# The *Mitnabot* in History ## The Story of the Mitnabot and their Discovery The story of the *Mitnabot* is historical fiction in the genre of religious fantasy. I'm imagining a group of ancient Israelites-Canaanites who embody what I find most beautiful and powerful-for-good in Torah tradition and Jewish identity. In a way, I'm trying to imagine the source of the Jewish existence and practice I seek to live. The *Mitnabot* are fiction in the sense that they did not exist. But they could have exited. At least, I think they could have existed based on my readings in [[Bibliographies|history and biblical criticism]]. There are some exceptions to this rule. While the general contours of the story match credible historical accounts more or less, there will be a number of blatantly anachronistic elements of the story: 1) The spiritual practice of the *Mitnabot* as reconstructed here, and as we will practice it, is based on the practices of prophetic Kabbalah as taught by Avraham Abulafia. 2) The symbolism of YHVH and the Goddess Asherah as we will study it, and use for our shared worship (for those who choose to see it that way), is based on the sefirotic symbolism of the Zohar and the depiction of the Hebrew Goddess in Tikkunim. I believe that there are, in fact, remarkable similarities between these medieval Kabbalistic traditions and aspects of ancient Northwest Semitic religion. I'll point these out in the relevant places. However, at the same time, Abulafia and the Zohar are firmly medieval Jewish creations, removed by more than two thousand years and vast cultural differences from any prophetesses who flourished in the 8th century BCE. Perhaps Kabbalistic tradition is to the*Mitnabot* what rabbinic Judaism is to biblical religion. ## Why Imagine the Mitnabot? Reconstructing the world of the *mitnabot* serves a number of purposes. First, it is an attempt to take stock and clarify what is holy, beautiful and good in Judaism, and to juxtapose those elements to destructive currents within our tradition, such as [[Genocidal Supremacism|genocidal supremacism]]. Second, it is about situating our Jewish religious identities as they are now within the world of Torah narratives. Are there voices from among the ancient Israelites, the authors and heroes of the Tanakh, who were our spiritual ancestors, even if they were a minority? If there are, what subsequent streams of Jewish thought and practice can connect us with them? I think the streams of prophetic and theosophic Kabbalah are excellent candidates. While we look back to ancient times, the logic is really mostly backwards: From within our own Jewish practice and identity we will figure out who our ancestors must have been. ## Canaanites-Israelites in History I'm imagining the emergence of the Israelites as a people in line with how Mark Smith describes it *The Early History of God* and *The Origins of Monotheism*. In a nutshell, that means that we (Israelites) *were* Canaanites. When we worshipped Canaanite Gods, such as El and Asherah, it was not "syncretism" because we were not worshipping "foreign" Gods. These were Canaanite-Israelite Gods, because the Israelites were part of a larger Northwest Semitic culture (often referred to simply as "Canaanite"), which circa 1200 BCE shared dialects of spoken language (Canaanite/Hebrew was more or less the same language), an alphabet (the Paleo-Hebraic/Phoenician/Canaanite script), a pantheon of Gods, sacrificial systems, material culture (homes, tools etc.) and many other things. Israelites and Phoenicians (who lived on the coast of today's Lebanon and Syria) and many of the other peoples presented by the Deuteronomist as villains, spoke dialects of the same Canaanite-Hebrew language and could understand each other. According to this narrative, accepted by many important scholars today, there was no exodus; There was no conquest; Israelites didn't come from somewhere else. Slowly, starting about 1200 BCE, Israelite identity began to emerge in the hill country of the Levant. At some point, the Israelites added Y-H-V-H to their pantheon. Later, they assimilated some of their other Gods (such as El) into attributes of Y-H-V-H, while other Gods (such as Baal), they worshipped independently. Asherah, who was the female head of the Canaanite-Israelite pantheon, was sometimes integrated into Y-H-V-H worship, as His consort or as a divine attribute, and was sometimes worshipped as an independent Goddess. Some later Israelite ideologues, such as King Josiah's Deuteronomist school (see below), opposed Asherah worship and declared Her "a foreign God". She was not, however, a foreign God, but rather first a Canaanite (Northwest Semitic) God, and later, when the Israelites differentiated themselves from the larger Canaanite milieu, she was an Israelite Goddess (or an aspect or attribute of YHVH). Declaring Her a foreign God was a