The name Rezifp or Reshep is of Hebrew origin and means "(Hebrew: 'the Burner' or 'the Ravager') ancient West Semitic god of the plague and of the underworld, the companion of Anath, and the equivalent of the Babylonian god Nergal. He was also a war god and was thus represented as a bearded man brandishing an ax, holding a shield, and wearing a tall, pointed headdress with a goat's or gazelle's head on his forehead".
Habbakuk 3Ā
God came from Teman,the Holy One from Mount Paran. (Selah.)His glory covered the heavens,and the earth was full of his praise.The brightness was like the sun;rays came forth from his hand,where his power lay hidden.Before him went Deber,and Resheph followed close behind.(vv. 3-5)
Yahās connection with the southern region of Teman is an interesting topic for another post. Whatās interesting here is Yahās military retinue in verse 5, Resheph and Deber. Though these names are typically translated as āpestilenceā and āplagueā in English Bibles, they are actually the names of two West Semitic deities.Ā¹
Deber was a somewhat obscure deity, apparently the patron god of EblaĀ², but Resheph was from the big leagues. He is attested as early as the third millennium BCE, and he was one of the most popular gods of the Near East, venerated from the Anatolia to Cyprus to Egypt. In the texts of Ugarit to the north of Israel, Resheph is described as the gatekeeper of the sun goddess, the guardian of the the Netherworld. He is also the lord of battle, fire and diseases, which he spreads with his bow and arrows ā hence his role as a warrior of pestilence in Habakkuk and the references to a bow and arrows later in the same chapter. The Pharaoh Amenophis II regarded Resheph as his personal military protector.
Link to doc:
ć³ć”ć³ć