I. Name

Reseph occurs as ršp in Ugaritic, Phoenician, and Aramaic, as rešep in Hebrew (8 times), as ra-sa-ap at Ebla and in Akkadian, and as r-š-p(-w) in Egyptian. It is the name of one of the most popular West-Semitic gods, venerated in Syria, Palestine and Egypt. The etymology of the name is still very uncertain. It is often assumed that it is related to a root *ršp (?) with the basic meaning “to light, to set on fire” or “to burn” (cf. e.g. Jud.-Aram. rišpâʾ “flames, lightning”). Yet also a derivation fro…