158 herbert niehr
it can be assumed that due to the mythological concept of the weapon
of Baʿal the divine name Baʿal Ṣemed was derived. that would mean that
Baʿal Ṣemed shows an Ugaritic heritage. in connection with this interpre-
tation of the name one should think back to the weather-god of aleppo,
who is called “god (of the) Mace” in inscriptions, climbing into his chariot.139
alternatively, one can assume a heritage from the cult of aleppo, as the
weather-god of aleppo had also played a role in Ugarit, where he was
sometimes identified with the god Baʿal from Ugarit.140
it was after a dynastic change that the second aramaean king of samʾal,
Banah, introduced Baʿal hammon as his personal god (Kai 24: 16).141
the god Baʿal hammon may be called the “lord of the amanus Moun-
tains.” it is fitting that the oldest evidence for this deity comes from
samʾal, which lies at the foot of the amanus Mountains. Baʿal hammon
thus describes an old mountain god from the region of samʾal. an amulet
from tyre originating from the 6th century B.c. must also be considered.
it names both Baʿal hammon and Baʿal Ṣaphon, two important mountain
gods from the west syrian mountain region.142 King Banah of samʾal had
thus chosen a local mountain god as his personal god.
the gods Baʿal Ṣemed and Baʿal hammon are no longer mentioned in
the younger royal inscriptions from samʾal. the dynastic changes follow-
ing the reigns of the kings gabbar and Banah brought their prominent
positions in the pantheon of samʾal to an end. King Kulamuwa chose a
different god, rakkabʾel,143 as his dynastic god. rakkabʾel now bears the
title of “lord of the house” (Kai 24: 16).
the god rakkabʾel is the only god mentioned in all the major inscrip-
tions from samʾal (Kai 24: 16; 25; 214: 2–3, 11, 18; 215: 22; 216: 5; 217: 7–8).
his name can also be found in personal names such as Bar-rakkab and in
the inscription of Ördekburnu. outside of samʾal, rakkabʾel is mentioned
139 cf. gonnella – Khayyata – Kohlmeyer 2005: 99 fig. 138; Kohlmeyer 2009: 200;
Bunnens – hawkins – leirens 2006: 65f, 79; and, on the setting, popko 1998: 120f. accord-
ing to hawkins 2009: 169 “the ‘god mace’ refers not actually to the deity himself but to the
divine weapon that he shoulders.”
140 cf. schmitz 2009.
141 on the god Baʿal hammon, cf. in general xella 1991 and lipiński 1995: 251–264.
142 published in Bordreuil 1986a. cf. also a phoenician seal from the second half of the
7th century B.c. with the place name pʿr ḥmn (paʿar of the amanus) in Bordreuil 1986b: 21f.
143 on the discussion about the vocalization of the element rkb as rākib (part. g) or
rakkāb (qattāl as a noun) cf. landsberger 1948: 45; Fales 1980: 144; id. 2011b: 563; tropper
1993: 46; lipiński 1994: 206; id. 2000a: 615 n. 125; hawkins 2008: 601f; green 2010: 220
n. 1.