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Hamman

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or rather CHAMMAN (חִמָּן, only in the plur. hammanim'), signifies images, idols of some kind for idolatrous worship (and so the Sept. and Vulg. understand it). It is rendered "images" in Leviticus 26:30; 2 Chronicles 14:5; 2 Chronicles 34:7; Isaiah 17:8; Isaiah 27:9; Ezekiel 6:4; Ezekiel 6:6; but in the margin almost invariably "sun images." In these passages Hammanizmi is several times joined with Asherim-statues of Astarte; while from 2 Chronicles 34:4, it appears further that the Hammanim stood upon the altars of Baal. (See ASHERAH); (See BAAL). Kimchi, and the Arabic of Erpenius, long ago explained the word by suns, images of the sun; and both this interpretation and the thing itself are now clearly illustrated by ten Punic cippi with inscriptions, consecrated to Baal Hamman, i.e. to Baal the solar, Baal the sun. (See the whole subject discussed in Gesenius's Thes. Heb. p. 489-491.) The form chainman, solar, is from חִמִּה, cham'mah, the sun; and the plural Hammanim, in the Old Testament, is put elliptically for Baalim Hammanim, and is. found in the same context as elsewhere Baalim, images of Baal.