Divine Names, Anuna/Anunnaki, and the Etymology of ‘God’

The Profound Nature of God in the Torah

In the Torah, the initial five books of the Hebrew Bible, God is often referred to as “Yahweh,” a name treated with profound reverence and frequently replaced with “Adonai” when spoken aloud. Despite the grammatical plural form, the title “Elohim” also addresses God in the singular form, emphasizing His singular supremacy.

Throughout the Torah, God is portrayed as transcendent, existing beyond the confines of time, space, and the physical world. This portrayal underscores God’s incomprehensible nature and distinctiveness. The Torah also presents instances of God’s manifestations, such as the burning bush and the pillar of cloud and fire. These manifestations signify God’s interaction with humanity while acknowledging the challenge of depicting the divine in human terms.

God is known by many names/titles, such as:

• Yahweh (or Jehovah): Considered God’s personal and most sacred name in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). It’s often translated as “I AM WHO I AM.”
• Elohim: A common Hebrew word for God used throughout the Bible, often translated as “God” or “gods.”
• Adonai: An address for God, translated as “Lord” or “Master.”
• El Shaddai: Meaning “God Almighty,” used to emphasize God’s power.

The Etymology of “God”

Delving into the etymology of the term ‘God’ reveals a wealth of historical and linguistic significance. In Old English, ‘god’ was originally a ‘supreme being’ or ‘deity,’ encompassing both the Christian God and the concept of a godlike figure. The term traces its roots back to Proto-Germanic *guthan, found in Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch “god,” Old High German “got,” German “Gott,” Old Norse “guð,” and Gothic “guþ.” While the exact origin remains uncertain, it is thought to potentially stem from the Proto-Indo-European *ghut-, signifying “that which is invoked.” This root is also found in Old Church Slavonic “zovo” (meaning “to call”) and Sanskrit “huta– invoked” (used as an epithet for deities like Indra in ancient Hinduism), suggesting a connection to the idea of a “divine entity called upon in a sacrificial context.”

The Origins Of Religion

The precise origins of religious practices and worship are challenging to pinpoint with certainty due to the lack of written records from the earliest human societies. There is archaeological evidence of burial sites suggesting the presence of religious rituals pre-dating the Sumerian civilization. However, the Sumerians are credited by modern academia as founders of one of the earliest civilizations (most of the time being the first), and there are cuneiform tablets recorded in the Sumerian language that suggest that the Sumerians significantly influenced religious history. Many beliefs and themes found in the Holy Bible (KJV) can be traced back to the Sumerian language and the beliefs in the Anuna, highlighting their early contributions to developing religious traditions.

The Holy Bible and the Quran exhibit some similarities with Sumerian narratives, particularly in their accounts of the creation of humans and the flood story. The Sumerian flood story and its well-known version is known as the ‘Eridu Genesis.’ Parallels can be drawn between the figures of Ziusudra in the Sumerian account, prominently featured in the Eridu Genesis text, and Noah in the biblical flood story documented within the Book of Genesis.

The term “Elohim” in the biblical context could potentially refer to multiple deities.

The Anuna pantheon usually amounts to 12 of them, which most people know as the Anunnaki rather than the Anuna. The word Anunnaki actually comes from the Akkadians. The exact dates can vary depending on the sources, but the Akkadian Empire is generally considered to have been established around 2334 BCE and lasted until approximately 2154 BCE. Abraham’s traditional timeframe places him in the 2000 BCE. That means Abraham would have known exactly who the Anuna/Anunnaki were or at least a version of them that was closer to his timeframe.

So, which God from the Anuna did Abraham choose to worship? Just a thought.

Christianity is one of the Abrahamic faiths, a group of monotheistic religions that trace their spiritual origins back to the biblical figure Abraham. This group includes Judaism and Islam as well. In the Bible, particularly in the first verse of Genesis (Genesis 1:1), I find the phrase, ‘In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.’ While ‘Elohim’ is sometimes grammatically plural in Hebrew, it is often used as a singular noun representing the monotheistic God.

Tools like the Strong’s Concordance can be very helpful for a deeper understanding of the Hebrew Bible. This reference work allows readers to study the original Hebrew words used in the Bible, aiding in a more comprehensive analysis of the text.

Alien Encounters

In the realm of challenging perspectives, Zecharia Sitchin takes center stage. The Sumerians, often credited for the first writing system, embedded within it the enigmatic Anuna, more familiarly recognized as the Anunnaki. However, an intriguing contention arises when one considers the belief held by many—an assertion that the Anunnaki could potentially be extraterrestrial beings originating from a celestial body christened Nibiru. This belief persists despite the conspicuous absence of any Sumerian cuneiform tablet substantiating this audacious claim.

The genesis of this extraterrestrial hypothesis traces back to Zecharia Sitchin and his books, The Complete Earth Chronicles and others. What’s remarkable is the enduring impact of Sitchin’s and Erich Von Daniken’s ideas, which propels the belief in the Anunnaki needing gold for their home planet, Nibiru, even though there is not one cuneiform tablet that indicates that.

Many people who believe in Zecharia Sitchin’s theory don’t know that there are many places, such as https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_K-3375 and https://cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts/107556 where you can look at some of the cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia.

Bringing Facts to the Table

Religion has been around for a very long time, and pinpointing when it began is impossible. There are too many variables, from the Neanderthals burying their dead to people just looking and praying to the sun and sometimes the moon for better days. Either way, depending on the individual’s interpretation of their sacred texts, there are various ideas of who these deities are.

Exodus 23:13 (ESV): “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

If the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible mentions ‘gods,’ it is only natural to assume that there may be other gods beyond what is commonly known in monotheistic religions. For some people, the desire to learn more about them is a natural reaction.

A Verse from the Quran, Surah Al-Baqara (Chapter 2), Verse 163, states: “And your god is one God. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”

In the biblical context, “Elohim” could potentially refer to multiple deities.

According to The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, the Sumerian word for god or goddess is Digir, but there is no precise description with 100% accuracy regarding who these gods were and where they originated. The theory of a planet named Nibiru orbiting our sun every 3600 years is a topic of debate, and the evidence for it remains a mystery. All I need is the cuneiform identifier. Nevertheless, anyone can study and interpret the cuneiform tablets themselves.

Many scholars find striking similarities among major religions and beliefs, as well as in oral traditional stories from around the world, leading some to believe that it all traces back to the Sumerians.

Ancient alien theorists often draw upon texts like the Holy Bible and the Quran to construct their narratives about the Anunnaki. As strong of a belief about the Anunnaki coming from a different planet, creating humans to toil the Earth for their gold, you would think that a new religion is being formed because there are people who believe in the extraterrestrial alien theory just as much as a devout Christian believes in God/Jesus. Ancient alien theorists don’t like the word God; they replace it with the word Alien/extraterrestrial. So basically, they believe in the same thing but have different words to describe their version of the Anunnaki.

The Tower of Babel comes to mind.

However, it’s important to acknowledge that no definitive Sumerian cuneiform tablet says there’s a planet orbiting our sun every 3600 years, and the name of that planet is Nibiru.

I know about cylinder seal VA 243, which is not Sumerian; I highly recommend everyone read Dr. Michael Heiser’s research about that cylinder (https://sitchiniswrong.com/VA243/VA243.htm). Hopefully, his website stays up for a while; he passed away on February 20, 2023. There is a lot of great information on it. Take notes.

So, until there’s actual evidence and the phrase “I told you so” could be used, the quest to unravel the origins of the Anuna/Anunnaki remains an ongoing journey.

Until next time, remember that knowledge is power.