At the top sits Elyon, the Most High.
Elyon is the Hebrew title translated “Most High”.
On the older reading, Elyon split humanity into peoples.
In his reading, Elyon was their commander, who shared out lands and peoples among them.
He describes Elyon as the most senior of a sky council of “Powerful Ones”.
In his reading, Elyon shared out the human colonies among them, and YHWH was one of the junior members (Wallis and Biglino, “Elyon – The Commander of the Elohim”).
I place Elyon and the council above YHWH in the tree.
Elyon is not only a word of Deuteronomy 32.
In Genesis 14 the king of Salem is a priest of El Elyon, “God Most High”.
These are the verses I keep coming back to, where the Hebrew has Elyon and the WEB prints “Most High”:
In his book The Eden Conspiracy he writes that in Bemba, spoken in Zambia, elyoni means bird, and that elyon is a relative word.
elyon is more strictly a relative term which means “above the others” or “higher than the rest.”
It puts Elyon at the head of a group, the council, not alone in an empty sky.
Paul Wallis and Mauro Biglino, “Elyon – The Commander of the Elohim,” episode 2.
Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82 reveal Yahweh as a junior Elohim assigned to Jacob’s family by Elyon, the commander.
We have Yahweh, El Shaddai, Elyon, all the Elohim, the elohim adah—they are stories of paleo-contact, not of "Almighty God," which turns out to be an invented translation altogether.
The Masoretic Text reads: "When the Most High (Elyon) gave the nations their inheritance...
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint (LXX) suggest the original text referred to Elyon (likely El) as the Most High who apportioned the nations, with Yahweh as one of His sons or subordinates.
Melchizedek, the king of Salem, is described as a priest of El Elyon (God Most High).
He blesses Abram in the name of El Elyon, not Yahweh.
Distinctions between various divine figures, including Elohim, El Elyon, and Yahweh, were effectively erased.
Paul Wallis recommends the New Jerusalem Bible (Expanded Study Edition) for its transparency in translating the original names of "Lord God" such as Elohim, El Elyon, El Shaddai, Yahweh, and Adonai.
El Elyon (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן) is usually translated as “God Most High” or “Most High.” The usual reading is that it stands for supreme authority over all creation, other gods included.
In his account, El Elyon chaired a council of the Elohim that divided the land among them.
For Biglino, “Elyon” means a governor above others, not the “Most High”.
The Elohim’s arrival, described as "flying armies" or sa hashamayim, led to the establishment of the elbat, a council chaired by a higher-ranking entity referred to as El Elyon.
El was also known as El Elyon, "God Most High" (see El Elyon).
The term Elyon (also spelled Elyown or Elyohn) is a Hebrew word meaning “Most High.” The Hebrew Bible often uses it to mark the supreme status of God.
In the Bible, El Elyon joins “El” (a general word for God) with “Elyon.” Together they mean “God Most High.” The title expresses the height and majesty of God.
“Elyon” in the Bible reflects the monotheistic belief in one supreme God.
The title “Elyon” supports the view of God as the highest authority.
Today, Biglino shifts focus to the term "Elyon." He immediately clarifies that despite the assonance between "Elyon" and "Elohim," these terms derive from entirely different roots.
"Elohim" comes from the root "El," involving the letter "ain," while "Elyon" involves the letter "alef."
"Elyon" is an adjective meaning "above" or "uppermost." Biglino explains that while "Elohim" is a term that encompasses various meanings, "Elyon" has been translated as "Most High" in many instances, though it is not a superlative.
Biglino refers to several authoritative sources to demonstrate the varying interpretations of "Elyon." The Catholic Encyclopedia suggests that "Elyon" indicates a monotheistic tendency, while Jewish scholar Professor Emanuel Tov asserts that "Elyon," "El," and "Yahweh" correspond to three different individuals.
Jeff Benner, in his dictionaries, translates "Elyon" simply as "Superior to others," meaning one who commands, rather than the "Most High."
Biglino delves into the pictographic origins of "Elyon," explaining that it derives from two pictograms: one representing an eye, symbolizing the one who observes and controls, and the other a shepherd's staff, symbolizing leadership over others.
Biglino presents three specific examples from the Bible where "Elyon" is used, demonstrating its concrete application as an adjective rather than as a superlative:
Deuteronomy 32:8 - "Elyon" is used to describe the division of peoples and the setting of boundaries, where it refers to one who is above others, guiding and controlling them.
Joshua 16:5 - "Elyon" is used in a geographical context, indicating "upper" Bet Horon, distinguishing it from the lower part of the city.
This usage shows that "Elyon" simply means "above" in a literal sense.
Ezekiel 41:7 - "Elyon" is used to describe the upper part of a building, again emphasizing its non-superlative, concrete meaning.
Biglino concludes that "Elyon" refers not to the "Most High" in a superlative sense, but rather to a governor or leader who is above others, observing and guiding them like a shepherd with his flock.
He stresses that to avoid unnecessary debate, readers should replace "Most High" with "Elyon" when encountering it in the Bible, as this will lead to a clearer and more faithful reading of the text.
Biglino finishes by reiterating his advice for reading the Bible: replace "Most High" with "Elyon" and "God" with "Elohim" to achieve a more accurate and uncontroversial understanding of the text, in line with the intentions of the ancient authors.
Biglino suggests that the "malakhim," or angels, were likely part of a military hierarchy under the command of the Elohim, with Elyon as the supreme commander.
El Elyon (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן) - God Most High
How he later stands below Elyon and above the priests and the nations, I map in The Hierarchy of YHWH.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9 and related “desert portion” readings place Israel as YHWH’s allotted people under Elyon.
Before exclusive YHWH worship dominates, the Hebrew trail still carries El titles: El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Olam.
The Book of the Laws of YHWH included undisguised narratives of elohim, Elyon the Captain, Shaddai the Destroyer, CH-CH the Dragon, Asherah, Baal, Dagon, the moloch child-sacrifices, and the whole kaleidoscopic memory of the seba hassamayim.