I. Name

Both the etymology and the meaning of the name ʿazāʾzēl, which appears in the Old Testament only in Lev. 16.8, Lev. 10 [twice], Lev. 26, are not completely clear. Although the etymological hypothesis ʿzʾzl < *ʿzzʾl < ʿzz (‘to be strong’) + ʾl (‘god’), i.e. the result of a consonantal metathesis, appears to be the most likely explanation (Janowski & Wilhelm 1993:128 with n. 98, cf. the form ʿzzʾl in 4Q 180, 1:8; 11QTemple 26:13f etc., see Tawil 1980:58–59), the meaning of the name ʿzʾzl remains controve…