Aleph א

Aleph

Early Hebrew		Middle Hebrew		Late Hebrew		Modern Hebrew

Pictograph:	Ox Head
Meanings:	Power, Authority, Strength, First
Sound:	ah, eh

The first letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet  א

The name aleph is derived from the West Semitic word for "ox"

Ox (אלף eleph , Strong's #504): The ox was the "workhorse" of the Ancient Hebrews. Because of its strength it was used for pulling heavy loads and plowing fields. Another Hebrew word, eleph [str:505], is spelled and pronounced identically and means a "thousand" in the sense of mightyness from the idea of the strength of the eleph.  An interesting observation I had while watching the movie "The Jungle Book"  It showed the elephant being respected as the King.  The elephant tusk is worshipped in some religions.  Eleph and Aleph are essential the same.

       Remember Also that Aleph is like the Greek Alpha as in Alpha and Omega.   

Aleph is a silent letter.  The original meaning was El or God    אל 

Eloheim is the plural form of Gods

it means strong one, it connotates putting God first in our lives, as it is in the beginning. 

אֱלֹהִים ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty. 

  

While reading in the book of Abraham, 

I saw word imagery of the concept of 

God being first.  

 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. (Abr 3:27)

My favorite part of studying the Hebrew 

aleph-bet is learning the ancient symbol.

I pondered and studied about the Ox

Oxen were of course used in Solomon's 

Temple under the Brazen Sea.  

ים מוצק "cast metal sea" was a large basin in the Temple in Jerusalemmade by Solomon for ablution of the priests. It is described in 1 Kings 7:23-26 and 2 Chronicles 4:2-5. It stood in the south-eastern corner of the inner court. According to the Bible it was five cubits high, ten cubits in diameter from brim to brim, and thirty cubits in circumference. The brim was "like the calyx of a lily" and turned outward "about an hand breadth"; or about four inches. It was placed on the backs of twelve oxen, standing with their faces outward. It was capable of containing two or three thousand baths of water (2 Chronicles 4:5). The fact that it was a wash basin which was too large to enter from above lends to the idea that water would likely have flowed from it down into a subcontainer beneath. The water was originally supplied by the Gibeonites, but was afterwards brought by a conduit from Solomon's Pools. The molten sea was made of brass or bronze, which Solomon had taken from the captured cities of Hadarezer, the king of Zobah (1 Chronicles 18:8). Ahaz later removed this laver from the oxen, and placed it on a stone pavement (2 Kings 16:17). It was destroyed by the Chaldeans (2 Kings 25:13).

The ox is viewed as a heavy work animal.   Christ compared the work of his followers to oxen and encouraged us to take upon us his yoke, because his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

The power of the yoke is that you can carve the yoke so that two oxen of unequal size or strength can both pull comfortably, without one ox having to pull the other one along with it. In Matthew 11:28 – 30 the Savior invites all to come to him. He wants each of us to share his or her burden with Him. Christ has always promised rest to the souls of anyone who seeks him out.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The voice of the Lord is also given by the sound of the horn, the instrument of power, authority, and anointing, from the head of a bull.  The horn dispenses power to those of His covenant.

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward."  1 Sam 16:13

Of Solomon's anointing the following reads: "And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon" (1 Kings 1:39)

The ritual was performed to give power, set apart, and to prepare an individual to enter the presence of God. 

Joseph of Egypt rose to position after interpreting the dream of kine and corn.  
 Pharaoh told Joseph, “I dreamed of 7 kine, (the archaic plural of cows) that came out of the river, exceeding fat and beautiful.  And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured ... 

Joseph was known as the cattle and corn man of all Egypt.  By him all Israel was saved.  He was given the symbol of the young bull, and "his horns" (Deut 33:17) will push the people together to the ends of the earth.  Ephraim, the birthright son of Joseph, was referred to as a heifer (Hos 10:11) and as a bullock (Jer 31:18).

The ox was chosen to represent the tribes or families of Israel 

because, like the ox, Israel’s children had work to do.  As covenant 

makers we have promised to do missionary work for both the living

 and the dead. We promised to carry one another’s burdens, to 

mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need

 of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all 

places we may be in.  (adapted from an article by Kelly Merrill)

In Deut 33:17 speaking of Joseph it reads, "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.  

