Note 86 — RADICALS.

Ad is a title which occurs very often in composition, as in Ad-Or, Ad-On; from whence was formed Adorus, Adon, and Adonis. It is sometimes found compounded with itself; and was thus made use of for a supreme title, with which both Deities and kings were honoured. We read of Hadad, king of [86]Edom: and there was another of the same name at Damascus, whose son and successor was styled [87]Benhadad. According to Nicolaus Damascenus, the kings of Syria, for nine generations, had the name of [88]Adad. There-was a prince Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of [89]Zobah: and Hadoram, son of the king of [90]Hamath. The God Rimmon was styled Adad: and mention is made by the Prophet of the mourning of Adad Rimmon in the valley of [91]Megiddo. The feminine of it was Ada; of which title mention is made by Plutarch in speaking of a [92]queen of Caria. It was a sacred title, and appropriated by the Babylonians to their chief [93]Goddess. Among all the eastern nations Ad was a peculiar title, and was originally conferred upon the Sun: and, if we may credit Macrobius, it signified One, and was so interpreted by the Assyrians: [94]Deo, quem summum maximumque venerantur, Adad nomen dederunt. Ejus nominis interpretatio significat unus. Hunc ergo ut potissimum adorant Deum.—Simulacrum Adad insigne cernitur radiis inclinatis. I suspect that Macrobius, in his representation, has mistaken the cardinal number for the ordinal; and that what he renders one should be first, or chief. We find that it was a sacred title; and, when single, it was conferred upon a Babylonish Deity: but, when repeated, it must denote greater excellence: for the Amonians generally formed their superlative by doubling the positive: thus Rab was great; Rabrab signified very great. It is, indeed, plain from the account, that it must have been a superlative; for he says it was designed to represent what was esteemed summum maximumque, the most eminent and great. I should, therefore, think that Adad, in its primitive sense, signified πρωτος, and πρωτευων: and, in a secondary meaning, it denoted a chief, or prince. We may by these means rectify a mistake in Philo, who makes Sanchoniathon say, that Adodus of Phenicia was king of the country. He renders the name, Adodus: but we know, for certain, that it was expressed Adad, or Adadus, in Edom, Syria, and Canaan. He, moreover, makes him βασιλευς Θεων, King of the Gods: but, it is plain, that the word Adad is a compound: and, as the two terms of which it is made up are precisely the same, there should be a reciprocal resemblance in the translation. If Ad be a chief, or king; Adad should be superlatively so, and signify a king of kings. I should therefore suspect, that, in the original of Sanchoniathon, not βασιλευς Θεων, but βασιλευς βασιλεων was the true reading. In short, Ad, and Ada, signified first, πρωτος; and, in a more lax sense, a prince or ruler: Adad, therefore, which is a reiteration of this title, means πρωτος των πρωτων, or πρωτευοντων; and answers to the most High, or most Eminent.