Polytheism and Canaanite origins of Hebrew religion.

[shunyadragon]

The information in this thread is in part from dialogue with a friend, and others,

Basic Premise: The Hebrews were not originally monotheistic. They were polytheists, and then went through periods of henotheism or heirarchial polytheism, and then finally towards monotheism.
Henotheism is basically the belief that there are other gods, but you worship the best. Usually a nationalistic God which is exactly what Yahweh is in the OT.

Polytheism in Hebrew history had a long run until under Hezekiah and then later Josiah destroyed the temples, idols and altars of other gods. Josiah's reign is one of henotheism pushing towards monotheism which doesn't fully take root until after the exile.

There are many factors that led to the progression from polytheism to monotheism and they include both domestic and foreign politics. Consider first the foreign politics; Israel was a small nation which had really large neighbors: Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia.The Hebrews went through many periods in which it attempted to court treaties with Egypt, Babylon and Assyria which amounted towards vassalage. The Hebrews didn't have a bargaining chip and had to pay high tribute to which ever country dominated during a certain time. This created a domestic xenophobic environment in which Hebrews were almost always in zero sum relationships and they realized it and resented it. As a result much contempt stirs towards the aggressor of the day in the writing of the major and minor prophets including the great disparity between the Israelite elite and poor. One exception might be Solomon's reign which prospered under a strong international policy including the marrying of foreign wives whom are derided by the bible as having turned Solomon's heart by influencing him to acknowledge or at the very least tolerate their home countries gods.

Furthermore, Archaeology is revealing that the Hebrews were pastoral nomadic Canaanites that lived in the hill country...not a vast exodus of slaves from Egypt that forcibly took Canaan. These nomadic tribes may have included assimilated surviving members of the Shasu whom are mentioned on the Merneptah Stele as being from Yhw (a place which happens to be the hill country). Part of the assimilation included some traditions of the Shasu being transmitted into the nomadic Canaanites and vise versa...thus the exodus.

So back to the Canaanite pantheon. This included El the creator god and father of all gods, Baal, Mot, Dagon, Ashtar, Astarte, Lotan, Melqart, Resheph, and others. These of course make appearances in the bible, but are found in Ugaritic Texts preserved in clay. Yahweh is included as well, as a son of El. Yahweh has many encounters with these characters in the bible and is said to rise above them often paralleling feats accomplished by Baal.

Lets look at a few bible verses to see this interaction.

Exodus 6:2-3 - God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai) but by my name the Lord (YHWH) I did not make myself known to them.”

Deuteronomy - 32:7-9 - “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you; When the Most High (El Eloyn) gave the nations their inheritance, when he set up the boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of God (EL). For the Lord’s (YWHY) portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.”

Psalm 89:6-10 - For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings (gods)? O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

Psalm 74:12-17 - “But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. The day is yours and yours also the night; you established the sun and the moon It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth ; you made both summer and winter.”


Psalm 82:1 - “God presides in the great assembly (council of El) he gives judgment among the gods.”

These verses are clarified by the Ugaritic texts which explain the Canaanite pantheon. It isn't merely the sea or river, or moon or sun or day or night, these are gods which he is said to rise above. There are many places where Yahweh is spoken of as one of, but not the only god. There are also places where it is emphatic that he is the only one. However, the earlier Canaanite traditions include Yahweh as a son of El (as does the bible), and furthermore the Phoenician pantheon bears many resemblances as does some of Babylonian traditions.

To summarize: There is much evidence that the Hebrews were originally polytheistic and Yahweh was only one of the gods in their pantheon, but being their national god he became the prominent figure and eventually the only one to survive in the Hebrew tradition due largely to both foreign and domestic political pressure. The Hebrews were originally Canaanite pastoral tribes mostly in the hills of Judea and their religion evolved from these origins...cultural evolution in action.

 

[pearl]

belief that there are other gods, but you worship the best.

These gods were territorial gods.

monotheism which doesn't fully take root until after the exile.

