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In the Baal Cycle the craftsman god Kothar fashions silver and gold furnishings for the gods. Exodus gives that role to a human, Bezalel, whom God fills with skill, understanding, and knowledge to build the Tabernacle.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
The Baal Cycle
Ancient Near East
Now, I bring up a second matter Please prepare a gift for Lady Athirat of the Sea A present for the Creator of the Gods. The Skilled One approaches the bellows With tongs held by Hasis. He molds silver, he pours gold He molds silver in the thousands Gold he pours by the myriads. He molds a grand canopy and couch A grand dais two myriads in weight A grand dais coated in silver Covered with fluid gold. A grand throne with a seat of gold A grand footstool overlaid in electrum. Grand laced sandals With gold poured over them. A grand table adorned with figures Creatures from the Earth's foundation. A grand bowl with flocks like Amurru's Carved like the beasts of Yaman With buffalo by the myriads.
Date: 1500 - 1300 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Exodus 31:3
Hebrew Bible
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in skill, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze,
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Notes and References
... 1.4 I 29-43 describes a canopied area with silver and gold furnishings made by a craftsman. Exodus 31 likewise describes a craftsman creating a tented area with items made of the same metals (Exodus 31:1-5; 35:10-19, etc.). Functionally the throne mentioned explicitly in 1.4 I corresponds to the ark, upon which Yahweh is enthroned (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; Exodus 37:1-9). Closely connected to the ark is the idea of Yahweh's footstool (compare 2 Chronicles 28:2, which mentions the ark, 'and the footstool of our God.'). A table is also made in both cases (compare Exodus 25:23-30). Van Selms compares further the juxtaposition of the table and bowl in Athirat's gifts with the golden flagons and bowls made for the table for the bread of the presence (Exodus 25:29; Numbers 4:7; see also Cassuto 1967:340). Although Bezalel, the craftsman chosen to make the objects for the tabernacle, is not divine, he is described in this following manner in Exodus 35:31: 'He (God) has filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and in every kind of work.' This is certainly a reasonable analogue or substitute for Kothar. ...
Smith, Mark S. and Pitard, Wayne T.
The Ugaritic Baal Cycle, Volume II: Introduction with Text, Translation and Commentary of KTU/CAT 1.3-1.4
(pp. 425-426) Brill, 2009
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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