgyplian lenpIe aie designed lo inilale lhe vaves of Nun, lhe piinoidiaI valeis in
Lgyplian cosnogonic lhoughl.
156

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!&$
$ %&01$ 23$ 2456,, Like Deities, Like Temples ,Like Feople,, in John Day ,eo.,, !"#$%"& '()& *+,-./$& 0/1%/2'%& 3-,'"%&
789'-9':;<=$>901?$@A&01B$CDDEF$C.G$ !'-0H<I$J5<0K5ski, Fyramios ano Ziggurats as the Architectonic Representations ol the
Archetype ol the Cosmic Mountain, 422'-/+('%&561%/2'7/+(-$/(8&9%'--/2'%&:76)/"-$.$7.LMNF?$OL(..DG$I.W. Mabbett, The
Symbolism ol Mount Meru, ;/-7+,<&+=&>"%/?/+(-&CP$7.LNPF$O/(NPG$%9,5Q$=A(Din Ibrahim, The Goo ol the Great Temple ol
Eolu, in John Rullle, G.A. Gaballa ano Kenneth A. Kitchen ,eoo.,, 4,1/-&@"?<$7/+,6#&:$"26%6#A&B%/#$-"-&+=&@(2/"(7&
C?<$78&:76)/"-&/(&;+(+6,&+=&;8*8&D'/,#'(&7J&045'R6<0B$.LMLF$.MD(.M.G$S&+',5A-$*I<00<$T5''<R6&-B$3#'?"&+=&7."&*+,%)&
'()& :<#1+%& +=& 7."& 9,"'7+,A& 4(& 7."& 9+-#+%+?/2'%& '()& 32+(+%+?/2'%& E'%6"-& +=& 7."& !"#$%"& +=& C)=6& 7J5<R"&-<'?$
U&00&RR9=56HB$ .LNEFG& Stella Kramrish, The Temple as Furusa, in Framoo Chanora& 7<-F$ :76)/"-& /(& 3()/'(& !"#$%"&
@,2./7"276,"$ 7!4<05K&'$ V'R656#6<$ 9W$ V'-5&'$ 26#-5<RB$ .LMEF$ /D(/O3$ X051$ U90'#'+B$ 3)"'& /(7+& 3#'?"A& C--'<-& +(& @(2/"(7&
C?<$7/'(&!.+6?.7&7Y541<'$Z#"A5R,<0RB$.LLCF$@,&[6<0$O3$$$"
!&%
$Mabbett, Symbolism ol Mount Meru, o!i, Amar Annus, The Soul`s Ascent ano Tauroctony: On Babyl9'5&'$2<-54<'6$5'$
the Syncretic Religious Doctrines ol Late Antiquity, in Thomas Richaro K44<0<0$7<-3FB$:76)/"-&+(&>/76'%&'()&:+2/"7<&/(&
7."& @(2/"(7& F"',& C'-78& !',76",& :<#$+-/"(& GHHIJKLLM& 7*<0A5'$ &'-$ ;<=$ >901?$ J&A6<0$ -<$ \0#Q6<0B$ CDDMF$ .(EPG$ Z50I9$
8&[5'15]5B$ !."& :6#",/'(& :'2,")& N',,/'?"& /(& 7."& O/?.7& +=& 9+#$','7/P"& CP/)"(2"$ 7U<AR5'15?$ Y,<$ ;<9(!RRQ05&'$ Y<^6$
@90[#R$Z09I<K6B$CDD/F$./O3$$"
!&&
$D.O. Eozaro, Deep(Rooteo Skyscrapers ano Bricks: Ancient Mesopotamian Architecture ano its Imagery, in M. Minolin,
%3_3$ \<AA<0$ &'-$ _3X3$ J&'R"09#+,$ 7<--3FB$ D/?6,'7/P"& O'(?6'?"& /(& 7."& @(2/"(7& F"',& C'-7& 789'-9'?$ `'5]<0R56Q$ 9W$ 89'-9'B$
.LNMF$.P(C/3"
!&(
$A.J. Spenser, The Brick Iounoation ol Late(Ferioo Temples ano their Mythological Origin, in John Rullle, G.A. Gaballa
&'-$ a<''<6,$ !3$ a56K,<'$ 7<--3FB$ 4,1/-& @"?<$7/+,6#& :$"26%6#A& B%/#$-"-& +=& @(2/"(7& C?<$78& :76)/"-& /(& ;+(+6,& +=&
;8*8& D'/,#'(& 7J&045'R6<0B$ .LMLF$ .PPG$ b#'&'-$ &'-$ c5]5<(@9K,<B$ B+)-& '()& N"(& /(& C?<$7B$ NNG$ U90'#'+B$ 3)"'& /(7+&
3#'?"B$..L3$$d'$6,<$K9R45K:K9R49+9'5K$RQ4"9A5R4$9W$6he Egyptian temple see also John Baines, Temple Symbolism, >@3F&
.E$7.LMOF?$.D(.E3"&"
H8"'6"P"+N&%"0'[$..;4*%':E'
V"&:0:%*#$*'*+2'%8"'6"P"+N
&%*."'2"&,"+%':E'@;#$+:;&'
60$4$%'$+%:'<@*,7'V*%%"4'
%'"
"




"







































3) H8"'J;\:4'H"#0@"':E'!"#"%'
<) H8"'G4*&*2*'H"#0@"':E'?$+2;'
9+2$*'
C) J*/:;%':E'%8"'H"#0@"':E'6:@:#:+'
4"E@",%$+.'%8"'5:2/':E'%8"'?$.8'
G4$"&%B'%8"'K$P$+"'V*+'(Y*8U"81'
%!"
"
As lhe exleiioi lenpIe vaIIs vilh lheii vave-Iike liicks synloIize lhe eailhIy lody of
lhe god and lhe inleiioi of lhe lenpIe - lhe
HoIy of HoIies - signifies lhe gods inleinaI
essence/gIoiy, so loo is lhis pallein
iefIecled in lhe aiiangenenl of lhe cuIl-
slalue inside lhe lenpIe. The lollon vave-
Iike dais is lhe equivaIenl of lhe lenpIe
vaIIs vilh ils unduIaling liicks, lhe lox-
Iike lhione iepiesenls lhe naleiiaI lody of
lhe god, lul one of a highei naluie lhan lhe
'lollon oi nosl exleinaI lody, and lhe
god silling on lop is lhe |a, lhe innoilaI
lody. The coiieclness of lhis insighl is
indicaled ly lhe significance of lhe so-caIIed cule-slalues lhal lecane pievaIenl duiing Kenels
MiddIe Kingdon (2O4O CL - 1783 CL). This is a lox Iike sliucluie vilh a hunan figuie
eneiging oul of il. As Mouslafa CadaIIa expIains, lhe lox-Iike sliucluie in geneiaI in Lgyplian
lhoughl is lhe nodeI of lhe eailh and lhe naleiiaI voiId. Thus, "

In lhese cule slalues, lheie is lhe poveifuI sense of lhe suljecl eneiging fion lhe piison of lhe cule. Ils
synloIic significance is lhal lhe spiiiluaI piincipIe is eneiging fion lhe naleiiaI voiId.
157
"

This is aIso lhe significance of lhe lox-Iike lhiones upon vhich lhe Lgyplian deilies and kings
sil. CadaIIa noles: The Divine peison is shovn silling squaieIy on a cule, i.e. nind ovei
nallei.
158
The 'nind ovei nallei expIanalion is cIiche: lhis aiiangenenl signifies in acluaIily
lhe piedoninance of lhe divine peison/lody (lhe |a) ovei lhe noilaI lody (lhe |na|). Like lhe
lenpIe ilseIf, lhese lhione-ioon accessoiies leII us sonelhing aloul lhe ocdics of lhe gods. "
