false but effective strategy of legitimization. I hope to bring some of the research on this stuff. In the meantime, here are some AI summaries of key points (I've edited them for accuracy): > Mark Smith's work on the emergence of the Israelites emphasizes the dynamic development of their culture, religion, and identity within the context of the ancient Near East. He argues that the Israelites originated as a subgroup of Canaanites, with their language, material culture, and religious practices deeply rooted in Canaanite traditions. > > **Key Points:** > > 1. **Religion**: Early Israelite religion was initially polytheistic, sharing deities like El, Baal, and Asherah with the Canaanites. Over time, YHVH became the central deity, absorbing characteristics of El and supplanting other gods in the transition to monotheism. > > 2. **Material and Linguistic Evidence**: Archaeological finds, such as pottery and inscriptions, show a continuity between Canaanite and Israelite culture. Ancient Hebrew developed from Canaanite dialects, reflecting shared linguistic roots. > > 3. **Identity Formation**: Israelite identity emerged through a gradual process of differentiation from neighboring groups, driven by social, political, and theological shifts, rather than through dramatic breaks or foreign influences. > > > Smith critiques the use of rigid terms like "syncretism," emphasizing instead the organic and evolving nature of Israelite culture as part of a broader regional continuum. **On the origins of YHVH:** > Mark Smith discusses the origins of YHWH in the context of ancient Near Eastern religion, highlighting several key points: > > **1. Regional Origins** > > - Smith suggests that the worship of YHVH likely originated outside the central Canaanite cultural sphere, potentially in regions such as **Midian**, **Edom**, or the southern desert areas. This hypothesis is supported by biblical references (e.g., Deuteronomy 33:2 and Judges 5:4) that associate YHVH with locations in the south, such as Mount Seir or Paran. > > **2. Connection to El** > > - In early Israelite religion, YHVH appears to have been identified with **El**, the chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon. YHVH inherits many of El’s attributes, including titles like "El Shaddai" and roles as a creator and warrior. This identification facilitated YHVH's integration into the Israelite religious system. > > **3. Distinctiveness of YHVH** > > - While YHVH shares features with Canaanite gods like El and Baal, his distinctiveness as a deity likely contributed to the formation of a unique Israelite identity. YHVH's character as a warrior god, associated with storms and battles, set him apart and resonated with the socio-political realities of early Israel. > > **4. Theological Development** > > - Over time, YHVH became the central and eventually the sole deity of Israelite worship. This process involved the assimilation and redefinition of other gods’ attributes, such as those of Baal (storm god) and Asherah (fertility goddess), into YHVH's character. > > **5. Theories of Name Origin** > > The exact etymology of _YHWH_ remains debated. A common proposal connects it to the Hebrew root _h-y-h_ ("to be"), as reflected in Exodus 3:14 ("I am who I am"). Smith, however, acknowledges the complexity of this interpretation and points out parallels in divine names from the broader Northwest Semitic linguistic and religious traditions. > > In summary, Smith situates YHVH's origins within the southern regions > of the ancient Near East and emphasizes his gradual integration and prominence in Israelite religion through a process of adaptation and reinterpretation of existing Canaanite and regional religious traditions. ## Abulafia and the Mitnabot The part about Abulafia is more or less real history. They didn't order his execution or excommunication solely for the vocalization of divine names, but rather in response to his full personality. For more reading on Abulafia's practice and on the controversy surrounding him, look here: [[1 Main|Abulafia Meditation]]. However, it is unlikely that Abulafia's techniques were passed down from ancient Israelite prophetic circles. Two much time and culture divide them. At the same time, it seems likely that Israelite-Canaanite prophetic practices involved trance states brought on by work with the breath and physical motion. It also seems likely that such ceremonies involved Divine names. Additionally, ancient practices included "speaking in ecstasy". I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it likely involved making speech-like sounds that do not constitute regular words in any language. All of these elements appear in Abulafia's techniques. ## The Mitnabot On Gender See: [[Gender Equality and Fluidity in Prophetic Tradition]] ## The Deuteronomist School in History ## For Further Reading ![[Bibliographies]]