RESHEF is a northwest Semitic god, whose cult is best attested in northern Syria. Its history may be followed for 3,500 years, from the Ebla tablets of the third millennium BCE to the Babylonian Talmud and the Aggadic Midrash, Exodus Rabbah, the redaction of which took place, it seems, not earlier than the tenth century CE. By that time, the Reshefs had become birds of prey, after having been viewed as demons dwelling on roofs. This development has a background in the Judeo-Hellenistic interpretation of Reshef in the Septuagint translation of the Bible, which at times assimilates him to a bird of prey, like a vulture or an eagle. Unfortunately, there are no extant myths in which Reshef plays a significant role, except for allusions to the plague he may cause.

Extension of Reshef's Cult

An important and diversified cult of Reshef is attested as early as circa 2300 BCE...