Canaanite Creation Myth in Negev Rock Art
The Negev rock art offers a concise visual narrative echoing the Canaanite creation myth. At its center is the cosmic egg, a compact image containing the ingredients of life (Keel & Uehlinger 1998). This reading aligns with Phoenician cosmology preserved by Damascius in De Principiis, a late account of traditions attributed to the Phoenician sage Mochus (Cross 1973; Day 2002; Wyatt 2005; Atherton trans. 1999). Comparable motifs appear in wider Mediterranean contexts, where the “cosmic egg” theme is discussed in relation to cross-cultural exchange (Burkert 1992).
The Ancient Text: Damascius and the Phoenician Tradition
Drawing directly from Mochus's teachings, Damascius describes a creation sequence that unfolds through divine intervention and cosmic separation. This philosophical tradition, rooted in the ancient Near East, reflects a sophisticated understanding of how order emerges from primordial chaos (Cross 1973; Day 2002; Wyatt 2005)
"First was the upper air and lower air, these two were the first and from them, God World (Olamos) was created, he was the limit of reason. Saying which, from the merger itself, created Kushar, the God of Wisdom, and then created the egg. Kushar has the opening power given to understanding, he creates the initial separation in nature which is completely inseparable. After the formation of top and bottom air incurred at one end and two spirits created mid, the wind of west and south, and there are who consider these winds previous to God of the World. Kushar is the first step that can be understood and the egg is considered heaven because they say that when it was divided into two halves it created heaven and earth."
Rock Art Clues
The engraved symbols may appear abstract at first, but closer study reveals cultural depth. The circle, for instance, shifts meaning with context. In Fig. 1, large circles often represent celestial bodies—especially the sun, a symbol of divinity, power, and cosmic order. Smaller circles, by contrast, may symbolize eggs, evoking fertility, rebirth, and creation. A single motif thus carries layered meanings depending on size, placement, and surrounding imagery (Keel & Uehlinger 1998;). In Fig. 2, the Egyptian milk tree appears with nurturing “feeding hands,” a sign of divine sustenance reinterpreted in a Canaanite context (Pritchard 1969).
Fig.1 Canaanite Cosmic Egg myth, Negev Desert
Fig.2 Egyptian Milk Tree.
Rock Art deciphering
The first symbol, in this rock art, marks the primordial division of air into upper and lower realms, expressed as a wavy line dividing space into cosmic zones. The second symbol depicts Olamos, the “God World,” shown through the “feeding hands” of the Egyptian milk tree— symbols of divine sustenance and benevolence (Keel & Uehlinger 1998; Pritchard 1969). The third symbol is Kushar, the craftsman god of wisdom, who shapes the cosmos with skill and intelligence. The fourth is the cosmic egg, holding the concentrated potential of creation, which, once split, becomes heaven, earth, and underworld (Damascius, De Principiis; Wyatt 2005). Together, these symbols transform the myth into an image, revealing the depth of imagination behind this artwork.
Conclusion
The rock art presented shows a full creation sequence with a tight symbolic grammar, it contains: division of the airs, divine agency (Olamos), wise craftsmanship (Kushar), the egg, and the split into heaven and earth. By pairing the symbols with comparative texts, the panel reads as a deliberate cosmology rather than pastoral episode. (Keel & Uehlinger 1998; Cross 1973; Pritchard 1969; Wyatt 2005; Day 2002).
Bibliography
Burkert, Walter. 1992. The Orientalizing Revolution: Near Eastern Influence on Greek Culture in the Early Archaic Age. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Cross, Frank Moore. 1973. Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Damascius. 1999 [6th c. CE]. De Principiis (On First Principles). Translated by R. Atherton. London: Duckworth.
Day, John. 2002. Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
Keel, Othmar, and Christoph Uehlinger. 1998. Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Pritchard, James B., ed. 1969. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (ANET). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Wyatt, Nicolas. 2005. Myths of Power: A Study of Royal Myth and Ideology in Ugaritic and Biblical Tradition. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag.
Related reading
Copyright © All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of negevrockart.co.il
Yehuda Rotblum