 The Ox holds up the baptismal font at the temple.  The Ox and Ox horn represent the gathering of Israel and power of the priesthood.   

I love the Statue of the Angel Moroni on top of Temples, trumpeting to the World to gather to the Temple.  The Israelite horn would have been a shofar.  A Rams horn.  

Here's a cool picture my friend, Teri shared with me -

Joseph Smith received the golden plates on the Israelite Day of Remembrance (or Rosh ha-Shanah). Biblical references and interpretation by Jewish sages through the centuries set this day as the day God would remember his covenants with Israel to bring them back from exile. Also called the Feast of Trumpets, this day features ritual trumpet blasts to signify the issuance of revelation and a call for Israel to gather for God’s word of redemption. The day, which is set at the time of Israel’s final agricultural harvest, also symbolizes the Lord’s final harvest of souls. Furthermore, it initiates the completion of the Lord’s time periods, the Days of Awe, and signifies the last time to prepare for final judgment and the Messianic Age. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is literally fulfilling such prophecies of the day. (Lenet Hadley Read)

Another representation for the Ox is God.  The Leader.  The Strong one.
The Father.    The ox horns can represent the crown. 

 This is shown in many Egyptian depictions.

Including  Facimile 2 

And many legends of the Gods.  

We see it in the Heavens as Taurus the Bull.  (Another subject for another day - How the Heavens tell the gospel in the stars ) :)

The Horn was also located on the four corners of the altar in the tabernacle.  

The horns on the altar represent mercy.   

The horns of the altar in Jerusalem had provided a refuge for fugitives. Those who caught hold of the horns of the altar were granted asylum (1 Kings 1:50-53)  Rebecca Stay taught that "If you can get to the temple and grab the horns they have to give you a trial by jury.   They have to listen to the evidence."   The horns of the altar reproducing the horns of ephraim and manasseh symbolized by the unicorn, a wild ox. 

The horned ram is also of sacred significance of our Savior's mercy.  Remember that as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God called out for him to stop. Abraham saw a ram with his horns caught in a thicket.  This mighty Ram became the substitute sacrifice.

At the temple recently,my husband and I were asked to be the witness couple.   While waiting in the chapel I read the account of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice Isaac.  Then we went into the session.  Because of our assignment, we are seated directly in front and close up to the altar.  The altar of sacrifice.  I really focused in on it, because of the story of Isaac right in my mind.   There was a substitute provided for Isaac and there is a substitute provided for me.  How eternally thankful I am that my Father provided his only begotten son as a substitute for me!!    I will now sacrifice all that I have to do the work of the Lord.

The word for Ram in Hebrew is אַיִל ah'·yil.    Isn't it interesting how this word is translated?

The KJV translates Strongs H352 in the following manner: ram(s) (156x), post(s) (21x), mighty (men) (4x), trees (2x), lintel (1x), oaks (1x)

The Ram skin is used for a covering in the temple and is dyed red.  Of course this signifies the Abraham story.  But as you can see, a post or a lintel is the same word.  The posts were dyed red as well as the Children of Israel were delivered from death with the sign of lambs blood on the door post.  

You can see the symbolic use of the aleph in the other meanings of this word as well.

Outline of Biblical Usage [?]

1. ram
   1. ram (as food)
   2. ram (as sacrifice)
   3. ram (skin dyed red, for tabernacle)
2. pillar, door post, jambs, pilaster
3. strong man, leader, chief
4. mighty tree, terebinth

So this shows that aleph  is the Ram, the Ox, a strong and mighty leader.  A strong Oak Tree (which could have ties to Abraham as a mighty Oak like the Oak of Mamre where he entertained three angels and/or pitched his Tent (beyt).

In many nativity scenes there is an ox with the Christ Child.   A favorite primary song reads, "The Cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes."   The Ox/Bull in the nativity  fulfills Isaiah's prophecy "the ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel does not know Me, and the people has not regarded Me. Isa 1:3

I have focused on the Ox in this post, however there is an Aramaic word for lamb which is  found in several scriptures in the Old Testament and talk about the lamb as the burnt or sin offering:

Ezr 6:9

And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, H563 for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:

So I will include this word as a word using aleph:  אִמַּר immar; (Aramaic) perhaps from H560 (in the sense of bringing forth); a lamb:—lamb.  

 Aleph:   א

"He will manifest His strength for Us"