Polytheism to monotheism
The concept of gods predates Judaism. Early man invented gods to explain the inexplicable - lightning, earthquakes, the passing of the seasons, even the more mundane things like plants growing. Just look at what Greek and Roman gods were like to see how the ancient people used gods to explain. Life was precarious, and it made sense to make an offering to the god of fertility to ensure your crops grows - it is better than leaving it up to chance.
Yahweh was just one of those gods originally, and you can see signs of polytheism in the Bible still.
This illustrates that the Canaanites associated their gods with different tribes, and believed that El had assigned each tribe to a different god (his 70 sons). This may even have been a kind of marriage between the god and the tribe's city. Yahweh was the one assigned to the Hebrews (who were Canaanites originally) and Jerusalem. Similarly, Melqart was the God of Tyre; Chemosh of Moab; Tanit and Baal Hammon of Carthage; Kaus of Edom; Moloch (or Milcom or Molech) of Ammon. Dagon of the Philistines. Some of these get a mention in the Bible; they were still very much a part of the culture when the Bible was written.
Asherah was the consort of El, and later, when Yahweh was regarded by the Hebrews as the highest, she become the consort of Yahweh. Later still she was rejected altogether (see Deuteronomy 12)
It was commonly believed that if a statue was sufficiently well made, then the god or goddess would dwell in it, and so the statue was worth of worship. Really the only thing to set the Hebrews apart at that time was a rejection of worshiping idols.
This would, of course, be very important to Yahweh's priests. The last thing they want is the Hebrews paying tribute to another temple; they had a vested interest in promoting that first commandment.
A lot of the OT is about their attempts to suppress the worship of other gods, with various of the older prophets railing against the worship of foreign gods.
The exodus almost certainly never happened, but this story illustrates the thinking of the time nevertheless:
Yahweh has taken too long to produce the desired result, and so the people turn to another god, and (as is later explained, it is only by interceding with God that the Hebrews prevailed).
This was no isolated incident, as we can see:
We also see that each King was judged by the authors of the Bible according to whether he followed the priests idea that only Yahweh was to be worshiped or not. Most of them did evil in the eyes of the priests, and as they were the ones writing the Bible, it got recorded:
Further, they could explain why the Babylonian captivity had happened - it was because of the people worshiping other gods. As long as they were good - which meant worshiping Yahweh - then greatness would come to the Jews again, and their oppressors would be punished.
Much of the Bible got re-written during the captivity, and new ideas were introduced. For example, the satan had previously been an angel assigned by Yahweh to test the faith of his people, as described in Job. Now he become evil, someone actively working against Yahweh.
This was also when the idea of the messiah developed. Previously it just meant the king, the man anointed with oil (and not just the king). Now it would mean the coming king, still of the line of David, but who would lead the Hebrews to triumph, and later this would also including heralding the coming of God's kingdom to earth. This is pretty much the Old Testament from Daniel onwards!
The punishment of the oppressors fails to arrive on schedule, and instead they were living to a ripe old age without getting smote by God and so (together with ideas from Babylonian religion) they developed the idea of justice being dealt in the afterlife. The righteous - the observant Hebrew - goes to paradise and all the nasty people who oppress the Hebrews suffer in hell. It was wishful thinking, but it conveniently allowed for God not actually doing anything. Thereafter, up to the time of Jesus (and beyond), they were awaiting the coming Messiah, who would lead them to greatness, would signal the judgment and resurrection of the dead.
The Pharisees were so concerned with the minutiae of the laws because they believed God would send the messiah when those laws were properly observed. Paul converted from being a Pharisee working hard to get to the day the messiah would arrive, to a Pharisee who believed that day had arrived.
What we also see is a whole bunch of people prophesying the apocalypse within just a few years - including Jesus and Paul, all of them urging the Hebrews to keep the laws to ensure they are judged as righteous. (again, this is most of the OT from Daniel onwards).
In Christianity that developed into urging them to worship God or go to hell with the other unbelievers because threatening people with Hell turned out to be a good way to get them to convert.
Yahweh was just one of those gods originally, and you can see signs of polytheism in the Bible still.
The Canaanite Pantheon
The head of the Canaanite religion was El, a name that is in the Bible, as later Yahweh fused with El to become the head. However, in these verses we can see that Yahweh (the Lord) is still subordinate to El (the Most High).Deuteronomy 32:8 When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
This illustrates that the Canaanites associated their gods with different tribes, and believed that El had assigned each tribe to a different god (his 70 sons). This may even have been a kind of marriage between the god and the tribe's city. Yahweh was the one assigned to the Hebrews (who were Canaanites originally) and Jerusalem. Similarly, Melqart was the God of Tyre; Chemosh of Moab; Tanit and Baal Hammon of Carthage; Kaus of Edom; Moloch (or Milcom or Molech) of Ammon. Dagon of the Philistines. Some of these get a mention in the Bible; they were still very much a part of the culture when the Bible was written.
