Hello, I was looking into Ba'al Hadad and I read that one of his epithetical names was Demarus. I had also read that the name might be of Ugaritic origin, so I was hoping that you could help me in understanding the etymology. I also understand that you are busy, so if this is a bother to you don't worry about it. One last thing I have to say is, please keep being awesome and keep your sense of humor. Whatever you might working towards, you deserve it four-fold over.
Thanks for the encouragement! My dissertation defense is (if all goes well) in April, so I appreciate the support as I approach the finish line.
Demarus is the name given to Ba’al Hadad by Philo of Byblos in his Phoenician History. And you’re correct — it does connect to an epithet for Ba’al Hadad in Ugaritic, dmrn. (Ugaritic was written without vowels; in Context of Scripture, Pardee vocalizes it as Dimārānu.)
While d-m-r as a root is otherwise unknown in Ugaritic, it is probably related to the Semitic root ḏ-m-r. (ḏ is pronounced “th” as in “this.”) That root means “to protect, to guard, to be strong”; it appears in words like Ugaritic ḏmr, “soldier,” and Hebrew זִמְרָה, “strength.”
In short, Demarus appears as a Ugaritic epithet for Ba’al, meaning “strong, protective one.”