Tag Vocabulary
Purpose
Controlled vocabulary of approved tags for the Torah Garden vault. Before creating a new tag, check here first. Each entry includes a one-line definition and, where relevant, a link to the full canonical tag definition file.
This list contains approximately 80 approved terms organized by category. Tags with a full definition file are marked with a link.
Theological Themes
Tags for major recurring theological topics in Torah. These are the most widely-used tags in the vault and should appear on most chapter analysis files.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
blessing | Divine pronouncements of favor; covenantal blessing formulas; contrast with curse |
covenant | Formal binding agreements between God and humans; brit theology → full definition |
creation | Genesis creation accounts; cosmology; origins theology → full definition |
exodus | The deliverance from Egypt; Exodus narrative; liberation theology → full definition |
fall | The disobedience in Eden; sin’s entry; expulsion; broken relationship → full definition |
glory | Kavod; divine radiance; theophanic presence; tabernacle filling → full definition |
holiness | Kadosh; separation; purity; sanctification; the holy/common distinction → full definition |
judgment | Divine judgment on sin; punishment texts; curses; legal verdicts |
law | Torah as legal code; commandments; case law; Sinai legislation |
plagues | The ten plagues; signs and wonders against Egypt → full definition |
priesthood | Aaron and Levitical priesthood; priestly roles; ordination; mediation → full definition |
promise | Divine promises to patriarchs; land, seed, blessing formula; unconditional commitment |
redemption | God’s act of deliverance; buying back; liberation from bondage |
sacrifice | Offerings; blood rites; atonement; altar worship → full definition |
sabbath | The seventh day; rest; sign of the Sinai covenant → full definition |
tabernacle | The wilderness sanctuary; tent of meeting; portable temple → full definition |
worship | Corporate and individual devotion; prayer; praise; liturgical acts |
Narrative Types
Tags for the literary genre or form of a passage. Use these to distinguish what kind of writing you are analyzing, not what it is about.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
genealogy | Toledot sections; lineage lists; generational tables (Gen 5, 10, 11, etc.) |
law | Legal codes; commandments; case law (also in Theological Themes - intentional overlap) |
narrative | Story texts; plot-driven prose; character-centered accounts |
poetry | Verse, song, blessing, and curse texts embedded in narrative |
prayer | Direct address to God; intercession; lament; praise |
prophecy | Prophetic oracle; prediction; divine speech about future |
vision | Dream and vision accounts; divine appearance narratives |
war | Conquest narratives; holy war; battle texts; military law |
Source / Scholarship
Tags for marking the documentary source hypothesis attribution of a text and related scholarly frameworks. These are distinct from theological themes - they mark the analysis of a text, not its subject matter.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
d-source | Deuteronomic source; the book of Deuteronomy and related material |
deuteronomistic-reforms | Josiah’s reform; centralization of worship; the Deuteronomistic History → full definition |
documentary-hypothesis | The JEDP framework for Pentateuchal composition → full definition |
e-source | Elohist source; northern provenance; Elohim before Exodus 3 → full definition |
j-source | Yahwist source; YHWH from creation; southern provenance → full definition |
p-source | Priestly source; formal, liturgical; genealogies; ritual law → full definition |
Using Source Tags
Apply source tags when a text or analysis is about source-critical questions, or when a chapter is primarily attributed to one source. Do not tag every chapter with all four source tags because the sources are woven together there.
Roles - People
Tags for persons in the Atlas. Every Atlas/People/ file must carry at least one of these. They mark the primary role the person plays in the narrative.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
foreigner | Non-Israelite characters (Pharaoh, Abimelech, Laban in his Aramean context, etc.) |
judge | Military deliverers; leaders of pre-monarchic Israel (primarily in Judges, referenced in Torah) |
king | Rulers; monarchs; foreign kings who interact with patriarchs and Moses |
levite | Descendants of Levi; priestly tribe; temple servants |
patriarch | The founding fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve sons |
priest | Aaron and his line; those who perform sacrificial duties |
prophet | Spokespersons for God; those who receive and deliver divine messages (Moses, Miriam, etc.) |
woman | Female characters whose narratives receive significant treatment (Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, etc.) |
Multiple Roles
A character can carry multiple role tags. Moses is both
prophetandlevite. Miriam is bothprophetandwoman. Apply all that fit.
Geography - Places
Tags for locations in the Atlas. Every Atlas/Places/ file must carry at least one of these. They mark the physical type of the location.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
city | Named settlements; city-states; urban centers (Sodom, Gomorrah, Babel, etc.) |
mountain | Peaks with theological significance (Sinai, Moriah, Ararat, etc.) |
region | Larger geographic areas, nations, or territories (Canaan, Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc.) |
river | Named rivers and waterways (Nile, Jordan, Euphrates, etc.) |
sanctuary | Sacred spaces; altars; temples; tabernacle site; high places |
wilderness | Desert regions; uninhabited zones; journey spaces (Sinai wilderness, Negev, etc.) |
Divine Names
Tags for divine name entries in the Atlas. Every Atlas/Divine-Names/ file must carry divine-name. Additional tags mark source association or theological category.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
adonai | The title “Lord/Master”; substitute pronunciation for YHWH in Jewish tradition |
divine-name | All divine name and title entries; the primary tag for every Atlas/Divine-Names/ file → full definition |
el | The generic Semitic word for God; also the Canaanite chief deity |
elohim | The plural-form Hebrew word for God; common noun used as proper name |
yhwh | The Tetragrammaton; God’s personal covenant name |
Passage / Content Types
Tags for what kind of document a file is - its role in the vault rather than its subject. Use these on every file.
| Tag | Definition |
|---|---|
chapter-analysis | Detailed analysis of a single biblical chapter |
commentary | Running verse-by-verse or section-by-section commentary |
comparative | Files that compare two or more texts, sources, or traditions |
methodology | Scholarly method, interpretive framework, or vault meta-content |
overview | Survey or introduction to a book, section, or topic |
verse-study | Close reading of a single verse or short passage |
Using This Vocabulary
Adding a New Canonical Tag
If you believe a concept needs a new canonical tag that will appear on many files:
- Create a new definition file in
About/Tags/following the style of existing files (see covenant.md as a template) - Add it to this vocabulary with a one-line definition
- Tag the new definition file itself with
tags: [methodology]
Using Contextual Tags
If a concept is specific to a small cluster of files (say, 3-8 files) and doesn’t warrant a full canonical definition, use a contextual tag without creating a definition file. Follow naming conventions (lowercase, hyphen-separated, max 3 words). These tags appear in Tag-Vocabulary.md as “unlisted” - they are valid but not canonical.
Deprecating a Tag
If an existing tag is redundant with a canonical term, leave it in place on files that already carry it. When you edit a file that uses the deprecated tag, replace it with the canonical equivalent. Do not do mass find-and-replace on frontmatter - errors are hard to detect in bulk YAML edits.
Part of the Tags collection | About Portal