The Myth of Monotheistic Israel

From the very outset, the narrative of ancient Israel as we understand it today has been shrouded in a veneer of monotheistic purity, a tale of a people chosen by a single omnipotent deity, Yahweh, to be a light among nations. However, a closer examination of the archaeological, textual, and historical evidence paints a starkly different picture—one where the supposed monotheism of the Israelites was not an inherent trait but a constructed identity, forged from the fires of polytheistic Canaanite culture.
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The traditional biblical story posits that the Israelites were monotheists from the onset, enticed into the worship of other gods by their Canaanite neighbors, leading to a perpetual struggle against polytheism. Yet, this narrative is belied by the realities uncovered by modern scholarship.
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Firstly, the emergence of Israelite identity did not occur in a vacuum. It coincided with the tumultuous period known as the Bronze Age Collapse, around the 12th century BCE, when the Sea Peoples' invasions disrupted the established political and cultural order of the Near East. During this chaos, what we recognize as "Israelites" likely emerged from within the Canaanite populace, not as invaders from without, but as a cultural and perhaps religious reform movement.
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Here's where the polemic begins: The biblical texts, particularly from the Torah and the prophetic writings, are not ancient historical documents but rather compositions from later periods, often written or redacted during the Babylonian exile and the Persian period. These texts reflect an agenda—a deliberate attempt by a scribal or priestly class to unify a fragmented people under the banner of a single god, Yahweh.
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The archaeological evidence from sites like Ugarit, which predates the biblical texts by centuries, reveals a rich tapestry of Canaanite polytheism where gods like El, Baal Hadad, Asherah, and others were worshipped. The Ugaritic texts, with their myths closely paralleling biblical narratives, suggest that these stories were not the exclusive property of the Israelites but shared cultural heritage.
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The transformation of Yahweh from a storm god, possibly originating from the southern regions like Midian or Edom, into the one true god of Israel involved a strategic amalgamation with Canaanite deities. El, the chief god of the Canaanite pantheon, was syncretized with Yahweh, with attributes and titles like "El Shaddai," "El Elyon," and "El Olam" being co-opted to elevate Yahweh's status. Baal's mythology, with its vivid tales of battling chaos monsters like Yam and Lotan, was directly borrowed and reapplied to Yahweh, turning him into a warrior god, much like Baal, but with a monotheistic twist.
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The so-called "temptation" to polytheism was, in reality, the natural and continuous practice of the polytheistic religion from which Israelite religion emerged. The archaeological record, including inscriptions like those from Kuntillet Ajrud, where "Yahweh and his Asherah" are mentioned, indicates that polytheism was widespread among the common folk, even as the priestly class worked to eliminate these practices from the state religion.
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What we see, therefore, is not a fall from monotheism to polytheism but an evolution from polytheism to a form of henotheism or monolatry, where Yahweh was worshipped as the chief god among many. The push towards monotheism was largely a political and theological maneuver, a means of consolidating power and identity during and after the Babylonian exile. This is evident in the editing of biblical texts to remove or reinterpret polytheistic elements, like the reinterpretation of "sons of El" to "sons of Israel" or "angels of God."
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This priestly redaction was not merely about religious purity but also about national survival. By centralizing worship around Yahweh, the priestly class could unify the scattered tribes under one religious and political system, distancing themselves from the polytheistic practices that had been part of their cultural heritage. This was not the act of a people resisting temptation but of a leadership class imposing a new religious paradigm to meet socio-political needs.
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The myth of Israelite monotheism is just that—a myth. The ancient Israelites were not monotheists by nature or origin but were part of a broader polytheistic Canaanite culture. The transition to monotheism was a calculated, gradual process, driven by a small, influential group seeking to redefine their identity amidst existential crises. This redefinition was fraught with the suppression of centuries-old practices and beliefs, a testament to the power of religious and political narratives over historical truth. The legacy we inherit is not one of divine purity but of human ingenuity in the face of cultural and existential upheaval.
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YHWH Does Not Exist
https://rumble.com/v5eap31-the-god-of-the-bible-does-not-exist.html
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Abraham Never Existed
https://rumble.com/v64l7ps-the-biblical-abraham-never-existed.html
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Inventing Moses
https://rumble.com/v65dk57-inventing-moses.html
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The Myth of Joshua
https://rumble.com/v66vi7d-the-myth-of-joshua.html
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Origin of the Noah Flood Myth
https://rumble.com/v678azp-origin-of-the-noah-flood-myth.html
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Deconstructing Zionism
https://rumble.com/v65wdj1-deconstructing-zionism.html
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Six Million Reasons to Doubt the Narrative
https://rumble.com/v4yaqwr-six-million-reasons-to-doubt-the-narrative.html
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Child Sacrifice in Ancient Israel
https://rumble.com/v5epw5x-child-sacrifice-in-ancient-israel.html
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Dark Messiah
https://rumble.com/vyd27i-dark-messiah.html
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How YHWH Became God
https://rumble.com/v55z2fa-how-yhwh-became-god.html
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The Underground History of Israel
https://rumble.com/v54oiso-the-underground-history-of-israel.html
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Anti-Semitism? Hmmm
https://rumble.com/v1z3lpt-anti-semitism-hmmm.html
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The Illuminati Plot to Enslave The World
https://rumble.com/v1y66xw-the-illuminati-plot-to-enslave-the-world.html
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The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion
https://rumble.com/v1ynzfd-the-protocols.html
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Was Christianity Rome's Woke Movement?
https://rumble.com/v5f7jkt-christianity-was-romes-woke-movement.html
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Which Way Forward for Western Society?
https://rumble.com/v5g8et1-what-way-forward-for-western-society.html