During which time Gen is compiled, explaining the beginning of the Israelite people.

 

[shunyadragon]

These gods were territorial gods.

Territorial? It is more like tribal Gods, possibly some reference to foreign Gods, henotheism (a hierarchy of Gods.), and in many instances polytheism including a female God, as Canaanite idols found in archaeological finds in ancient Hebrew sites.

 

[pearl]

Territorial?

In the ancient mind their god was not with them in Babylon.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

@shunyadragon, a couple of points:

First, see The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts. (Please let me know if you're able to access the article. It may only be available to BAR subscribers.) Let me add that I'm not impressed by its arguments against Redford, but that's a secondary question.

Second, I think your overview suffers from a simplistic view nascent Israel as a homogenous entity rather than a tribal confederation. This is not to discount the role of *henotheism (or, better, monolatry), but one can still imagine a monotheist YHWH cult in constant tension with the surrounding polytheism.

You seem genuinely interested in the topic. Please consider reading Avraham Faust's Israel's Ethnogenesis.

* I am aware of - in fact own - a number of works by Frank Moore Cross and Mark S Smith (God In Translation is particularly challenging).

 

[shunyadragon]

@shunyadragon, a couple of points:

First, see The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts. (Please let me know if you're able to access the article. It may only be available to BAR subscribers.) Let me add that I'm not impressed by its arguments against Redford, but that's a secondary question.

Second, I think your overview suffers from a simplistic view nascent Israel as a homogenous entity rather than a tribal confederation. This is not to discount the role of *henotheism (or, better, monolatry), but one can still imagine a monotheist YHWH cult in constant tension with the surrounding polytheism.

You seem genuinely interested in the topic. Please consider reading Avraham Faust's Israel's Ethnogenesis.

* I am aware of - in fact own - a number of works by Frank Moore Cross and Mark S Smith (God In Translation is particularly challenging).

Ok, monolarity may be a better term.

I do not consider Hebrew tribes as a homogenous entity. In fact, My reference to tribal Gods refers to a diversity of beliefs that evolved. There may be tension between tribes concerning whose Go or Gods are the true God(s). I question, your 'imagining a monotheistic YHWH cult early in Hebrew history. I believe the YHWH god evolved from a polytheistic and/or monolarity or henotheistic God to a Monotheistic God.

 

[shunyadragon]

In the ancient mind their god was not with them in Babylon.

I believe it is more accurate to say that the Hebrews may have viewed their defeat, destruction of the temple, and the exile in Babylon as punishment by God, 'wandering in the wilderness,' and not God was not with them, because they were in exile in Babylon. .

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I believe the YHWH god evolved from a polytheistic and/or monolarity or henotheistic God to a Monotheistic God.

Believe what you wish.

 

[shunyadragon]

Correction: The Shasu are not mentioned on the Mernetaph stele, but rather on the Moabite stone. The Mernetaph stele is the earliest Egyptian reference to a specific people known as the Israelites, and speaks of the pharaoh's triumph over them "Israel's seed is not". He mistakenly thought he wiped them out.

The Shasu are however thought to be nomads of the levant. Many scholars reject the idea that they are the one and same Israelites due to their depiction on the steele being incongruent with Hebrew attire, and culture. However, other scholars argue the Shasu from Yhw indicates a possible influence (by assimilation?) on the Hebrews whom were originally also nomads from the Levant. The import of the Moabite stone is that it is one of the earliest sources of a reference to Yhw, and in the context used it is a place (which could be named after a god).

 

[pearl]

QUOTE="shunyadragon, post: 5187626, member: 61872"]I believe it is more accurate to say that the Hebrews may have viewed their defeat, destruction of the temple, and the exile in Babylon as punishment by God, 'wandering in the wilderness,' and not God was not with them, because they were in exile in Babylon. .[/QUOTE]

I think it was this abandonment the reason for the great temptation to join the fertility cults of Babylon, symbolized by the serpent in Gen.

