May 15, 2024

Israelite Monotheism: Rooted In Polytheism?

Blog Contents

Snapshot
This blog features scholarly articles exploring the insights and teachings of Michael Heiser.

If you don’t enjoy reading or find it hard to stay engaged, this might not be the blog for you.

Israelite Monotheism Rooted in Polytheism?

The answer is no. Here is a scholarly article which unpacks it all for you.

Monotheist Polytheism Blog 3 Article Heading

“Most Hebrew Bible scholars believe that Israelite religion evolved from polytheism to monotheism, an evolution in which the biblical writers participated. The dominant version of this consensus is that this religious evolution culminated by the end of the exile or shortly thereafter. A minority perspective places the evolutionary end point later. At issue is the presence of the language of divine plurality, positive references to other gods (םיהלֹא or םילא) under YHWH’s authority, in Jewish religious texts composed during and after the Second Temple period. This article surveys the language of divine plurality in the Hebrew Bible and the sectarian literature at Qumran to show its conceptual continuity and longevity, and rejects the notion that it is incongruent with a belief in the uniqueness of YHWH.”

Download the article HERE.

Michael Heiser Explains

That “Triggered” Feeling …

If you already feel confused, we suggest not paying too much attention to the comment section of that video. Probably better to just start with our post on “Lesser gods” and work your way here. We know it’s a lot to handle.

Many people struggle to grasp these new concepts because they’ve been taught a simplified “ONE GOD” view, and the term “gods” can be unsettling and make one feel like one is a polytheist or a heretic. Interestingly, atheists may also find this information hard to accept since they don’t believe the Bible is true at all.

However, rest assured, all Bible scholars are aware of this information, though opinions may vary on the details. Unfortunately, this knowledge often doesn’t reach the general public, leaving many in the dark. Furthermore, misunderstandings about the term “elohim” can lead to accusations of polytheism. This is common, so be prepared. FOr clarification on the word “elohim”, perhaps do read our “Lesser gods” post.

In summary, the comments on YouTube videos about this topic often contain misinformation due to a severe lack of understanding. It is in our opinion best to stick to reliable sources for accurate insights.

Israelite Monotheism NOT Rooted In Polytheism

“Israel’s view of God and his relationship to other divine beings in the He brew Bible has long been the subject of scholarly debate. The dominant critical consensus since the late nineteenth century holds that Israel’s faith evolved from polytheism or henotheism to monotheism. Passages in the Hebrew Bible that assume the existence of other gods are compared to other passages that put forth the declaration that “there are no other gods besides” the God of Israel as proof of this view. Other scholars who reject this evolutionary paradigm tend to assume passages evincing divine plurality actually speak of human beings, or that the other gods are merely idols. This view insists that “monotheism” must mean that the existence of other gods is denied. Both views are problematic and fall short of doing justice to the full description of Israel’s view of God and the heavenly host in the Hebrew Bible. This article overviews the difficulties of each view and offers a coherent alternative.”

Download this article HERE

Understanding Israelite Monotheism

Polytheism Monotheism

Download this article HERE

Israelite Monotheism: Rooted In Polytheism?