Shalim 'Sunset/Dusk'

Shalim 'Sunset/Dusk' - Shachar's twin and one of the first, if not only, pair of gracious gods, the children and cleavers of the sea. They were born of El and Athirat or her female companion. The new family builds a sanctuary in the desert and lives there for eight years.

Ugaritic religion centered on the chief god, Ilu or El, the "father of mankind", "the creator of the creation". The Court of El or Ilu was referred to as the 'lhm. The most important of the great gods were Hadad, the king of Heaven; Athirat or Asherah (mentioned in the Bible); Yam (Sea, the god of the primordial chaos, tempests, and mass-destruction); and Mot (Death). Other gods worshipped at Ugarit included Dagon (Grain), Tirosch, Horon, Resheph (Healing), the craftsman Kothar-and-Khasis (Skilled and Clever), Shahar (Dawn), and Shalim (Dusk).

The original inhabitants of Jerusalem were Phoenician Canaanites. Jerusalem was originally a village built on a hill. The name "Urushalim is first found on Egyptian statues, circa 2500 B.C. "Urushalim", in fact is a word of Canaanite derivation; the prefix "uru", meaning "founded by", and the suffix "salem" or "Shalem," Phoenician Canaanite god of dusk. This evidence is reinforced by archaeology and by tablets found in Elba, Syria, dating back to 3000 B.C., on which the god Shalem being venerated in a city called Uruksalem is mentioned. The old name of the city Urushalim figures also in the Egyptian texts called Texts of Proscription of XII dynasty 'ws'mm pronounced in Akkadian language Urushalim city of god.

There is evidence that Salim/Shalim or Salem was an Ugaritic god personifying Venus as the evening star and god of dusk who was the son of El. Jerusalem or "Urushalim" is in fact a word of Canaanite derivation; the prefix "uru," meaning "founded by" or "place," and the suffix "salem" or "shalem/shalim," Canaanite Phoenician god of dusk. Hence, Jerusalem means the "place of Shalim," Phoenician god of dusk.

There is no town as Biblical as Jerusalem, but it was neither built nor named by Hebrews. Remnants of a Canaanite town called Salem date back to the early bronze age, and the first Biblical mentioning of this place is in Genesis 14:18, where Abraham and Melchizedek meet. The name Jerusalem occurs first in Joshua 10:1. It was a Jebusite city until David overtook it (2 Sam 5:6).

By the time the Hebrews had a say in it, the name Jerusalem had been long established. Most likely, the original name, that sounded something like Urusalimum or Ursalimmu, meant Foundation Of Shalem, the latter being a known Ugaritic god. The reason why the Hebrews didn't rename the city when they had the chance may be because its name was easily transliterated into something very striking in Hebrew.

1 Chronicles; 21:15: And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and as he destroyed, the Lord saw and regretted the evil, and He said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now stay your hand," and the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Jeremiah; 32:31: For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath since the day they built it until this day, to remove it from before My face.

The Canaanite Shalem is the same one which finds mention in the Bible (Genesis, 14:18). And this same Shalem later came to be known as Yerushalayim (Joshua, 10:1), which is Urusalim hebraized.

In all likelihood, the Hebrews had nothing to do with the founding of Jerusalem.

Long before David took it over, the city was called "Urushalim," which meant the foundation of Shalem, an ugaritic god. The name was hebraized, possibly because it made for a pretty cool name in the language of the Hebrews  (within Hebrew, the word shalem connotates wholeness). Jerusalem is hebrew anglicized.

It is likely that "shalem," the appellation of the ugaritic god, itself in some way denoted "completion".


I think I understand how pointless the whole effort can appear to be; but if one doesn't try to prove a particular concept right or wrong, it can be fun. I have had pretty enjoyable sessions on many forums, possibly because I don't identify myself with all that I write, much less what I read, while many others get a little too involved. Moral: Enjoy the experience. (-: