Daniel Sarlo clearly understands the necessary task of reassessing orthodoxies that creep into the study of ancient texts. He also takes into account contextual understandings of what are currently termed natural phenomena. This combination attests to the utility of his work. The field of ancient West Asian religions has long suffered under schools of interpretation that gloss over what close reading reveals. Sarlo here demonstrates the many benefits of turning over rocks and describing what lies beneath.

Steve A. Wiggins, author of A Reassessment of Asherah and Weathering the Psalms

The Solar Nature of Yahweh is a monograph that unveils the erudition of its author, Daniel Sarlo, and the audacity of his analysis. It successfully achieves three important goals. First, it challenges the common view that YHWH was originally a storm god. Second, it rehabilitates the ancient theory of the solar origin of YHWH, strengthening it with new observations. Third, it identifies YHWH as a great god from the very beginning of his cult. These accomplishments are welcome. They will undoubtedly contribute to modify our current representation of early Israel and its religion.

Nissim Amzallag, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva

Based on a shortened version of the author’s doctoral thesis at the University of Toronto, this bold monograph argues that Yahweh was not originally a storm deity, as is widely held, but a solar deity. Previously it has often been thought that he was ‘solarized’, but the first two chapters point out the weaknesses in these suppositions, with particular attention to Pss. 18.8-16 and 29.1-10... This is a learned but eminently accessible study which makes many strong points. There is a danger that the arguments against the usual storm god theory work on the ‘divide and rule’ principle without considering the possible strength of cumulative evidence within single passages. Equally, there are some points where S.’s own preference can be challenged, as he acknowledges. Nevertheless, he makes a strong case that will need to be considered carefully by those who have previously favoured a different opinion.

The Society For Old Testament Studies