the Berasit Hebrew Dictionary

מרכב

'merekeb' (commonly pronounced “merkebah”) is the Hebrew name for a “chariot”. Etyologically, it is made up of mer (rebel/bitter) + keb (vehicle) and thus appears to suggest a “battle vehicle”.

King Solomon is said to have had a fleet of 4000 chariots¹⁾ which were probably financed in part from a trade deal whereby Israel would purchase merekeb from Egypt and sell them to the Hittites.²⁾

The word appears 41 times in the ancient Hebrew texts. However, at least some of these instances appear to refer to a flying vehicle, rather than a horse-drawn land vehicle. In these instances the etymological connection with kebed is apparent.

Notably, several instances in Zechariah appear to use 'merekeb' metaphorically while seeming to describe an unusual flying vehicle of some kind. Zechariah “lifts his eyes” and sees the 'merekeb' approaching very quickly from between two distant mountains. The 'merekeb' are also described in this passage as four roeh. In the previous chapter, Zechariah describes the object as a 10 meter long flying cylinder whose shape he compares to a megel, a tube used for storing scrolls. He also metaphorically calls the object it an aipeh³⁾, but not an ordinary 'aipeh', because “a woman” climbs out of it. Clearly, this object defied a simple description.

The book of Joel also describes numerous 'merekeb' flying “Over the tops mountaintops” with “a fire flaming that devours the stubble Like a mighty army set in battle array”⁴⁾

Jeremiah likens the 'merekeb' to clouds and “a rising whirlwind” describing them as “swifter than eagles”⁵⁾. This “whirlwind” motif is echoed by Isaiah⁶⁾ and in the story of Elijah's departure from Earth.

A couple hundred years after the prophet Ezekiel penned his book, Jewish scholars became increasingly interested in analyzing his account, eventually creating a large body of works focusing on the vehicle he described, which they began to refer to as the ‘merkabah’. They recognized the object for what it is, a flying vehicle. The same vehicle that David describes in his psalms, with Ihoh travelling upon it. The Hebrew scholars developed a whole set of commentary and theology based around this object, as well as a rich symbology. Their primary symbol for the merekeb was two tetrahedrons superimposed and facing opposite directions, shown sometimes from slightly differing angles, indicating a three-dimensional object that can be seen to rotate. The rotation of the object was recognized as a critical feature. Ezekiel also employed similar descriptions to the kerobim as spinning, three-dimensional “wheels within wheels” with flashes of lightning and fire. One gets an impression that strongly resembles a gyroscope. This similarity is further enforced by Ezekiel’s observation that they “do not turn as they move” but only “move straight ahead” in any direction they choose. This is in fact the key feature of a gyroscope. A gyroscope is a device used for measuring or maintaining orientation and angular velocity, exactly as Ezekiel indicates. It is a critical piece of the navigation systems of modern helicopters, submarines, and space satellites. Could this explain the presence of such a device in Ezekiel’s encounter? Spinning components are used in all kinds of modern technology including electromagnetic generators and motors and they give rise to centrifugal and vortex forces. Could these forces and technologies be the real purpose of the wheels within wheels?

There can be little doubt that the merekeb symbology encapsulates great power. Unlike the majority of obscure ancient esoteric cults which have eventually waned and been lost to the faded memories of history, the merekeb lives on as a powerful symbol. Although it may be tempting to dismiss it as a fringe obsession, perhaps caution would be advised against such a cavalier attitude. After all, only a very obvious graphical simplification is required to achieve the most obvious and intrinsic symbol of all of Judaism: one that will be immediately recognizable to every reader—the well-known Star of David, that today adorns the flag of Israel.

One must ask then, how is it that a graphical representation of a flying vehicle came to be the enduring symbol of an entire nation? One that symbolizes unimaginable repression and suffering as well as an unquenchable hope.

It is quite likely that the kebed is the same object and the two words are related.

See also gelegel

LexID 4818