I. Name

Shelaḥ has been interpreted as a theophoric element in the personal names Mĕtûšālaḥ (Gen. 5.21, Gen. 22, Gen. 25–27; 1 Chr. 1.3) Šālaḥ (Gen. 10.24; Gen. 11.14; 1 Chr. 1.18) and Šilḥî (1 Kgs. 22.42; 2 Chr. 20.31). He has been interpreted as the god of the infernal river of the Canaanite population of Palestine and Phoenicia (Tsevat 1954). In Ugarit šlḥ is one of the names of the river of death.