[Note] The Rephaim

In comparison to the rest of Ancient literature the Hebrew Bible has very few references to mighty monsters, heroing heros, and other traditional epic tropes from ancient times. While not absent of supernatural or grandious element, its not equivalent to most of the scriptures of the time.

Though, the most interesting of what is mentioned could be the Rephaim. They are confusing, mostly in appearance, being written as both mighty Heros of Sheol, or fierce warriors fighting against the Isrealites in combat. Their name almost seems to mean "the healed ones". Combine all this with their 30+ references over 10 texts, they surely are a confusing being.

Rephaim has been a mystery for thousands of years, even to those who translated it from Hebrew to Aramic and Greek. They cover a lot of variety of forms, their own name is also confusing.

Rephaim is a masculin plural from the triliteral root reishipe alef, which in the later iron age has its meanings in healing or medicine. Though further back its most likely meaning to mend or stitch together. It still has this meanininv in modern Ethopian and Arabic Hebrew.

Going back further in the bronze age, it has a broader meaning of to make whole or intact. This could also have implications of meaning perfected or flawless. Both morally and value, rather than medical.

To get a better understanding we have to look further back to the Ugarit Canaanites. In the 1930s the site of Ugarit was dug up and gives us a good understanding of Canaanite mythos and culture. This includes Cuneifrom tablets. Here, generations before Biblical mentions of the Rephaim, we find the first mentions of Rephaim. Though by this time it seems they have already been standardized and been around for a long time. Even before 14th century BCE, the Rephaim are already well known, thought usually not the key figures of writings.

At this time, the Rephaim are peppered throughout the ancient texts, like the Ba'al Cycle, the legend of Akhat and the tales of King Kirta. Here they appear with a standardized group of traits with some slight variations.

Side note: all of these texts were written by the same script, Illimiku who signed all of the texts.

In these texts it seems that the Rephaim make up a small portion, less than 1/10 of the divine warriors and offspring of head God of the Canaanite Pantheon, El. They are attributed to riding in chariots, feasting at banquits (such as Marzeach, which is where we get one of the first hangover cures). The Rephaim has a brotherly love, being warriors, kings and judges. An example is Don Il, who is mentioned in Ezeikel. The texts even tells us where they originate, which is somewhere in the Bashan region in now Lebanon and South Syria.

Psalm 68 seems to record a tale of El first dwelling on a mountain in Bashan, before being transfered to mount Zion. This is most likely before El and Yahweh fused into a single diety.

While not all Raphaim are kings, its thought that the kings on Canaan were descendant from Rephaim, and that deceased kings became Rephaim in the afterlife.

By this time in 14th Century BCE the Rephaim were known and standardized beings and mythos.

Phoenicians also reference the Rephaim, though scarcely. They also were held with less reverence, so they didnt seem to hold them to the same regard. Though in some Phoenician tombs, it is inscribed to not disturb the bodies or else you wont be welcome by the Rephaim in death. This was likely directed towards other kings who would want to disturb the bodies as a way to show their legitimacy.

By Roman times, The Rephaim seemed to have assimilated into the Manes for north African Phoenicians near Carthage.

In the early Ugaric Texts, they dont appear to be written the same as in the Hebrew Bible. In the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible, they are depicted as the enemies of Isreal, they are seen to be monsterous, giant and evil, whos afterlife is mocked and clowned on.

In the Hebrew Bible, they are mentioned over 30 times across 10 different books, making them one of the most attested beings in the texts.In the texts you can divide them up between Living and Dead, among Living you can divide them up further as those who live in the Trans-Jordan, and those who live West of the Trans-Jordan, especially those who have connections to the Philistines. The Trans-Jordan Rephaim are seen in the Abraham narratives in Genesis when the kings of the east defeat them in battle, then they re-appear in the Isrealite journey to Canaan, where they are said to be Giant. During the battle they are not depicted as Giants, and are easily defeatable. We are also told of a specific Rephaim that the forces of Moses defeated, the King Og of Bashan. His mention in Number doesnt make much of his height, but in Deuteronomy where he is said to be the last of the Rephaim and stood at ~14ft tall.

The text also lays out the size of their homeland in detail, naming the cities of Ashtaroth and Idre, whi are also connected with El in older Ugaritic Texts.

The western Rephaim are also depicted as gigantic and monsterous. They are specifically attributed to the Philistines, and that elite warriors of the Philistines were decendants of Harafa, specifically Sipai Lakhmi, the Unnamed man of Modon, and Goliath.

They were seen as monsterous, some having 12 fingers and 12 toes. Here we also see that a man named El Hanan was first to kill Goliath, then later edited to show David as the killer and righteous king we all know him to be.

While they could still be seen as epic, the writers of the text attempt to out epic them, using the Rephaim as mediums to show Abraham, Moses and Davids might and herocism.

The reason for the shift from Isrealite perception of Rephaim, from the original Canaanite is possibly linked to the shift from Isrealite monotheism from the Canaanite polytheism. Keep in mind Isrealites descended from Canaanites, and Hebrew is a dialect of Cananite.

We can see throughout the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible, the old Canaanite dieties are either demoted or demonized by the Isrealite authors. This can be seen with the Nephilim, which are likely tied in the Rephaim at some point.

The Rephaim of the dead, are depicted as subjects of Yahweh that look over the non-isrealite kings and realm of the dead. They dwell in the deep darkness where the non believers are, forgotten by Yahweh for their non-believing lives, for their false belief in their own kingly divinity. in Isiah 9, Nebuchadnezzar is seen to seek divinity and is then transformed into the tale of the fall of lucifer in christian mythology.

Though there is an exception, the Rephaim judge Daniel (not the same Daniel most referenced), is said to be righteous, along with Noah and Job. Daniel is allowed this due to his compassion and fair judgement, especially those of lower class. This also bringsin the Jewish theological belief that children dont bring on the Sin or Righteousness of their parents (A strong argument against Christian original sin).

Note: Eventually read the Rephaim by Johnathan Rogev. A systematic study of every mention of them in history, in original language.