Editing Heaven (section)

=== Hurrians and Hittites ===
{{Further|Hittite mythology}}
The ancient [[Hittites]] believed that some deities lived in Heaven while others lived in remote places on Earth, such as mountains, where humans had little access.{{sfn|Hundley|2015|pages=451–452}} In the Middle Hittite myths, Heaven is the abode of the gods. In the [[Song of Kumarbi]], [[Alalu]] was king in Heaven for nine years before giving birth to his son, [[Anu]]. Anu was himself overthrown by his son, [[Kumarbi]].<ref>Harry A. Hoffner, Gary M. Beckman – 1990</ref><!-- In Hittite belief El Elyon was known as Alalu. This divinity is believed to have taken as spouse Beruth (Bereshit, = "the Beginning"), and through entering time in this way his nature split. In some ways he is considered to have housed "[[Heavenly host|the Hosts of sky]]", the divine family of El, known as the [[Elohim]]. In other texts he was seen as descending from time to time to the divine mountain which supported the firmament, which is how the Elohim or Gods came to descend to mortal realms. In this way, the creation by the Elohim was seen as filling the heights. Thus in this way Shamayim comprised the "God Beyond God". Not much is known of his character or personality, as he was superseded and displaced from his authority by his son, El, whose personality fused with El Elyon, and in the Phoenician area Ba'al Hadad [[syncretism|syncretised]] with Shamayim to become known as Ba'al Shamayim ("Lord of heights"), --><ref>Sabatino Moscati Face of the Ancient Orient 2001 Page 174 "The first, called 'Kingship in Heaven', tells how this kingship passes from Alalu to Anu, ... was king in heaven, Alalu was seated on the throne and the mighty Anu, first among the gods,"</ref><ref>Moscatti, Sabatino (1968), "The World of the Phoenicians" (Phoenix Giant)</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1EEtmT9Tbj4C&q=review+Sabatino+phoenicians&pg=PP1|title=The Phoenicians|isbn=978-1-85043-533-4|last1=Moscati|first1=Sabatino|year=2001|publisher=I.B. Tauris }}</ref>