Berith (god)

In his euphemistic account of the Phoenician deities, Sanchuniathon says:

:In their time is born a certain Elioun called "the Most High," and a female named Beruth, and these dwelt in the neighbourhood of Byblos.

:And from them is born Epigeius or Autochthon, whom they afterwards called Sky; so that from him they named the element above us Sky because of the excellence of its beauty. And he has a sister born of the aforesaid parents, who was called Earth, and from her, he says, because of her beauty, they called the earth by the same name. And their father, the Most High, died in an encounter with wild beasts, and was deified, and his children offered to him libations and sacrifices."

According to Sanchuniathon it is from Sky and Earth that El and various other deities are born, though ancient texts refer to El as creator of heaven and earth. The Hittite theogony knows of a primal god named Alulu who fathered Sky (and possibly Earth) and who was overthrown by his son Sky, Sky then being overthrown by his son Kumarbi. A similar tradition seems to be at the basis of Sanchuniathon's account.As to Beruth who is here the most high's wife, a relationship with Hebrew bərīt 'covenant' or with the city of Beirut have both been suggested.

External links

* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=4&letter=B&search=Berith Jewish Encyclopedia: Baal-Berith] , includes mention of ""El-berith" (Judges ix. 46, R. V.)"