""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!&,
"CadaIIa, Egtlan Cosmo|og, 53. "
!&-
"CadaIIa, Egtlan Cosmo|og, 53. "
!8"04$'E:4#'*+2'3&*4'(A&$4$&1'E:4#':E'3%;#B'
"+%84:+"2':+',;5"2'%84:+"'
%#"
"
II.2. Yanucn-||cnin (A||an). Tnc Aqua|ic 8cdq in 8io|ica| Tradi|icn "

ecause of lhe noled ieIalionship lelveen Ancienl Neai Laslein (especiaIIy Lgyplian)
liadilion and ilIicaI liadilion, ve aie nol suipiised lo find lhal lhe
god of lhe ilIe is desciiled in nany }evish souices as possessing lhis
sane aqualic lody lhal lhe Ancienl Neai Laslein deilies possessed.
The esoleiic liadilion of lhe piiesls of lhe }eiusaIen TenpIe idenlified
lhe Iong daik lIue iole (nci|) of lhe high piiesl vilh lhe eailhIy lody
of Yahveh.
159
This esoleiic piieslIy liadilion vas inheiiled ly lhe
Ialei iallis, accoiding lo vhon lhe daik lIue iiluaI lasseI (ii|) voin
on lhe piayei shavI (|a||i|) of olseivanl }evs synloIized lhe sappniric
lody of Cod.
16O
Sapphiie/Iapis IazuIi is a senipiecious slone vhich
possessed gieal nylhoIogicaI significance in lhe Ancienl Neai Lasl,
leing consideied lhe uIlinale Divine sulslance.
161
In ils naluiaI
slale sapphiie/Iapis IazuIi is deep lIue vilh fine
goIden spangIes and vas associaled lolh vilh lhe
slaiiy nighl heavens and lhe piinoidiaI valeis.
162
The
divine sapphiiic lody vas lhus an aqua|ic lody. }evish
souices fion lhe fiisl cenluiy CL and leyond
docunenl lhe leIief lhal Yahveh acquiied his aqualic
lody in nuch lhe sane vay lhal Alun did. The Ialei
}evish nyslicaI liadilion, KalaIIah, lheiefoie undeislandalIy idenlified" Yahveh vilh Adan
(Kadnon).
163

