Adon ( phn, 𐤀𐤃𐤍) literally means "lord." Adon has an uncertain etymology, although it is generally believed to be derived from the
Ugaritic
Ugaritic () is an extinct Northwest Semitic language, classified by some as a dialect of the Amorite language and so the only known Amorite dialect preserved in writing. It is known through the Ugaritic texts discovered by French archaeologist ...
ad, “father.”
Ugaritic tradition
The pluralization of adon "my lord" is '' adonai'' "my lords."
Otto Eissfeldt
Otto Eißfeldt, spelled alternatively Otto Eissfeldt, (September 1, 1887, in Northeim – April 23, 1973, in Halle) was a German Protestant theologian, known for his work on the Old Testament and comparative near-east religious history. His ...
theorizes that ''adonai'' is a post positive element attested to in Ugaritic writing. He points to the myth of the struggle between
Baal
Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied t ...
and Yam as evidence. Some theorize that ''adonai'' was originally an epithet of the god
Yahweh
Yahweh *''Yahwe'', was the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier, and in the oldest biblical literature he poss ...
depicted as the chief antagonist of "the ''Baʿal''s" in the
Tanakh
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach" '' euphemism to avoid invoking the deity's proper name,
Yahweh
Yahweh *''Yahwe'', was the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier, and in the oldest biblical literature he poss ...
.
In Canaanite/Ugaritic tradition, ''ʾadn ilm'', literally "lord of gods" is an epithet of El. However, ''ʾadn'' "lord" could also be an epithet of other gods. When Yam is described as being at the zenith of his might, he is proclaimed ''ʾadn'' or "lord" of the gods. In some
Ugaritic
Ugaritic () is an extinct Northwest Semitic language, classified by some as a dialect of the Amorite language and so the only known Amorite dialect preserved in writing. It is known through the Ugaritic texts discovered by French archaeologist ...
texts the term ''ʾadn ʾilm rbm'' meaning "the Lord of the Great Gods" is used to refer to the lord and father over deceased kings. Some think that this is a reference to Baal. Other suggest this is a reference to a human
necromancer
Necromancy () is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events ...
, who was traveling to the land of the dead.
Karel van der Toorn
Karel van der Toorn (born 8 March 1956 in The Hague) is a Dutch scholar of ancient religions. From 2006 to 2011 he was chairman of the Board at the University of Amsterdam, where he was a professor since 1998 and until he became the chairman of th ...
disagrees; he believes that it is a reference to
Milku
Milku was a god associated with the underworld who was worshiped in the kingdoms of Ugarit and Amurru in the late Bronze Age. It is possible that he originated further south, as Ugaritic texts indicate he was worshiped in cities located in the nor ...
Yarikh
Yarikh (Ugaritic: , , "moon") was a moon god worshiped in the Ancient Near East. He is best attested in sources from the Amorite city of Ugarit in the north of modern Syria, where he was one of the principal deities. His primary cult center was ...
Ugarit
)
, image =Ugarit Corbel.jpg
, image_size=300
, alt =
, caption = Entrance to the Royal Palace of Ugarit
, map_type = Near East#Syria
, map_alt =
, map_size = 300
, relief=yes
, location = Latakia Governorate, Syria
, region = ...
family households were modeled after the structure of the divine world, each headed by an '' ʾadn'' meaning in this context "master" or "patron". Generally, this was the
patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
of the family and there may be some relation between ''ʾadn'' and the Ugarit word for "father", ''ʾad''.
Etymology
The name of the Greek god
Adonis
In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite.
One day, Adonis was gored by ...
is similar to a Semitic word—''adon'' (which means "
lord
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
"). Yet there is no trace of a Semitic deity directly connected with Adonis, though there most likely was. There is also no trace in Semitic languages of any specific mythemes connected with his Greek myth. Both Greek and Near Eastern scholars have questioned the connection.
Hebrew Bible
In the Hebrew Bible, ''adoni'', with the suffix for the first person possessive, means "my lord", and is a term of respect that may refer to God or to a human superior,1 Kings 1:31 or occasionally an angel, whereas ''adonai'' (literally "my lords") is reserved for God alone. In Jewish tradition, the pluralization can be used to distinguish God from earthly lords and to increase his majesty. However, many modern critical scholars see the use of a plural as a remnant of a
polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
past, with the word only later coming to refer to
Yahweh
Yahweh *''Yahwe'', was the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier, and in the oldest biblical literature he poss ...
, the single god of Judaism. It is thought that at least some biblical authors used the word originally in a polytheist sense.