In the Order of Melchizedek and the Tradition of Seth, Solomon, David and Yehoshua
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Monotheism of YHWH; How We Got Here:
YHWH (Yahweh) as a "son of El" refers to a scholarly reconstruction of early Israelite religion's roots in ancient Canaanite polytheism, based on biblical texts, Ugaritic literature, and archaeology.
In Ugaritic texts (from ancient Ugarit, ~1400–1200 BCE), El (or ʾIl) is the high god of the Canaanite pantheon: the creator, father of gods and humans, often depicted as an elderly, wise figure (sometimes bull-like). He presides over a divine council of "sons of El" or "sons of God" (bene elohim), including Baal (storm god), Anat, and others. El's consort is typically Asherah.
YHWH does not clearly appear clearly by name in Ugaritic texts as a major deity, suggesting he may have originated outside the core Canaanite pantheon originating from Sumertian historic cunieform library recorded as factual historical data rather than religious text.. In some theological scholar circles, the Ugaritic tablets are extensions of thought of the Sumerian traditions.
"When Elyon [Most High] divided the nations... according to the number of the sons of G-d [bene elohim]... Yahweh's portion was his people, Jacob his allotted heritage." – D’varim/Dueteronomy 32:8-9
This portrays Elyon (an epithet of El) as the high god who apportions nations to his divine sons. YHWH receives Israel as his inheritance—positioning him as one of El's sons in a divine council. Later scribes adjusted it to "sons of Israel" to align with emerging monotheism.Similar echoes appear in Psalm 82, where G-d (often read as YHWH) stands among the heavenly council of El/Elyon among other gods, judging them.
Evolution toward Monotheism: Over time (especially Iron Age kingdoms of Israel and Judah), YHWH absorbed El's attributes and identity:
Epithets like El Shaddai, El Elyon, and El Olam transferred to Yahweh.
Patriarchal stories link ancestors to El worship (e.g., altars to El).
Yahweh takes on creator/paternal roles once held by El.
Asherah (El's consort) appears in some inscriptions as possibly linked to Yahweh (e.g., "Yahweh and his Asherah"), though this was later suppressed.
While no Sumerian tablet names "El" as a god, scholars note indirect influences through trade, migration (Amorites), and shared ancient Near Eastern motifs:
High god parallels: El resembles Anu (distant sky father) or especially Enlil (active authority, father of gods, associated with wind/storms, enthroned elder). Some traditions link Enlil's name evolving into forms like Ellil, with conceptual overlap to El as patriarchal head. Linguistic note: "El" is Semitic (cognate to Akkadian ilum, "god").
Divine councils, creator roles, flood stories, and fatherly authority appear across Mesopotamian (Sumerian/Akkadian) and Levantine (Canaanite) traditions due to centuries of contact. Ugarit itself was a trade hub influenced by Mesopotamia.
The connections between Ugaritic tablets and Sumerian tablets are primarily indirect, rooted in cultural exchange, scribal traditions, trade, and the shared use of cuneiform script across the ancient Near East. They are not from the same culture or era but show how Mesopotamian (Sumerian-origin) influences spread westward to the Levant. Sumerian cuneiform (developed ~3200 BCE in southern Mesopotamia) is one of the earliest writing systems: logographic and syllabic, with hundreds of wedge-shaped signs on clay tablets. It was originally for Sumerian (a language isolate) but adapted for Akkadian (East Semitic) and others.
Alphabetic cuneiform (unique to Ugarit): Only ~30 signs, each mostly a consonant. This is one of the earliest alphabetic scripts, a major innovation possibly inspired by linear alphabets emerging in the Levant. Standard (Mesopotamian-style) cuneiform: Used for Akkadian, Sumerian, Hurrian, etc. Ugarit was multilingual and cosmopolitan, with scribes trained in both systems. Pedagogical tablets and dictionaries (including trilingual Sumerian-Akkadian-Hurrian) were found there.
Sumerian literary and magical texts (e.g., from the Lamaštu archive) appear on tablets in Babylonian script, imported or copied locally. Some link to Hittite or Emar traditions. Passages from the Epic of Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian, with Sumerian roots) were found in Ugaritic archives. This shows Ugarit as a hub preserving and transmitting older Mesopotamian knowledge. Ugarit was a major port linking Mesopotamia (via overland routes), Egypt, Cyprus, and the Hittites. Scribes, merchants, and ideas moved along these networks.
Ugaritic myths (e.g., Baal Cycle, El as high god) illustrates parallels with broader Near Eastern motifs, some tracing back to Sumerian/Akkadian traditions (creation, divine councils, floods). Wisdom literature in Ugaritic epics echoes Mesopotamian structures. Amorite (West Semitic) migrations in the early 2nd millennium BCE helped bridge Mesopotamian and Levantine cultures. Ugaritic tablets represent a creative adaptation and localization of Mesopotamian scribal culture. Ugarit acted as a bridge, preserving Sumerian-influenced texts while innovating its own alphabetic system—contributing to the eventual development of the alphabet we use today. This fits the pattern of regional exchange we discussed with El and broader Canaanite-Mesopotamian links.