Cnoslicisn vas a ieIigious/phiIosophicaI novenenl of lhe 1sl - 4lh cenluiies CL.
Though lhis novenenl vas nade up of vaiious gioups,
164
lhe eaiIiesl no doull foined aiound
a gioup of ienegade }evish piiesls fion lhe }eiusaIen TenpIe vho,
165
anazingIy, deveIoped a
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!&+
Muhannad, Truth of God, 224-229. "
!('
See WesIey Muhannad, Sapphiiic Cod: Lsoleiic SpecuIalion on lhe Divine ody in Iosl-ilIicaI }evish
Tiadilion,
hllp://divesIeyviIIians.con/yahoo_sile_adnin/assels/docs/Sapphiie_RallisHTRNo_KallaIahRevised2.18223O4
2.pdf. "
!(!
I. Daunas, Lapis-IazuIi el Regeneialion, in Sydney Aufiie, LUnlters mlnera| dans |a ensee gtlenne, 2
voIs. (Le Caiie: Inslilul Iianais dAicheoIogie OiienlaIe du Caiie, 1991) 2:463-488, }ohn Iivin, The <"= haiio al
enaies (:"4";0-(): Anolhei Iie-Aokan Monunenl` ZDMG 133 (1983): 327-43 |ail.=32O-352j. "
!(#
Daunas noles: Le Iapis-IazuIi paial avoii ele associe a deux piincipaux aspecls de Ia naluie : Ia nuil.el Ieau
piinoidiaIe. Lapis-LazuIi il Regeneialion, 465 and passin."
!($
On Adan Kadncn t Schvailz, Tree of Sou|s, 15-16, Tishly, Wlsdom of the Zohar, I:295-298, C.}.M. Hopking, The
Practlca| Kabba|ah Guldebook (Nev Yoik: SleiIing IulIishing, 2OO1), 34f., Leo Schaya, The Unltersa| Meanlng of
the Kabba|ah, lins fion lhe Iiench ly Nancy Ieaison (London: Ceoige AIIen & Unvin Lld, 1971), 116-119, Ceishon
ShoIen, Adan Kadnon, Encc|oedla ]udalca'2:248-49, Cieen, Gulde to the Zohar, 46."
!(%
L. King, What ls Gnostlclsm? (Canliidge, Mass. And London: The eIknap Iiess of Haivaid Univeisily Iiess,
2OO3), Rethlnklng Gnostlclsm": An Argument for Dlsmant|lng a Dublous Categor (Iiincelon, Nev }eisey:
Iiincelon Univeisily Iiess, 1996)."
!(&
}ohn D. Tuinei, Sethlan Gnostlclsm and the P|atonlc Tradltlon (Quelec, Iaiis: Les Iiesses de IUniveisile LavaI
and Ldilions Ieeleis, 2OO1) 257ff, iden, Selhian Cnoslicisn: A Lileiaiy Hisloiy, in in ChaiIes W. Hediick and
Roleil Hodgson, }i. (edd.), Nag Hammadl, Gnostlclsm, S Ear| Chrlstlanlt (Iealody, MASS: Hendiickson
IulIisheis, 1986) 55-86. On }evish Cnoslicisn see aIso CiIs QuispeI, Cnoslicisn and lhe Nev Teslanenl, in }.
%$"
"
disgusl foi lhe Cod of IsiaeI. Cnoslic lexls such lhe Apccrapncn cf ]cnn, lhe Hqpcs|asis cf |nc
Arcncns, and On |nc Origin cf |nc lcr|d Ieave no doull as lo vhy
166
: il vas lhe naleiiaI lIackness
of lhis Cod, oi his lody, lhal lhis gioup of piiesls ievoIled againsl. They had cone undei lhe
speII of Cieek phiIosophy. IailicuIaiIy infIuenliaI on lheii lhinking vas lhe Iylhagoiean TalIe
of Opposiles. Accoiding lo Iylhagoias, lhal vhich is chaiacleiized ly
Iighl, spiiil, and naIeness vas good, and lhal chaiacleiized ly daikness,
naleiiaIily, and fenininily vas lad: lhe lvo gioups veie anlilhelicaI.
The Cnoslics lhus 'spIil lhe Cod of IsiaeI in lvo. They voishiped as lhe
supiene Cod lhe Iuninous an|nrcpcs of Day One of Cenesis vilh his
liiIIianl Iighl-lody, usuaIIy caIIed pnNs, vhich nane is Cieek and
neans lolh 'Iighl and 'nan. The Cnoslics sepaialed lhis Iuninous nan
(pnNs) fion his lIack naleiiaI 'veiI. The Iallei vas excIusiveIy idenlified
vilh lhe Cod of lhe ilIe,
167
vhon lhey denonized and iejecled
lecause of his ciealion of a naleiiaI (and lhus eviI) voiId. Wilh his
lIack naleiiaI lody, lhe Cod of lhe ilIe (Yahveh-LIohin) vas seen as
eviI and even equaled vilh lhe deviI al lines.
168
ecause naleiiaIily vas associaled vilh
fenininily accoiding lo lhe Iylhagoiean TalIe of Opposiles, lhese eaiIy Cnoslics iepiesenled
Yahveh-LIohins lIack naleiiaI lody as a lIack goddess, Sophia-Achanolh."
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IhiIip Hyall (ed.), The Blb|e ln Modern Scho|arshl. Paers read at the 100
th
Meetlng of the Soclet of Blb|lca|
Llterature, December 28-30, 1964 (NashviIIe, TN: Alingdon Iiess), iden, }udaisn, }udaic Chiislianily and Cnosis,
in A.H.. Logan and A.}.M. Weddeiluin (edd.), The Neu Testament and Gnosls (Ldinluigh: T&T CIaik Liniled,
1983), 46-68, R. McL. WiIson, The Gnostlc Prob|em: A Stud of the Re|atlons betueen He||enlstlc ]udalsm and the
Gnostlc Heres (London: A.R. Movliay & Co. LTD, 1958, 1964
2
), Kuil RudoIph, Gnosls, the Nature and Hlstor of
an Anclent Re|lglon, lins. Roleil McLachIan WiIson (Ldinluigh: T&T CIaik, 1983), iigei Ieaison, Gnostlclsm,
]udalsm, and Egtlan Chrlstlanlt (MinneapoIis: Ioiliess, 1999O). "
!((
Ioi LngIish liansIalions of lhese lexls see WiIIis ainslone and Maivin Meyei, The Gnostlc Blb|e (Nev Seeds,
2OO6)."
!(,
On lhe Cnoslic deniuige and lilIicaI deily see Sinon Ielienenl, A Searate God. The Chrlstlan Orlglns of
Gnostlclsm lns. CaioI Haiiison (Nev Yoik: HapeiCoIIins IulIishing, 199O) Chap. I, Anne IngviId SIid CiIhus, The
Cnoslic Deniuige - an Agnoslic Tiickslei, Re|lglon. 14 (1984): 3O1-11, L. Aydeel Iischei-MueIIei, YaIdaloalh: The
Cnoslic IenaIe IiincipIe in ils IaIIenness, NotTes (199O): 79-95, Ioan I. CouIiano, The Tree of Gnosls: Gnostlc
Mtho|og from Ear| Chrlstlanlt to Modern Nlhl|lsm (Nev Yoik: HaipeiCoIIins IulIishing, 1992) Chapl. 4,
Slevan L. Davies, The Lion-Headed YaIdalaolh, ]ourna| of Re|lglous Hlstor 11 (1981): 495-5OO, }aiI Iossun, The
Oiigin of lhe Cnoslic Deniuige, Ehemerldes Theo|oglcae Lotanlenses 61 (1985): 142-52, NiIs A. DahI, The
Aiioganl Aichon and lhe Levd Sophia: }evish Tiadilions in Cnoslic RevoIl, in enlIey Laylon (ed.), The
Redlscoter of Gnostlclsm: Proceedlngs of the lnternatlona| Conference on Gnostlclsm at Ya|e Neu Haten,
Connectlcut, March 28-31, 1978 2 voIs. (Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1981) 2:689-712, Ioeislei Weinei. Gnosls: A Se|ectlon of
Texts |Oxfoid: CIaiendon Iiess, 1974j 1: 11, MichaeI AIIen WiIIians, Rethlnklng Gnostlclsm": An Argument for
Dlsmant|lng a Dublous Categor (Iiincelon, Nev }eisey: Iiincelon Univeisily Iiess, 1996) 63-79, iden, The
denonizing of lhe deniuige: The innovalion of Cnoslic nylh, in lnnotatlon ln Re|lglous Tradltlons: Essas ln the
lnterretatlon of Re|lglous Change (ReIigion and Sociely Seiies 31, eiIin, Nev Yoik: Moulon de Ciuylei, 1992) 73-
1O7, iden, The OId Teslanenl Cod in LaiIy Cnoslicisn, MA lhesis, Miani Univeisily, Ohio, 197O, Hovaid M.
}ackson, The Llon Becomes Man: The Gnostlc Leontomorhlc Creator and the P|atonlc Tradltlon (SLDS 81, AlIanla:
SchoIais Iiess, 1985. "
!(-
Tnc Hqpcs|asis cf |nc Arcncns (NHC II, 4, 94.25-26), Tnc Apccrqpncn cf ]cnn (II 11, 17-18). See aIso }oseph Dan,
SanaeI and lhe IiolIen of }evish Cnoslicisn, in Persectltes on ]eulsh Thought and Mstlclsm (Ansleidan, The
NelheiIands: Haivood Acadenic IulIisheis, 1998) 257-276."
%%"
"
These (}evish) Cnoslic souices evidence an avaieness of lhe Cod of IsiaeIs aqualic lody. A
nagicaI invocalion lo lhe }evish Cod found on a Cieek-Heliev anuIel
169
and in a Cieek
nagicaI papyius
17O
ieads: Thou (vhose) foin is Iike heaven, Iike lhe sea, Iike daikness/cIoud,
lhe AII-shaped.
171
IIolinuss Cnoslics (|nn. II, 9.1O.3) desciile lhe Deniuige oi ilIicaI ciealoi-
god as a daik inage (cidc|cn) in nallei of lhe (S)ouIs iefIeclion. SiniIaiIy, foi lhe Docelisls of
HippoIylus (Rcf. VIII 9.4-1O.1) lhe ciealoi god of Cenesis is an inpiession in daik nallei of a
highei Iighl Aeon.
172
The Mandean Deniuige IlahiI is a iefIeclion in lIack valei of his falhei
Alalhui, an u|nra (divine Iighl-leing).
173
These lvo figuies shov sone ieIalion lo lhe lilIicaI LI
(Alalhui) and Yahveh (IlahiI).
174
"
The chaiacleiislicaIIy 'Cnoslic nylh of lhe 'sunken god expIains lhe oiigin of lhe
ilIicaI gods aqualic lody: lhe deily (oi his cidc|cn, inage) vho, having gIanced al and/oi
descend lo lhe valeis leIov, lecane enguIfed ly lhen and enlodied vilhin lhen.
175
Nov
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!(+
See }osef KeiI, Lin ilseIhafles AnuIell, Wlener ]ahreshefte 32 (194O): 79-84, esp. 8O and SchoIens discussion,
Mstlca| Shae, 28. "
!,'
PGM IV. 3O65. "
!,!
My liansIalion. I have depailed fion slandaid liansIalions in oidei lo liing oul vhal I leIieve is lhe liue sense of
lhis passage. The anuIel ieads: , ||x x vhich KeiI liansIales du
HinneIsgeslaIligei, MeeiesgeslaIligei, DunkeIgeslaIligei, du AIIgeslaIligei (8O). PGM IV. 3O65 ieads: ,
, , vhich is liansIaled in elz (The Greek Maglca| Parl ln Trans|atlon, lnc|udlng the
Demotlc Se||s, ed. Hans Dielei elz |Chicago: The Univeisily of Chicago Iiessj 97) as, |lhej skyIike, seaIike,
cIoudIike. See aIso AdoIf Deissnann, Llght |rom the Anclent East. The Neu Testament l||ustrated b Recent|
Dlscotered Texts of the Graeco-roman Wor|d (lins. LioneI R. M. Sliachan, Ciand Rapids, Mich., akei ook House,
1965) 262. The elz liansIalion of PGM IV 3O65 olscuies lhe olvious noiphic focus of lhe passage. KeiI seens iighl
in his liansIalion lecause lhe anuIel, ly adding , seens lo paiaIIeI cidcs and ncrpncs. "
!,#
Regaiding lhe Docelic deniuige CouIiano noles: He is lhe inage in Daikness of an aeon vhose lianscendence
has leen foievei sepaialed fion lhe Iovei voiId ly lhe fiinanenl. His sulslance is Daikness. Ioan I. CouIiano,
The Tree of Gnosls: Gnostlc Mtho|og from Ear| Chrlstlanlt to Modern Nlhl|lsm (Nev Yoik: HaipeiCoIIins
IulIishing, 1992) 95."
!,$
Rlght Glnta V 1, 168, 6. "
!,%
See especiaIIy lhe discussion ly NalhanieI Deulsch, Guardlans of the Gate, 94-5, iden, Alalhui: A Nev
LlynoIogy, in }ohn }. CoIIins and MichaeI Iishlane (edd.), Death, Ecstas, and Other Wor|d| ]ournes (AIlany,
Nev Yoik: Slale Univeisily of Nev Yoik Iiess, 1995) 171-79. On Mandaeaisn and }evish liadilion see Deulsch,
Gnostlc lmaglnatlon, }aiI Iossun, The Nev Rc|igicnsgcscnicn||icnc Scnu|c: The Quesl foi }evish ChiisloIogy, SBL
Semlnar Paers 3O (1991): 638-646, Dan Cohn-Sheilok, The Mandaeans and Heleiodox }udaisn, HUCA 54 (1983):
147-51, iden, The AIphalel in Mandaean and }evish Cnoslicisn, Re| 11 (1981): 227-234, CiIIes QuispeI, }evish
Cnosis and Mandaen Cnoslicisn: Sone RefIeclions on lhe Wiiling 8rcn|c, in }acques-e Menaid (ed.), Les Textes de
Nag Hammadl. Co||oque du Centre dHlstolre des Re|lglons (Strasbourg, 23-25 octobre 1974) (NHS 7, Leiden: L.}.
iiII, 1975) 82-122. "
!,&
See e.g. lhe Mandean deniuige IlahiI (Rign| Ginza III, 98-1OO), lhe divine anlhiopos of lhe Naassens (HippoIylus,
Rcf. V 6, 3-11), and lhe divine anlhiopos of Ioinandies (Ccrp. Hcrn. I 1-32). On lhe Cnoslic nylh of lhe sunken deily
see Maiia Ciazia LanceIIolli, The Naassenes: A Gnostlc ldentlt Among ]udalsm, Chrlstlanlt, C|asslca| and Anclent
Near Eastern Tradltlons (Mnslei: Ugaiil-VeiIag, 2OOO) 87-12O, esp. 11O-11, Hans }onas, The Gnostlc Re|lglon, the
Message of the A|len God S the Beglnnlngs of Chrlstlanlt (oslon: eacon Iiess, 2OO1), 62-65, 116-29, 156-65, iden,
Response lo C. QuispeIs 'Cnoslicisn and lhe Nev Teslanenl, in }. IhiIip Hyall (ed.), The Blb|e ln Modern
Scho|arshl. Paers read at the 100
th
Meetlng of the Soclet of Blb|lca| Llterature, December 28-30, 1964 (NashviIIe,
TN: Alingdon Iiess, 1965) 279-93, CiIs QuispeI, The Deniuige in lhe Apociyphon of }ohn, in Nag Hammadl and
Gnosls. Paers read at the |lrst lnternatlona| Congress of Coto|og (Calro, December 1976) (Leiden: L.}. iiII, 1978)
7-9 |ail.=1-33j. "
%&"
"
possessing an 'aqualic lody, lhis deily lecones lhe Deniuige,
ioulineIy idenlified vilh lhe lilIicaI ciealoi god." Hans }onas
desciiles lhis nylhic nolif: "

