Representing Yhwh as the master of the stars in the context of ancient Near Eastern astral cults: Job, Amos, and beyond

This article examines the representation of Yhwh as master of the stars in the books of Amos (4:13; 5:8; 9:5-6) and Job (chapters 9 and 38). These passages propose a unique divine configuration in which Yhwh is presented not only as the creator of the constellations but also as the holder of ordered cosmic knowledge, breaking with the prophetic tradition that devalued astronomy and astral cults. The analysis places these texts in the broader context of the astralization of deities in the Levant and the emergence, during the Persian period, of a theology in which divine power is expressed through the organization of the heavens. The article also highlights the cultic, sapiential, and epistemic implications of this figure of Yhwh, particularly through the confrontation between human knowledge and divine knowledge in Job 38, and in comparison with Aramaic mantic traditions. Finally, this study highlights the consequences of this representation in terms of the transformations of Israelite monotheism during the Second Temple Period, paying attention to the semantic shifts in divine attributes, especially in the epithet Sabaoth, now associated with universal sovereignty rather than with a strictly military function.