The Origins of Yahwism

The Origins of Yahwism
Author: Jürgen van Oorschot
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2017-06-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110447118

This compendium examines the origins of the God Yahweh, his place in the Syrian-Palestinian and Northern Arabian pantheon during the bronze and iron ages, and the beginnings of the cultic veneration of Yahweh. Contributors analyze the epigraphic and archeological evidence, apply fundamental considerations from the cultural and religious sciences, and analyze the relevant Old Testament texts.

The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism

The Social Roots of Biblical Yahwism
Author: Stephen L. Cook
Publisher: Society of Biblical Lit
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2004
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1589830989

"Sure to provoke discussion and debate as it offers a unique approach to some old and perplexing issues in the history of ancient Israel and its religion, Cook's study is a bold new proposal for synthesizing the social history of Israel's religious traditions. Among the many "Yahwisms" coexisting in ancient Israel was an initially small minority stream of theological tradition composed of geographically and socially diverse groups in northern and southern Israel. These groups shared a religious commitment to a covenantal, village-based, land-oriented Yahwism that arose before the emergence of Israelite kingship. It eventually rose to dominance, and its theology provided robust resources for dealing with the Babylonian exile. It thus came to occupy a prominent place in the present canon of the Hebrew Bible. Cook combines detailed study of biblical texts with a carefully constructed social-scientific method and body of data to argue for the early origins of biblical Yahwism. This book is written to be accessible to lay readers and also of significant interest to Hebrew Bible students and specialists." -- ‡c From publisher's description.

The Birth of Monotheism

The Birth of Monotheism
Author: André Lemaire
Publisher:
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2007
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

"In this groundbreaking book accessible to laypeople and scholars alike André Lemaire, a world-renowned expert on the ancient world, explores the development of perhaps the most important idea in the history of humankind: the concept of a single, universal God. Lemaire traces this key idea from its precursor the religion of ancient Israel, which worshiped a single God but accepted the idea that other nations would have gods of their own to worship to the development of classic, universal monotheism during the crisis of the Babylonian Exile and after"--Amazon.com.

Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan

Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan
Author: John Day
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2010-06-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567537838

This masterly book is the climax of over twenty-five years of study of the impact of Canaanite religion and mythology on ancient Israel and the Old Testament. It is John Day's magnum opus in which he sets forth all his main arguments and conclusions on the subject. The work considers in detail the relationship between Yahweh and the various gods and goddesses of Canaan, including the leading gods El and Baal, the great goddesses (Asherah, Astarte and Anat), astral deities (Sun, Moon and Lucifer), and underworld deities (Mot, Resheph, Molech and the Rephaim). Day assesses both what Yahwism assimilated from these deities and what it came to reject. More generally he discusses the impact of Canaanite polytheism on ancient Israel and how monotheism was eventually achieved.

The Bible Unearthed

The Bible Unearthed
Author: Israel Finkelstein
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 401
Release: 2002-03-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0743223381

In this groundbreaking work that sets apart fact and legend, authors Finkelstein and Silberman use significant archeological discoveries to provide historical information about biblical Israel and its neighbors. In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible—the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire—reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts. Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.

Yahweh before Israel

Yahweh before Israel
Author: Daniel E. Fleming
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2020-12-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1108835074

Provides a ground-breaking new interpretation with which to consider and contextualize the name Yahweh before its relationship with Israel.

One God – One Cult – One Nation

One God – One Cult – One Nation
Author: Reinhard G. Kratz
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 484
Release: 2010-09-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3110223589

Recent archaeological and biblical research challenges the traditional view of the history of ancient Israel. This book presents the latest findings of both academic disciplines regarding the United Monarchy of David and Solomon (‛One Nation’) and the cult reform under Josiah (‛One Cult’), raising the issue of fact versus fiction. The political and cultural interrelations in the Near East are illustrated on the example of the ancient city of Beth She'an/Scythopolis and are discussed as to their significance for the transformation in the conception of God (‛One God’). The volume contains 17 contributions by internationally eminent scholars from Israel, Finland and Germany.

Moses and Monotheism

Moses and Monotheism
Author: Sigmund Freud
Publisher: Leonardo Paolo Lovari
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2016-11-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 8898301790

The book consists of three essays and is an extension of Freud’s work on psychoanalytic theory as a means of generating hypotheses about historical events. Freud hypothesizes that Moses was not Hebrew, but actually born into Ancient Egyptian nobility and was probably a follower of Akhenaten, an ancient Egyptian monotheist. Freud contradicts the biblical story of Moses with his own retelling of events, claiming that Moses only led his close followers into freedom during an unstable period in Egyptian history after Akhenaten (ca. 1350 BCE) and that they subsequently killed Moses in rebellion and later combined with another monotheistic tribe in Midian based on a volcanic God, Jahweh. Freud explains that years after the murder of Moses, the rebels regretted their action, thus forming the concept of the Messiah as a hope for the return of Moses as the Saviour of the Israelites. Freud said that the guilt from the murder of Moses is inherited through the generations; this guilt then drives the Jews to religion to make them feel better.

How Old Is the Hebrew Bible?

How Old Is the Hebrew Bible?
Author: Ronald Hendel
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2018-11-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0300234880

From two expert scholars comes a comprehensive study of the dating of the Hebrew Bible The age of the Hebrew Bible is a topic that has sparked controversy and debate in recent years. The scarcity of clear evidence allows for the possibility of many views, though these are often clouded by theological and political biases. This impressive, broad‑ranging book synthesizes recent linguistic, textual, and historical research to clarify the history of biblical literature, from its oldest texts and literary layers to its youngest. In clear, concise language, the authors provide a comprehensive overview that cuts across scholarly specialties to create a new standard for the historical study of the Bible. This much‑needed work paves the path forward to dating the Hebrew Bible and understanding crucial aspects of its historical and contemporary significance.