(The nolif) inpIies lhe nylhic idea of lhe sulslanliaIily of an inage,
iefIeclion, oi shadov as iepiesenling a ieaI pail of lhe oiiginaI enlily
fion vhich il has lecone delached.y ils naluie lhe Lighl shines inlo
lhe Daikness leIov. This pailiaI iIIuninalion of lhe Daikness., if il
issued fion an individuaI divine figuie such as Sophia oi Man, is in lhe
naluie of a fcrn piojecled inlo lhe daik nediun and appeaiing lheie as
an inage oi iefIeclion of lhe divine.lhough no ieaI descenl oi faII of
lhe divine oiiginaI has laken pIace, sonelhing of ilseIf has lecone
inneised in lhe Iovei voiId.in lhis vay lhe divine foin.lecones
enlodied in lhe nallei of Daikness.
176


The poinl of lhis nylh is veII sunnaiized ly Weinei
Ioeislei vho suggesls lhal lhe lolaIily of Cnosis can le
conpiehended in a singIe inage. This is lhe inage of 'goId in
nud,
177
i.e. lhe divine Iuninosily enneshed in lhe daik
aqueous nallei. Accoiding lo lhis nylh, lhe ilIicaI ciealoi-
god is sonalicaIIy associaled vilh lolh lhe lIue valeis and lhe
lIue fiinanenl. Accoiding lo Iienaeus Ophiles (Agains| |nc Hcrc|ics I.3O) lhe Iuninous
HeavenIy Sophia (veisus heie lIack naleiiaI counleipail Sophia Achanolh) descended and
vas enliapped ly lhe valeis leIov, fion vhich she acquiied a valeiy-lody. Aflei gaineiing
enough slienglh (povei fion lhe noisluie of Iighl), she vas alIe lo escape fion lhe valeis
and ie-ascend upvaids. She lhen spiead heiseIf oul as a coveiing, hei (lIue) valeiy-lody
seiving as lhe visilIe heaven.
178
She finaIIy alandoned lhis lIue ceIesliaI, aqualic lody, vhich
lhen lecane YaIdalaolh, lhe Cod of IsiaeI.
179

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!,(
Gnostlc Re|lglon, 162-3."
!,,
Gnosls. A Se|ectlon of Gnostlc Texts, 2 voIs. lians and ed. R. McL. WiIson (Oxfoid: The CIaiendon Iiess, 1972) 1:
2."
!,-
A.}. WeIluin ieads lhis nylh as a connenlaiy on lhe Ophile Diagian desciiled in Oiigens conlia CeIsun VI, 24-
38. In his ieconsliuclion of lhe diagian (Reconsliucling lhe Ophile Diagian, NotT 23 (1981): 262-87, esp. 28O-87)
WeIluin associales lhe lIue ciicIe (see ccn|ra Cc|sun VI, 38) vilh Sophias 'valeiy-lody of lhe alove nylh. "
!,+
Tuinei, Sethlan Gnostlclsm, 2O3: hei alandoned lody falheis lhe Aichon YaIdalaolh, Tuonas Rasinus,
Ophile Cnoslicisn, Selhianisn and lhe Nag Hannadi Liliaiy, VC 59 (2OO5): 237 |ail.=235-63j: The ienains of hei
lody falheied lhe deniuige IaIdalaolh On vaiious schoIaiIy deiivalions of lhe nane 'YaIdalaolh see }oseph Dan,
YaIdalaolh and lhe Language of lhe Cnoslics, in Ielei Schfei (ed.), Geschlchte, Tradltlon, Ref|exlon: |estschrlft
fr Martln Henge| tum 70. Geburtstag (Tlingen: }.C.. Mohi (IauI Sieleck), 1996) 557-64 Hovaid M. }ackson, The
Oiigin in Ancienl Incanlaloiy Vcccs Magicac of Sone Nanes in lhe Selhian Cnoslic Syslen, VC 43 (1989): 69-79,
Mallhev Iack, An Aianaic LlynoIogy foi }aIdalaolh` in A.H.. Logan and A.}.M. Weddeiluin (edd.), The Neu
Testament and Gnosls: Essas ln honour of Robert McL. Wl|son (Ldinluigh: T&T CIaik Liniled, 1983), 69-72,
Ceishon SchoIen, }aIdalaolh Reconsideied, in Me|anges dHlstolre des Re|lglons offertes Henrl-Char|es Puech
(Iaiis: Iiesses Univeisilaiies de Iiance, 1974) 4O5-421, Roleil M. Cianl, The Nane IaIdalaolh, VC 11 (1957): 148-
49."
E!Iphas LcvI's (d. 1875 )
dcpIctInn nf thc '!umInnus' and
'sunkcn' aspccts nf thc bIb!Ica!
D:2)''
%("
"
RefIexes of lhis nylh aie found in non-Cnoslic }evish souices as veII, as poinled oul ly
David HaIpeiin.
18O
One such iefIex, accoiding lo AIexandei AIlnann,
181
is in lhe laIe of King
David digging pils (sni||in) inlo lhe eailh lo luiId lhe foundalions foi lhe TenpIe. In lhe 8at|i
(alyIonian TaInud) veision, as David is digging he ieaches lhe sulleiianean chaos valeis
(|cncn), vhich aiise and lhiealen lo sulneige lhe eailh again. Aflei sone deIileialion vilh
AchilopheI, David insciiles lhe divine nane on a sheid and casls il inlo lhe deep, lheiely
slaying and seaIing Tehon once again. Adducing a nunlei of conpaialive naleiiaIs, AIlnann
aigued lhal lhe IikeIy hisloiy-of-ieIigions lackgiound lo lhis haggadah (}evish laIe) is lhe nylh
of lhe piinoidiaI nan/deily/souI (i.e., lhe divine nane insciiled on lhe sheid) lhal feII inlo lhe
piinoidiaI valeis. He ciles lhe Naassene Hynn in vhich lhe IiinoidiaI Man, Adanas, vho as
lhe foundalion-slone of Zion (Isa. 28:16) and lhe coinei-slone vhich has lecone lhe head of
lhe coinei (Is. 118:22) feII inlo lhe valeiy cosnic nallei: This (lhe laInudic nolif) echoes lhe
conceplion of lhe Cnoslic Cod vho sinks inlo lhe deplh. "
Anolhei case vas nade ly HaIpeiin.
182
One of lhe seveiaI ieIevanl lexls he ciles is
>?!7@AB& C?.?D8?* ('Visions of LzekieI), a possilIy fiflh cenluiy ncr|aoan (chaiiol-lhione) oi
}evish nyslicaI lexl.
183
Heie LzekieIs vision of Cod al lhe iivei Chelai (Lz. 1-3) is expanded
and inleipieled. The ieIevanl poilion ieads:"

.Cod opened lo LzekieI lhe seven sulleiianean chanleis, and LzekieI Iooked inlo lhen and sav aII lhe
ceIesliaI enlilies.
R. Isaac said: Cod shoved LzekieI lhe piinoidiaI valeis lhal aie lound up in lhe gieal sea and in Iayeis,
as il is viillen, Hatc qcu ccnc |c |nc |aqcrs cf |nc sca |}ol 38:16j. He shoved hin a nounlain undeinealh lhe
iivei, ly neans of vhich lhe lenpIe vesseIs viII ieluin."
WhiIe LzekieI vas valching, Cod opened lo hin seven fiinanenls and he sav lhe Gcouran (Iovei, an
epilhel foi Cod). They coined a paialIe: lo vhal nay lhe nallei le Iikened` A nan venl lo a lailei-shop,
gol a haiicul, and vas given a niiioi lo Iook inlo. WhiIe he vas Iooking inlo lhe niiioi, lhe king passed
ly. He sav lhe king and his foices lhiough lhe dooivay. The lailei luined and said lo hin, 'Tuin aiound
and see lhe king. He said, 'I have aIieady seen lhe niiioi.
184
So LzekieI slood ly lhe iivei Chelai and
Iooked inlo lhe valei, and lhe fiinanenls veie opened lo hin and he sav Cods gIoiy (|aocd), and lhe
%-<<:;, angeIs, lioops, seiaphin, and spaikIing-vinged ones joined lo lhe ncr|aoan. They passed ly in lhe
heavens and LzekieI sav lhen in lhe valei. So il is viillen: A| |nc ritcr Cncoar |Lz. 1:1j.
185
"

