1.1 ab šnm “Father of Bright Ones”

Although the phrase ab šnm is a designation for the supreme god, it may be suggested as an indication of the kinship relation of lesser deities to El. Whilst it has been variously translated, it may be best taken as “Father of Bright Ones”.

The translation of the Phrase as “Père des années” has been rejected because the Ugaritic term for the meaning of “year(s)”, whether it is a sg. or a pl., occurs only in the feminine form šnt. O. Eissfeldt’s suggestion, “Vater der Sterblichen”, derived from √šny, to “wechseln, dahinschwinden”, has also been doubted for the √šny is never used to denote “mortals”.

However, the second term of the expression ab šnm seems to be more explicable in regard to El’s absolute authority in the pantheon. When Ug. mlk occurs with the phrase ab šnm it seems to be somewhat associated semantically with the šnm, although it appears to modify the preceding noun qrš, “pavilion”: thus, qrš mlk ab šnm. Ug. mlk and b occur as being paralleled in this case to indicate the two positional characteristics of the supreme god ruling in the pantheon: sc. the ruler of other gods as well as the father of them.

Another plausible connection, suggested by Pope, with Ar. snw; sny, “to shine, be exalted, one”, is noteworthy here; hence, it is rendered “Father of Exalted Ones” or “Exalted Father”. Whilst accepting Pope’s etymological application, Oldenburg renders the translation to the “King, the Father of the Luminaries”; or the “Father of the Bright Ones”, which is preferred hereafter. Therefore, El’s epithet “Father of the Bright Ones” may represent the radiant theophany of the lesser deities who are bonded with their filial relationship to their king El.