Baal-Adad, god of the Storm Cloud, storm clouds being called "Adad's Calves" (Yahweh manifested himself at Mt. Sinai as a storm cloud, shortly after a "Golden Calf" was made). From a stela found at Bethsaida, Samaria. Note the f"ull-frontal view" reminescent of "Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah" found at Kuntillet`Ajrud. This maybe the genetic prototype behind the Kuntillet rendering ? Baal-Hadad transformed himself into a Bull in order to mate with his lover-sister, Anat who transformed herself into a Heifer. A potsherd found in Samaria was inscribed egeliah, "bull-calf of yah" suggesting Israel understood the calf was associated with the worship of yah or Yahweh, not some Egyptian god like the Apis bull. As Yahweh was also called Baal (cf. Hosea 2:16), perhaps Yah/Yahweh, like Baal, could assume the form bull or bull calf (Anat's search for her dead lover, Baal was portrayed as "like a cow seeking after its calf" suggesting Baal in death could be likened to a calf ? In other words, I am suggesting that the Golden Calf WAS Yah/Yahweh and he was a type of Baal, and assimilated bull-calf aspects of Baal (p.55, figure1.28, Ephraim Stern. Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, The Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian Periods, 732-332 BCE. New York. Doubleday. 2001).
Baal-Adad, similar design to Bethsaida, above. From Syria, in Damascus Museum (p.73, JohnGray. Near Eastern Mythology, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine. London. Hamlyn. 1975)