LzekieI sees in lhe piinoidiaI valeis lhe inage/iefIeclion of lhe divine anlhiopos cn|nrcncd
aIong vilh his hosl. As HaIpeiin has seen and as lhe paialIe Ieaves no ioon lo doull, lehind
lhis laIe is cIeaiIy lhe nylh of lhe sunken inage of lhe deily. The ciled paialIe dislinguishes
lelveen lhe king and lhe kings inage seen in lhe niiioi. The cusloneis decIaialion, I have
aIieady seen lhe nirrcr (naran), is a pIay on narcn, vision/appeaiance. Ioi hin, seeing lhe
inage in lhe niiioi is lanlanounl lo seeing lhe king hinseIf. This void-pIay aIso inpIies sone
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!-'
David HaIpeiin, The |aces of the Charlot: ]eulsh Resonses to Etekle|s Vlslon (Tlingen: }.C.. Mohi |IauI
Sieleckj, 1988), 211-249. "
!-!
AIexandei AIlnann, Cnoslic Thenes in Rallinic CosnoIogy, in I. Lpslein, L. Levine and C. Rolh (edd.), Essas
ln honour of the Ver Ret. Dr. ].H. Hertt: Chlef Rabbl of the Unlted Hebreu congregatlons of the Brltlsh Emlre: on
the occaslon of hls setentleth blrthda, Setember 25, 1942 (5703) (London: Ldvaid CoIdslon, 1944) 19-32. "
!-#
|aces, 211-249."
!-$
On vhich see aIso CiuenvaId, Aoca|tlc and Merkatah Mstlclsm, 134-141."
!-%
Maiah, a pIay on naieh, vision."
!-&
Tians. in HaIpeiin, |aces, 23O."
%,"
"
sense of idenlily lelveen lhe inage of lhe king and lhe nediun (i.e. lhe niiioi). This idenlily is
expIicilIy ailicuIaled in Ialei nyslicaI and esoleiic liadilion. In zohaiic KallaIah lhe Snc|ninan
oi Cods visilIe, lIue-lIack lody (Ma||nu|) is lhe niiioi in vhich anolhei inage (i.e. His
Iuninous inage, Tifcrc|) is seen, and aII lhe uppei inages (lhe scfirc|) aie seen in il
186
, she is
aIso lhe Sea (qanan), lhe valeis in vhich and lhiough vhich lhe divine inage can le seen.
187
As
lhe Sea, lhe zohaiic Shekhinah is synloIized ly lIue, vhich coIoi denoles lhe Iuninous
piesence of lhe divine inage (Tifcrc|) vilhin lhe daik valeis.
188
Thus, ieluining lo lhe Visicns cf
|zc|ic|, HaIpeiin ieasons:"

When lhe ncr|aoan (=lhione) appeais in lhe valeis, lhe uppei ieaIns aie neiged inlo lhe Iovei.
LzekieI.Iooks inlo 'lhe sulleiianean chanleis and sees in lhen vhal oughl lo le in heaven.The
paiadox of lhe ncr|aoan in lhe valeis.liings lhe uppei voiId inlo lhe nelhei voiId, il nakes lhe
dislinclion lelveen aoctc and oc|cu insignificanl, il luins lhe ncr|aoan, Iike any iefIeclion in valei, inlo
pail of lhe fIuid and shapeIess chaos lhal Cod once had lo defeal."
Cod had indeed, as lhe oId liadilions cIained, suppiessed lhe chaos-valeis. ul chaos had ils ievenge.
The valei, ly viilue of ils povei of iefIeclion, ensnaied ils enenys inage, assiniIaled lhe ncr|aoan lo
ilseIf, and lhus infecled Cod vilh ils ovn foinIessness.ul LzekieI sav sonelhing eIse lenealh Cods
lhione: a firnancn| |nc cc|cr cf |crrio|c icc (LzekieI 1:22). To lhe eaiIy

}evish exposilois, I suggesl, lhis neanl
lhal Cod had fiozen soIid lhe leiiilIe valeis againsl vhich he foughl, and lhus defealed lhen. y ils
fIuidily and foinIessness, chaos is lhe eneny of oidei and sliucluie.lhe haidening of valei inlo gIass
synloIizes Cods liiunph ovei chaos.
189
"

HaIpeiins voids aie veiy significanl. IiislIy, lhey indicale lhal vhal occuiied lo lhe
ilIicaI ciealoi-gods (Yahveh-LIohins) divine lody is vhal had occuiied lo lhe Lgyplian
ciealoi-gods (Aluns) divine lody:

Accoiding lo lhe ook of Andual, in lhe fiflh houi of lhe nighl, lhe sun god pIunged inlo lhe piinoidiaI
valeis, oul of vhich ciealion oiiginaIIy aiose.lhe sun god alsoiled lhe chaolic povei of lhe piinoidiaI
valeis, vhich enguIfed lhe iennanls-'fIesh-of lhe once viiiIe soIai god.
19O
"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"$%
Zcnar I:149l, MS Nev Yoik-}TSA nic 1727, foIs. 18a-l (quoled in WoIfson, Through a Secu|um, 273-4. See aIso
ilid., 31O-11). On Snc|nina/Ma||nu| as lhe visilIe lody of see Zcnar III, 152a, Isaiah Tishly in The Wisdcn of the
Zcnar: an antho|og of texts, sstematlca|| arranged and rendered lnto Hebreu, 3 voIs. ly IischeI Lachovei and
Isaiah Tishly, lins. David CoIdslein (London, Washinglon: The Lillnan Liliaiy of }evish civiIizalion, 1991), III:1127
n. 3O, Moshe HaIIanish, An ln|rcduc|icn to the Kabba|ah, lians. Rulh ai-IIan and Oia Wiskind-LIpei (AIlany: Slale
Univeisily of Nev Yoik Iiess, 1999) 137. On Ma||nu| and lhe naleiiaI lody t. aIso Hopking, Practlca| Kabba|ah
Guldebook, 25, HaIIanish, lntroductlon, 137. On lhe lIue-lIack coIoi see Zcnar I, 5Ol-51l, Tishly, The Wlsdom of the
Zohar III: 1183, Aiyeh KapIan, The Bahlr. Trans|atlon, lntroductlon and Commentar (Yoik each, Maine: SanueI
Weisei, Inc., 1989), 153-55, oksei, The Thiead of Iue, 19-21, Tishly, The Wlsdom of the Zohar III: 1183, Ceishon
SchoIen, CoIouis and lheii SynloIisn in }evish Tiadilion and Myslicisn (Iail II), Dlogenes 1O9 (198O): 67
|ail.=64-76j. On lhe scfirc| t. Ailhui Cieen, A Gulde to the Zohar (Slanfoid: Slanfoid Univeisily Iiess, 2OO4), 28-59,
Tishly, Wlsdom of the Zohar, I:269-3O7, LIIiol K. Cinsluig, The Inage of lhe Divine and Ieison in Zohaiic
KallaIah, in Laiiy D. Shinn (ed.), ln Search of the Dltlne: Some Unexected Consequences of lnterfalth Dla|ogue
(Nev Yoik: Iaiagon House IulIisheis, 1987) 61-87. #
!-,
Zcnar 1:85l-86a. See Tishly, The Wisdcn of the Zcnar, 1:351, WoIfson, Through a Secu|um, 239-43."
!--
Ma||nu| is synloIized ly lhe coIoi lIue, lecause il is lhe coIoi of lhe sea inlo vhich lhe iiveis (i.e. |nc Sifcrc|) aie
enplied. Tishly, Wlsdom of the Zohar, 1:291. "
!-+
HaIpeiin, |aces, 237-8"
!+'
DaineII and Manassa, Tutankhamuns Armles, 22-23. "
%-"
"
SecondIy, lhis enguIfing of lhe deilys lody vilh lhe piinoidiaI aqueous nallei is
synloIized ly lhe |nrcncs (ncr|aoans) piesence in lhe valeis. This is lecause in }evish
nyslicisn and esoleiicisn (iefeiied lo as na'acn ncr|aoan oi lhe Woik of lhe Divine Chaiiol-
Thione) lhe 'lhione is a nelonynic iefeience lo lhe divine ocdq eslalIished lheieon, jusl as in
Kenel.
191
Il is lhus no suipiise al aII lhal lhe hunan lody is 7O valei.