 

[outlawState]

Here is a good article explaining that the "Shasu of Yahweh" were known as early as the 15th century BC in Egypt, and that an early date of the Exodus (1446BC?) is warranted, which is also warranted by other matters too, such as coincidence with the Santorini (Thera) volcanic eruption that could have caused many of the plagues.
The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts

Those who argue for a late date for the Exodus (c 1270BC) are I believe misguided. It then causes problems because the archaeological records suggests Hebrews were living in Canaan at this date, leading to the debunking of the whole Exodus biblical record. The key is to apprehend an early Exodus date.

Also check out the Armana letters, written from a Canaanite governor to the short-lived Eqyptian capital city Akhetaten (el-Amarna), founded by pharaoh Akhenaten (1350s – 1330s BC). They mention battles with the "Habiru" in Southern Israel around 1360BC.

So the narrow Canaan-centric version of the Israelites could do with some broadening taking into account what was going on in the 15th and 14th centuries BC.

 

[shunyadragon]

Here is a good article explaining that the "Shasu of Yahweh" were known as early as the 15th century BC in Egypt, and that an early date of the Exodus (1446BC?) is warranted, which is also warranted by other matters too, such as coincidence with the Santorini (Thera) volcanic eruption that could have caused many of the plagues.
The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts

Those who argue for a late date for the Exodus (c 1270BC) are I believe misguided. It then causes problems because the archaeological records suggests Hebrews were living in Canaan at this date, leading to the debunking of the whole Exodus biblical record. The key is to apprehend an early Exodus date.

Also check out the Armana letters, written from a Canaanite governor to the short-lived Eqyptian capital city Akhetaten (el-Amarna), founded by pharaoh Akhenaten (1350s – 1330s BC). They mention battles with the "Habiru" in Southern Israel around 1360BC.

So the narrow Canaan-centric version of the Israelites could do with some broadening taking into account what was going on in the 15th and 14th centuries BC.

First, you are considering alternate dates for the Exodus, and by the evidence no such event took place.

I know of no narrow Canaan-centric version of the Hebrews. It is very much accepted that they originally Canaanite pastoral tribes mostly in the hills of Judea as early or earlier than the 15th century BCE, but it only was over time that they later became a distinctive Hebrew Culture with there own writing and distinctive religion. What must be realized is that the Hebrew written evolved from a primitive Canaanite writing and did not appear as a distinctive Hebrew language until about ~700 BCE.

I am very much aware of the references to the tribes and to the references to "Shasu of Yahweh" referring to Hebrews in the 15th century, and yes this 'possibly' referred to the Hebrew God, but based on the whole archaeological evidence, and my references involving OT scripture and Canaanite/Ugarit tablets YHWH evolved as part of Canaanite polytheistic god pantheon, and henotheistic or monolarity, and hierarchical polytheism with the YHWH being consider the superior god among gods among the Hebrews, but son of El. Monotheism evolved and did not become dominant until ~700 BCE or later, about the time of the return from exile.

 

[shunyadragon]

'There is no problem with "Shasu of Yahweh" in the 15th-14th centuries referring to a Hebrew God of the gods in a Canaanite like pantheon, and son of El.

El in the general sense is the generic for God, however it also refers to the Most High, father of all Gods. So when El is used as by Jacob in the naming of different altars "El Elohe Israel". This is translated as El, the god of Israel...or god the god of Israel. We have a strong case to argue for the former.

El is supposed to be the father of all the other gods, as for the angels I'm not sure. The bible even confirms Yahweh being a son of El in Deuteronomy 32:7-9. El divides the borders of the nations up according to his sons. Yahweh's allotment is Jacob (and his people).

