Karl is correct, that the word אל is a common noun for 'deity'. However, it is often used practically as a Proper Name for the president or father of the gods in the Canaanite pantheon. This is confirmed in Ugaritic, for example. However, in Hebrew, it is very rarely used that way, if ever (it's occasionally debated, though).
GEORGE ATHAS Director of Postgraduate Studies, Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au) Sydney, Australia _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