327%,>1.'"%27%"A"1%.'%$>"%-&$"1.


""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!+!
C.R.A. Moiiay-}ones noles: lhe cenliaI nysleiy of lhe ncr|aoan liadilion: lhe lody of lhe CIoiy on lhe lhione.
The ody of CIoiy: The Sniur Qcnan in }udaisn, Cnoslicisn and lhe LpislIe lo lhe Lphesians, foilhconing in
Chiislophei RovIand and C.R.A. Moiiay-}ones, The Mster of God: ]eulsh Mstlca| Tradltlons ln the Neu
Testament CRINT 3, Assen and MinneapoIis: Van Coicun/Ioiliess) 99. My lhanks lo Moiiay-}ones foi pioviding
lhe aulhoi vilh a nanusciipl copy. See aIso Maiia L. SulleIny, The TaIe of lhe Ioui Sages vho Lnleied lhe Pardcs:
A TaInudic Lnigna fion a Ieisian Ieispeclive, ]SQ 11 (2OO4): 3-58. This poinl vas aIieady nade ly Ceishon
SchoIen, Kabba|ah (Nev Yoik: QuadiangIe/The Nev Yoik Tines ook Co., 1974) 16: lhe nain puipose of lhe
ascenl lo lhe Meikalah is lhe vision of lhe One Who sils on lhe Thione, 'a Iikeness as lhe appeaiance of a nan upon il
alove (LzekieI 1:26). The appeaiance of lhe CIoiy in lhe foin of supeinaI nan is lhe conlenl of lhe nosl iecondile
pail of lhis nyslicisn, caIIed Shiui Konah. On SchoIens appeaI lo Shi'ui Qonah lo inleipiel lhe
HeikhaIol/Meikalah lexls see lhe connenls ly Iia Cheinus, Visions of Cod in Meikalah Myslicisn, ]S] 13 (1982):
142-3. "
%+"
"
III. Tnc Quran and i|s Ancicn| Ncar |as|crn Ccn|cx|/Suo|cx| "

lo undeisland lhe Qui!"n oulside of lhe ilIicaI liadilion...vouId seen in lhe end lo
pIace lhe ieseaichei in a ialhei iidicuIous posilion.
192
"

So said, coiieclIy, Iiof Andiev Rippin. IsIan is, anong olhei lhings foi suie, cIeaiIy a
foinuIalion/ailicuIalion of ancienl Neai Laslein nylhoIogicaI liadilion and Rippin iighlIy
insisls lhal lhe Qui!"n in pailicuIai le sludied in lhe conlexl of lhe oveiaII Neai Laslein
ieIigious niIieu vhich pieceded IsIans eneigence in lhe 7
lh
cenluiy.
193
As Aaion Hughes
ienaiks: The Quin is nol onIy a genizah of vaiious liajecloiies of lilIicaI and neai easlein
aggadc| (foIkIoie), lul aIso a kaIeidoscope vhich gives lhese liajecloiies a nev vision.
194
Unai
I.&!"-(!AA"9$confessed as veII: Accuiale undeislanding of lhe pie-IsIanic lackgiound vilhin
vhich IsI"n aiose is essenliaI lo lhe fuII undeislanding of lhe IsI"nic ieIigion.
195
IIse
Lichlensladlei pul il lesl:"

