I. Name

The name El, ʾēl, il(u), is, with the exception of Ethiopic, common Semitic and originally means God. Etymologically the origin of the appellative cannot be determined with certainty. Most likely, the noun can be derived from the verb ʾwl (the root ʾlh has also been suggested) ‘to be strong’ also ‘to be in front, dominate’ (Dahood 1958:74). The substantive (formed as a stative participle or adjective; Pope & Röllig, WbMyth. I:217–312) denotes ‘strength, force, power, might, mana’. Related to…