It is also telling that during the reign of Josiah in 2 Kings 23:4, Hilkiah the priest is ordered to remove the idols from the temple which included Yahweh...Baal and Asherah among them. The temples were generalized temples for the pantheon and after the pulling out of all the other idols, Yahweh was the sole occupator left and thus it was Yahweh's temple. In other words it does history disservice to say that these temples were originally set up for solely for Yahweh worship and then became dessicrated by the slow infiltration of other gods due to the people's fickle nature. Josiah needed to control the northern and southern kingdoms and bring them under united rule because he faced stiff international pressure from both Egypt and Babylon at the time. Yahweh was chosen because he was the national god he needed to unite people behind the nation, just as today when we are in times of war we rally around the flag and become more patriotic. He then said that there are not Yahwehs of this place or that place, there is only one Yahweh...he centralized the Yahweh worship in his capitol of Jerusalem so he could unite his power at his doorstep. He had to unite the kingdoms under one god, otherwise he faced domestic challengers in the numerous priests of Baal, or the worshipers of Asherah and indeed had the priests of these gods killed. Josiah largely failed and ended up getting killed in battle by Egypt. Within a few decades Babylon sweeps in and takes Jerusalem.

Now there are two scenarios that are offered here. One must either admit that the god of their captors is greater (Baal), or they must formulate it that Yahweh used the followers of Baal to punish Israel thus making Baal subserviant to Yahweh. The Hebrews upon their return from exile had successfully established the later. This is not unique in Canaanite history as the Moabite Stone indicates their God Chemosh was not above punishing his followers by allowing their subjugation and defeat in battle.

I will cite another source next that supports this, because modern Bible translations do not do the translations correctly.

 

[shunyadragon]

From: The Evolution of God - by Robert Wright

"How did the Bible’s editors conceal evidence of Israelite polytheism?

Excerpt from Chapter 5: Polytheism, the Religion of Ancient Israel by Robert Wright

Consider this innocent-sounding verse from the thirty-second chapter of Deuteronomy as rendered in the King James Version, published in 1611:

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.

For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

This verse, though a bit obscure, seems to say that God—called the “Most High” in one place and “the Lord” in another—somehow divided the world’s people into groups and then took an especially proprietary interest in one group, Jacob’s. But this interpretation rests on the assumption that “Most High” and “the Lord” do both refer to Yahweh. Do they?

The second term—“the Lord”—definitely does; this is the Bible’s standard rendering of the original Hebrew Yhwh. But might “Most High”—Elyon—refer to [the Canaanite god] El? It’s possible; the two words appear together—El Elyon—more than two dozen times in the Bible. What moves this prospect from possible toward probable is the strange story behind another part of this verse: the phrase “children of Israel.”

The King James edition got this phrase from the “Masoretic Text,” a Hebrew edition of the Bible that took shape in the early Middle Ages, more than a millennium after Deuteronomy was written. Where the Masoretic Text—the earliest extant Hebrew Bible—got it is a mystery. The phrase isn’t found in either of the two much earlier versions of the verse now available: a Hebrew version in the Dead Sea Scrolls and a Greek version in the Septuagint, a pre-Christian translation of the Hebrew Bible.

Why would some editor have invented the phrase? Was something being covered up?

Some scholars who have used the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint to reconstruct the authentic version of the verse say that “children of Israel” was stuck in as a replacement for “sons of El.” With that lost phrase restored, a verse that was cryptic suddenly makes sense: El—the most high god, Elyon—divided the world’s people into ethnic groups and gave one group to each of his sons. And Yahweh, one of those sons, was given the people of Jacob. Apparently at this point in Israelite history (and there’s no telling how long ago this story originated) Yahweh isn’t God, but just a god—and a son of God, one among many.

So how does Yahweh rise through the ranks? How does a god initially consigned to a lower level of the pantheon eventually merge with the chief god, El, and even, in a sense, supplant him?"

 

[shunyadragon]

@shunyadragon, a couple of points:

First, see The Name Yahweh in Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts. (Please let me know if you're able to access the article. It may only be available to BAR subscribers.) Let me add that I'm not impressed by its arguments against Redford, but that's a secondary question.