Il is no depiecalion of Mu.annads ieIigious feivoui lo shov his deep iools in ancienl Neai Laslein
liadilion, il is on lhe conliaiy, a liilule lo his genius vhich enalIed hin lo poui nev vine inlo oId skins.
Neilhei need ve assune diiecl loiioving fion conlenpoiaiy souices. }udaisn, Chiislianily, and IsIan,
as veII as Cnoslicisn and Mandean lhoughl diev lheii inspiialion fion lhe sane ieseivoii of ancienl
leIiefs, each fiIIing lhen vilh nev neanings lhiough lheii ovn pecuIiai genius.
196
"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!+#
A. Rippin, The Qui!"n as Lileialuie: IeiiIs, IilfaIIs and Iiospecls, 88SM|S 1O (1983): 45 |ail.=38-47j."
!+$
Rippin, The Qui!"n as Lileialuie, 45. See aIso iden, Cod, in Andiev Rippin (ed.), 8|ac|uc|| Ccnpanicn |c |nc
Qur.)n (MaIden, MA: IackveII Iul., 2OO6) 225. See aIso Mondhei Sfai, |c Ccran, |a 8io|c c| |Oricn| ancicn| (Iaiis:
Cassini, 1997). Though ancienl Aialia is sonelines lhoughl of as ieIigiousIy isoIaled fion lhe ANL, aicheoIogicaI
and epigiaphic evidence foi Noilh and Soulh Aialia indicales olheivise. As ieIaliveIy scanl as lhis evidence is,
neveilheIess il cIeaiIy shovs pie-IsIanic Aialia lo have leen vilhin lhe 'nylhoIogicaI oilil of lhe Neai Lasl,
pailicuIaiIy in leins of nolifs of lhe gods. Ioi exanpIe, nolifs associaled vilh lhe cuIl of laelyIs, lhe nolif of lhe
deily and his lhiee hyposlalic daughleis, lhe nolif of lhe vinged-disk and ils lauiofoin conpIinenl, lhe divine
liiad, and of lhe anlhioponoiphic god suiiounded ly his divine assenlIy, aII chaiacleiislic of lhe ANL nylhic
liadilion, veie aIso pail of lhe Aialian nylhic liadilion as veII. See e.g. Weinei Daun, Urscni|iscnc Rc|igicn
(Slullgail, eiIin, KIn, Mainz: VeiIag W. KohIhannei, 1985), HiIdegaid Levy, Oiigin and Significance of lhe
Magcn Dauid: A Conpaialive Sludy of lhe Ancienl ReIigions of }eiusaIen and Mecca, Arcnit Oricn|a|ni 18 (195O)
33O-365, UIl OIdenluig, Alove lhe Slais of LI: LI in Ancienl Soulh Aialic ReIigion ZAl 82 (197O): 187-2O8, }aviei
Teixidoi, Tnc Pagan Gcd. Pcpu|ar Rc|igicn in |nc Grccc-Rcnan Ncar |as| (Iiincelon, Nev }eisey: Iiincelon Univeisily
Iiess, 1977), Cyius H. Coidon, The Daughleis of aaI and AIIah, Ml 33 (1943): 5O-51, Slephanie DaIIey, The Cod
SaInu and lhe Winged Disk, |raq 48 (1986): 85-1O1."
!+%
Aaion Hughes, The sliangei al lhe sea: Mylhopoesis in lhe Quin and eaiIy lafsi, SR 32 (2OO3): 266 |ail.=61-
279j."
!+&
The IeiceplilIe and lhe Unseen: The Quianic Conceplion of Mans ReIalionship lo Cod and ReaIilies eyond
Hunan Ieiceplion, in Spencei }. IaInei (ed.), Mcrncns c Mus|ins. Spiri|ua| |cunda|icns and Mcdcrn Manifcs|a|icns
(Iiovo, Ulah: ReIigious Sludies Cenlei, 2OO2) 161 |ail.=153-2O4j."
!+(
IIse Lichlensladlei, Oiigin and Inleipielalion of Sone Qui!"nic SynloIs, S|udi Oricn|a|is|ic in Oncrc di Gicrgic
|cti Dc||a Vida 2 (1956): 79-8O |ail.=58-8Oj. On IsIan and ancienl Neai Laslein nylhoIogicaI liadilion see aIso iden,
Oiigin and Inleipielalion of Sone Koianic SynloIs, in Ceoige Makdisi (ed.), Araoic and |s|anic S|udics in Hcncr cf
Hani||cn A.R. Gioo (Canliidge, Mass.: Haivaid Univeisily Iiess, 1965) 426-36, Ceo Widengien, Munannad, |nc
Apcs||c cf Gcd, and His Asccnsicn (King and Satcr Vc|. 5) (UppsaIa: A.-. Lundequislska okhandeIn, and Wiesladen:
Ollo Haiiassovilz, 1955), Cesai L. DulIei, Suivivances de Iancien Oiienl dans IIsIan (Consideialions CeneiaIes),
S| 7 (1957): 47-75. See aIso }onalhan I. eikey, Tnc |crna|icn cf |s|an. Rc|igicn and Sccic|q in |nc Ncar |as|, 600-1800
(Canliidge: Canliidge Univeisily Iiess, 2OO3). "
&'"
"
Regaiding lhe ilIicaI liadilion in pailicuIai, Roleilo TolloIi has enphasized lhe facl
lhal a nunlei of Qui!"nic veises (e.g. 4:163, 42:13, 3:84) piesenl Mu.annad as lhe Iegilinale
conlinualoi of lhe ilIicaI liadilion and.lhe soIe heii of lhe piogeny of lhe IsiaeIile
piophels.
197
As }ohn C. Reeves noles lhe Qui!"n pIaces ilseIf vilhin lhe lilIicaI voiId of
discouise
198
and DanieI A. Madigan olseives: Whal is oflen oveiIooked in discussing lhe
ieIalionship of IsIan lo eaiIiei ieIigious liadilions is lhal lhe Qui!"n in effecl chooses lo define
ilseIf in lheii leins.
199
"
ul hov exaclIy aie ve lo define lhe Qui!"ns ieIalion lo lilIicaI and Ancienl Neai
Laslein liadilion` We encounlei vilhin lhe Qui!"n so nany lilIicaI chaiacleis, lhenes and
paiaIIeI naiialives lhal il indeed seens al fiisl sighl lhal IsIans sciipluie couId nol possilIy
exisl vilhoul ils sciipluiaI piedecessois as sullexl.
2OO
The Qui!"ns exlieneIy iefeienliaI
naluie can le seen as an acknovIedgenenl of lhis lilIicaI sullexl. Thal is lo say, inslead of
iepioducing lilIicaI naiialives lhe Qui!"n oflen gives a 'liuncaled veision oi nakes an olscuie
aIIusion lo a naiialive in such a vay as lo piesune on lhe pail of ils audience knovIedge of lhe
fuIIei naiialive and delaiIs.
2O1
ul lhe paiaIIeIs aie nol usuaIIy exacl oi lhe aIIusions 'accuiale
fion lhe peispeclive of lhe ilIicaI lexl.
2O2
Nineleenlh and eaiIy lvenlielh cenluiy OiienlaIisls
accounled foi lhese diveigenl paiaIIeIs ly assuning Mu.annads ieIiance on }evish oi
Chiislian lulois vhose Iessons Mu.annad ieceived pooiIy. A nevei ciilicaI appioach,
hovevei, suggesls sonelhing veiy diffeienl: lhal lhese 'lilIicaI naleiiaIs in lhe Qui!"n aie
indelled nc| lo lhe lilIicaI lexl lul lo IocaI oiaI, inleilexluaI liadilions
2O3
and lhal lhe ilIe and
Qui!"n lolh shaie and expIoil a connon Iayei of discouise.
2O4
"
UndeiIying such an appioach is lhe insighl fion lhe Iileiaiy-ciilicaI sludy of lhe
Heliev ilIe lhal lhe |cx|us rcccp|us (MT) is lul one 'ciyslaIIizalion of ancienl oiaI
liadilion, olhei 'ciyslaIIizalions found in lhe Veisions
2O5
as veII as exliacanonicaI,
exegelicaI, and apociyphaI ilIicaIIy affiIialed Iileialuies (so-caIIed 'ie-viillen
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
!+,
Roleil TolloIi, 8io|ica| Prcpnc|s in |nc Qur.)n and Mus|in |i|cra|urc (Richnond, Suiiey: Cuizon Iiess, 2OO2) 7. "
!+-
Iieface, in }ohn C. Reeves |ed.j, 8io|c and Qurn. |ssaqs in Scrip|ura| |n|cr|cx|ua|i|q |Leiden: iiII, 2OO4j ix."
!++
Tnc Qur.)ns Sc|f -|nagc. lri|ing and Au|ncri|q in |s|ans Scrip|urc (Iiincelon and Oxfoid: Iiincelon Univeisily
Iiess, 2OO1) 193."
#''
Reuven Iiieslone, The Qui!"n and lhe ilIe: Sone Modein Sludies of Theii ReIalionship, in Reeves, 8io|c and
Qur.)n, 2-3. See aIso Thonas }. OShaughnessy S.}., Cods Thione and lhe ilIicaI SynloIisn of lhe Qui!"n, Nuncn
2O (1973): 2O2-221, Dvighl akei, IsIan and lhe }udaeo-Chiislian Tiadilion: The Significance of Quianic and
ilIicaI IaieIIes (sic), 8anga|crc Tncc|cgica| |crun 14 (1982): 44-68. "
#'!
Sidney H. Ciiffilh, The CospeI, lhe Qui!"n, and lhe Iiesenlalion of }esus in aI-Ya'qls Tar|n, in Reeves, 8io|c
and Qur.)n,134, Iiieslone, The Qui!"n and lhe ilIe, 3, iden, ]curncqs in Hc|q |ands. Tnc |tc|u|icn cf |nc Aoranan-
|snnac| |cgcnds in#$%!&'()#*+,-,%(%#7!A"&'Q?$2`;>B$.LLDF$OG#!'-rew Rippin, Interpreting the Bible through the Qur!"n, in G.
U&=65'+$&'-$!3$2,&0<<W$7<--3FB$.//01&)2,%#31#32,$450.)0&789'-9'$&'-$;<=$>901?$S9#6A<-+<B$.LLPF$CED(E.$e&063fC/L(ELg3$"
#'#
Ioi an iIIuslialive case sludy see Muhil O. OpeIoye, ConfIuence and ConfIicl in lhe Qui!"nic and ilIicaI
Accounls of lhe Life of Iiophel E3-", |s|anccnris|iana 16 (199O): 25-41."
#'$
On lhe oveivheIningIy oiaI cuIluie of lhe pie-IsIanic Hijaz see MichaeI SvellIei, Tnc Ora| Tradi|icn cf C|assica|
Araoic Pcc|rq (CoIunlus: Ohio Slale Univeisily Iiess, 1978)."
#'%
Veinon K. Rollins and Coidon D. Nevly, The ReIalion of lhe Qui!"n and lhe ilIe, in Reeves, 8io|c and Qur.)n,
42, Reuven Iiieslone, Aliahans }ouiney lo Mecca in IsIanic Lxegesis: A Ioin-CiilicaI Sludy of a Tiadilion, S| 76
(1992): 5-24, MaiiIyn R. WaIdnan, Nev Appioaches lo 'ilIicaI MaleiiaIs in lhe Qui!"n, Ml 75 (1985): 1-16. "
#'&
On lhe ancienl Veisions of lhe ilIe see A8D 6:787-813 sv. Veisions, Ancienl. "
&!"
"
ilIes).
2O6
These ciilicaI sludies of lhe Heliev ilIe encouiage us lo undeisland
'ilIicaI liadilion as nuch lioadei lhan lhe canonicaI ilIe and incIude vilhin il lhe
Iallei as veII as lhe exliacanonicaI Iileialuies. AII of lhese ciyslaIIizalions, incIuding lhe
|cx|us rcccp|us ilseIf (i.e. lhe ilIe), iepiesenl aulhenlic, independenl ailicuIalions of a
connon Ioie. On lhis ieading, lolh lhe ilIe and lhe Qui!"n, as veII as exliacanonicaI
ilIicaIIy affiIialed Iileialuies, aie dislincl ieificalions oi ailicuIalions of liadilionaI Ioie
lhal ciicuIaled vilhin a shaied discouise enviionnenl.
2O7
The Qui!"n lheiefoie did nol
'loiiov fion lhe ilIe oi lilIicaI Iileialuie, ialhei lhey lolh lap and channeI a iich
ieseivoii of liadilionaI Ioie.
2O8
As Iinguisl and Afiicanisl Iiof einaid Leenan poinls oul:

Connenlalois have Iinked Muhannads exliaoidinaiy caieei lo Chiislian and }evish infIuences,
aIlhough il is cIeai lhal lhe foinalive yeais of his fienelic caieei vas spenl IaigeIy in inleiaclion vilh
young ideaIislic Aials fion lhe neichanl cIass. When IsIan fiisl gaIvanized yzanline allenlion aflei
A.D. 632, il vas inleipieled as Chiislian heiesy lul, despile iefeiences lo Chiisl and lhe Viigin Maiy,
IsIan is fai ienoved fion Chiislianily.nany of lhe aIIusions lo lhe OId and Nev Teslanenls do nol
foIIov lhe veisions iecoided in lhose looks.Il seens lhal Muhannad vas nol so nuch diaving on
sliong IocaI }evish liadilions lul on an ancienl connon Senilic foIk cuIluie.The oveiaII inpiession
gained fion lhe Quian is of a shaied Senilic hisloiicaI and lheoIogicaI expeiience.
2O9

