The Storm God of the Torah - Yitro - Mythic Torah

Zeus and Thor by ryomablood.deviantart.com

Thor may have done very well at the box office, with two solo movies together with the Avengers, but he's far from being the first popular storm god.

Across the world, storm gods have been very popular - from Zeus in Greece to Indra in India, the storm gods have brought life giving rain to the people and protected them from rampaging monsters. The world may be full of sea serpents, but it's the storm gods that slay the dragons.

So why is the God of the Bible portrayed as a storm god? And why is the Torah itself given in the midst of a storm?

In this week's parasha of Yitro, the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, and God appears over the mountain, ready to speak the ten commandments to the whole nation of Israel.

A Dream of a Place - Tu Bishvat, Israel and the Sandman

My latest piece for Jewish Eyes on the Arts - Oholiav is up now in which I explore dreams of places, and touch upon the dark side of mythology: A Dream of A Place - Tu Bishvat, Israel and the Sandman.

In some ways, this article should be read in concert with my earlier post on why mythology matters, because while I believe that mythology is central, it can be abused to demonise the other, casting them in the role of the archetypal evil. This balance is a key part of my current thinking, that although myth is central, it should not be confused with history/reality.

Happy tu bishvat!