House of Yahweh (Biblical term)
Encyclopedia
The House of YHWH is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible
and on at least one inscription, usually referring to a temple.
Most modern religious scholars focus primarily upon Solomon's Temple
. However, there have been two structures identified as a 'House of Yahweh'. One is located in Elephantine
Egypt. The other structure suggested as a House of Yahweh is at Tel Arad
.
In 1962 Yohanan Aharoni
excavated at Tel Arad
the only Judean temple recovered by archaeologists to date. The incense altars and two "standing stones" may have been dedicated to Yahweh and Asherah
. An inscription was found on the site by Ahroni mentioning a 'House of Yahweh', which William G. Dever
suggests may have referred to the temple at Arad or the temple at Jerusalem. However, the temple was probably demolished around 700 CE, which is before the date of the inscription.
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
and on at least one inscription, usually referring to a temple.
Most modern religious scholars focus primarily upon Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the main temple in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount , before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE....
. However, there have been two structures identified as a 'House of Yahweh'. One is located in Elephantine
Elephantine
Elephantine is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the land is higher than that near the Mediterranean coast. The island may have received its name because it was a...
Egypt. The other structure suggested as a House of Yahweh is at Tel Arad
Tel Arad
Tel Arad or 'old' Arad is located west of the Dead Sea, about 10 km west of modern Arad in an area surrounded by mountain ridges which is known as the Arad Plain. The site is divided into a lower city and an upper hill which holds the only ever discovered 'House of Yahweh' in the land of...
.
In 1962 Yohanan Aharoni
Yohanan Aharoni
Yohanan Aharoni , was an Israeli archaeologist and historical geographer, chairman of the Department of Near East Studies and chairman of the Institute of Archeology at Tel-Aviv University.-Life:...
excavated at Tel Arad
Tel Arad
Tel Arad or 'old' Arad is located west of the Dead Sea, about 10 km west of modern Arad in an area surrounded by mountain ridges which is known as the Arad Plain. The site is divided into a lower city and an upper hill which holds the only ever discovered 'House of Yahweh' in the land of...
the only Judean temple recovered by archaeologists to date. The incense altars and two "standing stones" may have been dedicated to Yahweh and Asherah
Asherah
Asherah , in Semitic mythology, is a Semitic mother goddess, who appears in a number of ancient sources including Akkadian writings by the name of Ashratum/Ashratu and in Hittite as Asherdu or Ashertu or Aserdu or Asertu...
. An inscription was found on the site by Ahroni mentioning a 'House of Yahweh', which William G. Dever
William G. Dever
William G. Dever is an American archaeologist, specialising in the history of Israel and the Near East in Biblical times. He was Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson from 1975 to 2002...
suggests may have referred to the temple at Arad or the temple at Jerusalem. However, the temple was probably demolished around 700 CE, which is before the date of the inscription.