"
SpeciaIisls nov see lhal }udaisn, Chiislianily and IsIan (vhich ieaIIy shouId le
}udaisns, Chiislianilies, and IsIans) aie nol lhiee dislincl liadilions vilh a Iineai ieIalionship
of dependence, one lo lhe olhei. They aie lhiee dislincl, poIyvaIenl ailicuIalions of a connon
Ancienl Neai Laslein Senilic liadilion. Theie aie connonaIilies anong lhen, nol lecause lhey
'loiioved fion each olhei - so lhiovlack lhis is - lul lecause lhey aII lapped and expIoiled a
shaied liadilion of ieIigious discouise. As speciaIisls knov and enphasize, lhe diffeiences
even anong lhe so-caIIed connonaIilies aie far noie ieveaIing and defining foi lhese liadilions
lhan is lheii connonaIilies. To le suipiised al lhese connonaIilies and lo suggesl 'loiioving
oi any siniIai concepl as lhe ieason foi lhese connonaIilies is Iike enphasizing lhe siniIaiilies
in lhe conlenls in lhe hands of lhiee peopIe vho gialled a handfuI of candy fion lhe sane lag
vilh diffeienl candies in il. In such a case one vouId expecl lolh vaiiance and connonaIily,
and no one vouId suggesl lhal lhe Iallei is due lo one peison 'loiioving candy fion anolhei.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
#'(
S. TaInon TexluaI Ciilicisn: The Ancienl Veisions, in A.D.H. Mayes (ed.), Tcx| in Ccn|cx|. |ssaqs oq Mcnocrs cf
|nc Sccic|q fcr O|d Tcs|ancn| S|udq (Oxfoid: Oxfoid Univeisily Iiess, 2OOO) 157, Lugene UIiich, The Texl of lhe
Heliev Sciipluies al lhe Tine of HiIIeI and }esus, in A. Lenaiie (ed.), Ccngrcss Vc|unc 8asc| 2001 (Leiden: iiII,
2OO2) 86-1O8,iden, The ilIe in lhe Making: The Sciipluies Iound al Qunian, in Ielei W. IIinl (ed.), Tnc 8io|c a|
Qunran. Tcx|, Snapc, and |n|crprc|a|icn (Ciand Rapids Michigan and Canlidge, U.K.: WiIIian . Leidnans
IulIishing, 2OO1) 51-66, iden, Tnc Dcad Sca Scrc||s and |nc Origins cf |nc 8io|c (Ciand Rapids, Mich.: WiIIian .
Leidnans IulIishing Conpany and Leiden: iiII Acadenic IulIisheis, 1999). See aIso LnanueI Tov, Tcx|ua| Cri|icisn
cf |nc Hcorcu 8io|c (MinneapoIis: Ioiliess Iiess and Assen/Maasliichl: Van Coicun, 1992), iden, TexluaI Ciilicisn
(OT), A8D 6:393-412. "
#',
On lhe Qui!"n as such a 'ciyslaIizalion see }ohn C. Reeves, Tovaid a Rappiochenenl lelveen ilIe and
Qui"n, Rc|igicus S|udics Ncus-S8| |di|icn 2.9 (Decenlei 2OO1) al hllp://vvv.slI-
sile.oig/NevsIellei/12_2OO1/ReevesIuII.hln. "
#'-
}ohn C. Reeves, Sone LxpIoialions of Inleilvining of ilIe and Qui!"n, in iden, 8io|c and Qur.)n, 43, Tiyggve
KionhoIn, Dependence and Iiophelic OiiginaIily in lhe Koian, Oricn|a|ia Succana 31-32 (1982-1983): 47-7O."
#'+
"Queen of Sheba and Blb|lca| Scho|arshl (QueensIand, AusliaIia: QueensIand Acadenic Iiess, 2OO5) 134."
&#"
"
}udaisns (IIuiaI!!), Chiislianiles (IIuiaI!!) and IsIans (IIuiaI!!) aie lhiee dislincl, poIyvaIenl
liadilions lhal aie 'handfuIs lhal diev fion lhe sane 'lag of ieIigious discouise.

Kenelic Maal is nc diffcrcn| in lhis iegaid. Il is such lhal if one veienl caiefuI oi up-lo-dale in
oui conceplions, and if one vanled lo (again) invoke lhiovlack calegoiies and ideas, one couId
say lhal Maal vas a hodge-podge of vaiious liadilions. Ovei ils seveiaI niIIennia, lhe ieIigious
liadilion of lhe NiIe VaIIey, especiaIIy Kenels poilion (fion lhe Medileiianean lo lhe Iiisl
Calaiacl), vas infoined ly seveiaI dislincl liadilions, sone indigenous lo lhe VaIIey - e.g.
Afioasialic and NiIo-Sahaian - and sone fion Neai Laslein innigianls.
21O
Kenelic ieIigion oi
spiiiluaIily vas as nuch a 'synlhesis oi 'gunlo of dislincl ieIigious cuiienls as sone vanl lo
nake IsIan oul lo le. ul in naking lhis olseivalion aloul Kenel, an inpoilanl poinl iaised ly
Di. Maiio eally nusl le kepl in nind. In discussing lhe hisloiicaI confIicls lelveen Lgypl and
Nulia, Di. eally slales:

The nosl peinicious eiioi lhal is leing nade (ly schoIais discussing Lgypl and Nulia) is lhe consislenl
disiespecl foi peiiodizalion.

Thal is lo say, peopIe shouId nol confIale lhe slale of lhings in, say, pie-dynaslic Kenel vilh
lhose of MiddIe Kingdon Kenel, oi confIale lhe OId Kingdon s|a|us quc vilh lhe Nev
Kingdon s|a|us quc. Things changed ovei lhe seveiaI niIIennia and lhese peiiodic changes nusl
le iespecled and accounled foi. The sane appIies vilh IsIan.

The poinl is: IsIan in geneiaI and lhe Quin in pailicuIai aie pail of lhe Ancienl Neai
Laslein and ilIicaI liadilions. Lgyplian liadilion vas inpoilanl lo lolh (i.e. ANL and
ilIicaI liadilions). We shouId lhen expecl lhe Quin and IsIan lo shov ienaikalIe paiaIIeIs
vilh Ancienl Neai Laslein and, specificaIIy, Lgyplian liadilion. I have denonslialed lhal IsIan
and Maal aie lvo fiuils fion lhe sane Afiican Tiee of SpiiiluaIily: lhey aie dislincl
ailicuIalions of a connon Afiican ieIigious heiilage. They can lhus lolh shed Iighl on each
olhei. And as Hava Lazaius-Yafeh keenIy olseived:

il is inpossilIe lo undeisland (IsIanic) Iileialuie piopeiIy vilhoul paying seiious allenlion lo ils vaiious
piedecessois.One shouId nol lhink in leins of infIuences oi cuIluiaI loiioving onIy, hovevei. Il has
leen said lhal lhe Neai Lasl iesenlIes a paIinpsesl, Iayei upon Iayei, liadilion upon liadilion,
inleilvined lo lhe exlenl lhal one cannol ieaIIy giasp one vilhoul lhe olhei, ceilainIy nol lhe Ialei vilhoul
lhe eaiIiei, lul oflen aIso nol lhe eaiIiei vilhoul consideiing lhe shapes il look Ialei.
211


""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
21O
Chiislophei Lhiel, The Cltl|ltatlons of Afrlca: A Hlstor to 1800 (ChaiIollesviIIe: Univeisily of Viiginia Iiess,
2OO2), Andiev . Snilh, The Neai Laslein conneclion II: cuIluiaI conlacls vilh lhe NiIe DeIla and lhe Sahaia, in
Lech Kizyaniak, KaiIa Kioepei and MichaI Kolusievicz (edd.), lnterreglona| Contacts ln the Later Prehlstor of
Northeastern Afrlca (Iozna, 1996) 29-35, David Wengiov, The Archaeo|og of Ear| Egt: Socla| Transformatlons
ln North-East Afrlca, 10,000 to 2650 BC (Canliidge: Canliidge Univeisily Iiess, 2OO6) 35, Toly WiIkinson, ReaIily
veisus IdeoIogy: The Lvidence foi 'Asialics in Iiedynaslic and LaiIy Dynaslic Lgypl, in Ldvin C.M. van den iink
and Thonas L. Levy, Egt and the Letant: lnterre|atlons |rom the 4th through the Ear| 3rd Ml||ennlum BCE
(London: Leiceslei Univeisily Iiess, 2OO2) 514-52O
211
Hava Lazaius-Yahfeh, iden, lntertulned Wor|ds: Medleta| ls|am and Blb|e Crltlclsm (Iiincelon, Nev }eisey:
Iiincelon Univeisily Iiess, 1992) 43$
&$"
"
"
"