Asherah was the consort of El, and later, when Yahweh was regarded by the Hebrews as the highest, she become the consort of Yahweh. Later still she was rejected altogether (see Deuteronomy 12)
It was commonly believed that if a statue was sufficiently well made, then the god or goddess would dwell in it, and so the statue was worth of worship. Really the only thing to set the Hebrews apart at that time was a rejection of worshiping idols.
Henotheism
Over time, the Hebrew religion changed. The priests of Yahweh said the Hebrews should worship Yahweh only. This is best illustrated by the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me". The existence of other gods is implicit in this command; it is saying, Yahweh is the only one of the many gods that the Hebrews were to worship.This would, of course, be very important to Yahweh's priests. The last thing they want is the Hebrews paying tribute to another temple; they had a vested interest in promoting that first commandment.
A lot of the OT is about their attempts to suppress the worship of other gods, with various of the older prophets railing against the worship of foreign gods.
The exodus almost certainly never happened, but this story illustrates the thinking of the time nevertheless:
Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
Yahweh has taken too long to produce the desired result, and so the people turn to another god, and (as is later explained, it is only by interceding with God that the Hebrews prevailed).
This was no isolated incident, as we can see:
2 Kings 17:16 And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
Judges 6:28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
We also see that each King was judged by the authors of the Bible according to whether he followed the priests idea that only Yahweh was to be worshiped or not. Most of them did evil in the eyes of the priests, and as they were the ones writing the Bible, it got recorded:
1 Kings 15:26 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 21:20 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done.Some of the Psalms still have traces from these days:
Psalm 82:1 "God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment."
Psalm 89:6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
Psalm 95:3 "For the LORD is a great God,And, of course, the First Commandments:
and a great King above all gods."
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
Monotheism
I suspect the priests were only really successful because of the Babylonian captivity. This involved the ruling elite and the priests being exiled to Babylon, but the majority of the population remained in Judah. This meant that the exiles were isolated from those who worshiped other gods, and the priests could properly establish their position, and Yahweh's position.Further, they could explain why the Babylonian captivity had happened - it was because of the people worshiping other gods. As long as they were good - which meant worshiping Yahweh - then greatness would come to the Jews again, and their oppressors would be punished.
Much of the Bible got re-written during the captivity, and new ideas were introduced. For example, the satan had previously been an angel assigned by Yahweh to test the faith of his people, as described in Job. Now he become evil, someone actively working against Yahweh.
This was also when the idea of the messiah developed. Previously it just meant the king, the man anointed with oil (and not just the king). Now it would mean the coming king, still of the line of David, but who would lead the Hebrews to triumph, and later this would also including heralding the coming of God's kingdom to earth. This is pretty much the Old Testament from Daniel onwards!
The punishment of the oppressors fails to arrive on schedule, and instead they were living to a ripe old age without getting smote by God and so (together with ideas from Babylonian religion) they developed the idea of justice being dealt in the afterlife. The righteous - the observant Hebrew - goes to paradise and all the nasty people who oppress the Hebrews suffer in hell. It was wishful thinking, but it conveniently allowed for God not actually doing anything. Thereafter, up to the time of Jesus (and beyond), they were awaiting the coming Messiah, who would lead them to greatness, would signal the judgment and resurrection of the dead.
The Pharisees were so concerned with the minutiae of the laws because they believed God would send the messiah when those laws were properly observed. Paul converted from being a Pharisee working hard to get to the day the messiah would arrive, to a Pharisee who believed that day had arrived.
What we also see is a whole bunch of people prophesying the apocalypse within just a few years - including Jesus and Paul, all of them urging the Hebrews to keep the laws to ensure they are judged as righteous. (again, this is most of the OT from Daniel onwards).
In Christianity that developed into urging them to worship God or go to hell with the other unbelievers because threatening people with Hell turned out to be a good way to get them to convert.
ETA (11/Oct/20): Also worth noting is the language connection between the Hebrews and the Canaanites. Hebrew is actually considered a dialect of Canaanite, very much showing that the Hebrew culture developed out of the Canaanite culture. See, for example, here and here. Both links have an agenda to promote, but both concede a very close connection between Hebrew and Canaanite - so much so that a person speaking in one could be understood by a speaker of the other.
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