Editing El (deity) (section)

== Proto-Sinaitic, Phoenician, Aramaic, and Hittite texts ==
The Egyptian god [[Ptah]] is given the title {{tlit|egy|ḏū gitti}} 'Lord of [[Gath (city)|Gath]]' in a prism from [[Tel Lachish]] which has on its opposite face the name of [[Amenhotep II]] ({{Circa|1435|1420&nbsp;BCE}}). The title {{tlit|egy|ḏū gitti}} is also found in Serābitṭ text 353. [[Frank Moore Cross]] points out that Ptah is often called ''the Lord (or one) of eternity'' and thinks it may be this identification of El with Ptah that lead to the epithet ''ʿolam'' 'eternal' being applied to El so early and so consistently.{{sfn|Cross|1973|p=19}} Yet another connection is seen with the [[Mandaeism|Mandaean]] angel [[Ptahil]], whose name combines both the terms Ptah and Il.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Smith |first=H. |title=''The Relationship of the Semitic and Egyptian Verbal Systems''. By T. W. Thacker. pp. xxvi 341. Geoffrey Cumberlege. Oxford, 1954. 42s |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |volume=88 |issue=1–2 |year=1956 |pages=102–103 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/relationship-of-the-semitic-and-egyptian-verbal-systems-by-t-w-thacker-pp-xxvi-341-geoffrey-cumberlege-oxford-1954-42s/284B8DDF0772E417FF4C7F993B899BAF |doi=10.1017/S0035869X00114728 |s2cid=162288496}}</ref> Wyatt, however, notes that in [[Ugarit]]ic texts, Ptah is seemingly identified with the craftsman god Kothar-wa-Khasis, not El.{{sfn|Wyatt|2002|p=43}}

In an inscription in the [[Proto-Sinaitic script]], [[William F. Albright]] transcribed the phrase ''ʾL Ḏ ʿLM'', which he translated as the appellation "El, (god) of eternity".<ref>Albright, Wm. F. (1966) ''The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions and their Decipherment'', p. 24</ref>

The name [[Raphael (given name)|Raphael]] or Rapha-El, meaning 'God has healed' in Ugarit, is attested to in approximately 1350&nbsp;BCE in one of the [[Amarna Letters]] EA333, found in [[Tell-el-Hesi]] from the ruler of [[Lachish]] to 'The Great One'<ref>Robert William Rogers, ed., Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (New York: Eaton & Mains, & Cincinnati, Ohio: Jennings & Graham, 1912), pp. 268–278.</ref>

A [[Phoenicia]]n inscribed [[Arslan Tash amulets|amulet of the 7th century&nbsp;BCE from Arslan Tash]] may refer to El. The text was translated by Rosenthal as follows:

{{poemquote|An eternal bond has been established for us.
''Aššur'' has established (it) for us,
and all the divine beings
and ''the majority of the group'' of all the holy ones,
through the bond of heaven and earth ''for ever'', ...{{sfn|Rosenthal|1969|p=658}}}}

However, Cross translated the text as follows:

{{poemquote|The Eternal One ('Olam) has made a covenant oath with us,
Asherah has made (a pact) with us.
And all the sons of El,
And the great council of all the Holy Ones.
With oaths of Heaven and Ancient Earth.{{sfn|Cross|1973|p=17}}}}

In some inscriptions, the name ''ʾĒl qōne ʾarṣ'' ([[Punic language|Punic]]: {{lang|xpu|𐤀𐤋 𐤒𐤍 𐤀𐤓𐤑}} {{tlit|xpu|ʾl qn ʾrṣ}}) meaning 'El creator of Earth' appears, even including a late inscription at [[Leptis Magna]] in [[Tripolitania]] dating to the 2nd century.<ref>[[#CITEREFDonnerRöllig1962–1964|Donner & Röllig 1962–1964]], No. 129.</ref> In Hittite texts, the expression becomes the single name {{tlit|hit|Ilkunirsa}}, this Ilkunirsa appearing as the husband of Asherdu ([[Asherah]]) and father of 77 or 88 sons.{{sfn|Binger|1997|p=92}}

In a Hurrian hymn to El (published in ''Ugaritica V'', text RS 24.278), he is called {{tlit|hur|`il brt}} and {{tlit|hur|`il dn}}, which Cross takes as 'El of the covenant' and 'El the judge' respectively.{{sfn|Cross|1973|p=39}}