Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Parallels between El and Ba'al in the Ugaritic Ba'al Cycle and the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man in Daniel 7

In his Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 3: Of God and Gods (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2008), 135, Blake Ostler has a useful table showing the parallels between El and Ba’al in the Ugaritic Ba’al Cycle and the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man in Dan 7:

 

Ugaritic Ba’al Cycle

Daniel 7

(1) El, the white bearded and aged high God is the sovereign over the divine council.

(1) The Ancient of Days is seated on the fiery wheeled throne. Like El, he is white haired and aged for ancient.

(2) El bestows kingship on Ba’al who defeats Yamm representing the chaotic water in battle.

(2) Yahweh-El, the Ancient of Days, bestows kingship upon the Son of Man who rides the clouds after the beast of the sea (yamma) is destroyed.

(3) Ba’al is the king of the gods and El’s chief vizier who is given everlasting rule from El.

(3) The Son of Man is given everlasting rule over the nations of the earth. He rules at the right hand of God.