I am familiar with the reference and have no problem with the name YHWH referring to the Hebrew God, but the evidence indicates that is was much later in Hebrew history that it referred to a monotheistic

Second, I think your overview suffers from a simplistic view nascent Israel as a homogenous entity rather than a tribal confederation. This is not to discount the role of *henotheism (or, better, monolatry), but one can still imagine a monotheist YHWH cult in constant tension with the surrounding polytheism.

The scripture cited particualarly Deuteronomy and described Hebrew beliefs concerning YHWH would not fit a monotheistic God until later.

You seem genuinely interested in the topic. Please consider reading Avraham Faust's Israel's Ethnogenesis.

I am familiar with the work and may review it.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I am familiar with the reference and have no problem with the name YHWH referring to the Hebrew God, but the evidence indicates that is was much later in Hebrew history that it referred to a monotheistic

What evidence?

 

[shunyadragon]

What evidence?

The citations provided in previous posts as cited. More to follow.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The citations provided in previous posts as cited. More to follow.

Would you mind providing a specific reference. Something like Paragraph N in post # X would be more than sufficient.

 

[shunyadragon]

Would you mind providing a specific reference. Something like Paragraph N in post # X would be more than sufficient.

Read the posts and respond based on the content of the posts particularly in reference to the citation of scripture in Deuteronomy.

 

[outlawState]

First, you are considering alternate dates for the Exodus, and by the evidence no such event took place.

The bible is evidence, and there is a lot of other anecdotal evidence that is found written in numerous books on the subject. To say that the Exodus of the bible was just invented out of thin air would be astonishing.

I know of no narrow Canaan-centric version of the Hebrews.

I defer to your version.

It is very much accepted that they originally Canaanite pastoral tribes mostly in the hills of Judea as early or earlier than the 15th century BCE, but it only was over time that they later became a distinctive Hebrew Culture with there own writing and distinctive religion. What must be realized is that the Hebrew written evolved from a primitive Canaanite writing and did not appear as a distinctive Hebrew language until about ~700 BCE.

Nothing is "very much accepted." From what I know of biblical archaeology, very little is "very much accepted" just because there is so little reliable evidence of this ancient era. There are conflicting positions and interpretations upon most things by the different schools. The "bible is fiction" school is obviously your school. That is not a universal position. Moreover your focus, as I said earlier, relies too much on token linguistic similarities between the Canaanites and the Israelites. That does not infer a similar theological or syncretic system. The article to which I deferred clearly describes the predominating feature of the Israelites known to the Egyptians, even as early as 1400BC, being their worship of YHWH, which conflicts with a Canaanite pantheon based origin.

The Mesha Stele is circa 840BC and far later than the period that I am deferring to.

Ps 82;1 does not refer to a pantheon of gods, but to human judges, or to the "mighty." In fact your interpretation of YHWH giving judgement amongst pagan gods is naive, because Ps;82;2 onwards is clearly a rebuke directed towards human judges and their wicked judgements.

I am very much aware of the references to the tribes and to the references to "Shasu of Yahweh" referring to Hebrews in the 15th century, and yes this 'possibly' referred to the Hebrew God, but based on the whole archaeological evidence, and my references involving OT scripture and Canaanite/Ugarit tablets YHWH evolved as part of Canaanite polytheistic god pantheon, and henotheistic or monolarity, and hierarchical polytheism with the YHWH being consider the superior god among gods among the Hebrews, but son of El. Monotheism evolved and did not become dominant until ~700 BCE or later, about the time of the return from exile.

Just conjecture on your part. El is a generic name for God which was used up until the time of Moses, by the proto Israelites. YHWH has no known origin from any pantheon. To allow the bible to source your evidence of YHWH (I will be whom I will be) as the son of El is just trite misconception. It clearly states in the bible that God chose to reveal himself by another name to Moses. This is not one god becoming the son of another god, but a profounder understanding of the same god being disclosed under a different name.

"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai--'God Almighty'--but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them." (Ex 6;3)