ite
Kemosh, the Ammonite Malkom (Milkom), and the Philistine Dagan (Dagon)
and Baalzebub. None of these became ethically great or approached
universality. The Phoenician Eshmun was known to the Greeks, and was
identified by them with their Asklepios (AEsculapius), probably because
among the various functions attaching to him as local deity healing was
prominent; but of his theologic history little is known.[1312] Several
North Arabian deities, especially Dusares (Dhu ash-Shara) and the
goddesses Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, were widely worshiped, their cults
extending over the whole Nabatean region; but the communities to which
they belonged never produced a great civilization or attained great
political significance, and these deities always retained traces of
their local nature.[1313] The same remark is to be made of the South
Arabian gods known to us; they were locally important, but we have
little information concerning their characters.[1314]

+765+. The clearest example of the orderly advance of a deity to
preeminence is afforded by the Hebrew Yahweh (Jehovah). Originally, it
would seem, a local deity, the god of certain tribes on the northern
boundary of Arabia,[1315] he was adopted by the Hebrews under conditions
which are not quite clear, and was developed by them in accordance with
their peculiar genius. At first morally and intellectually crude, he
became as early as the eighth century B.C. ethically high and
practically omnipotent.[1316] For many centuries he was regarded merely
as the most powerful of the gods, superior to the deities of other
nations, and it was only after the beginning of our era that the Hebrew
thought discarded all other gods and made "Yahweh" synonymous with
"God." In each period of their history the conception that the Hebrews
had of him was in accord with the economic and intellectual features of
the time.[1317]

+766+. A word may be added respecting the Semitic titles Ilu, or El, and
Elohim, which have been supposed by some recent writers to prove the
existence of an early monotheism, particularly in Southern Arabia. The
terms mean simply 'god,' and were applied by early Semitic communities
to any deity, particularly to the local god. In the Arabia of Mohammed's
time a tribe would call its deity simply "the god," a sufficient
designation of him for the place;[1318] this designation, in Arabic
_al-ilahu_, came to be pronounced "Allah," and this familar term, as is
remarked above, was adopte