oa Joods syncretisme in Elefantine?

*Dit artikel is gebaseerd op ccn tweetal gastcolleges voor de Universiteiten van Heidelberg (3 juli 2001) en Tübingen (12 juni 2002).

Recently the view has been defended that amongst the inhabitants on the island of Elephantine in Southern Egypt a ‘heavily syncretistic’ form of Yahwism is found. This article surveys the existing evidence and arrives at the following conclusions: (1) The Yahwists of Elephantine cannot yet be depicted as Jews; (2) Yhwh/Yahȏ was the main deity of the group who had been recruitcd by the Persians from the province of Yehud; (3) Three other deities have been venerated by this group in connection with Yhwh/Yahȏ: Anath-Yahȏ/Bethel; Eshem-Bethel and Herem-Bethel. They should, however, not be classified as independent deities, but as aspects of the Israelite divine.