The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel's Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic TextsAccording to the Bible, ancient Israel's neighbors worshipped a wide variety of gods. In recent years, scholars have sought a better understanding of this early polytheistic milieu and its relation to Yahweh, the God of Israel. Drawing on ancient Ugaritic texts and looking closely at Ugaritic deities, Mark Smith examines the meaning of "divinity" in the ancient near East and considers how this concept applies to Yahweh. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
THE STRUCTURES OF DIVINITY | 25 |
CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVINITY | 81 |
THE ORIGINS OF MONOTHEISM IN THE BIBLE | 133 |
Notes | 195 |
| 303 | |
| 311 | |
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Adonis Akkadian Albright Anat ancient Israel Ancient Near East Ancient Near Eastern anthropomorphism Asherah astral Athirat Athtar attested Baal Cycle Baal's Babylonian Bible biblical texts Brill Canaanite chapter CMHE context cosmic enemies cult cultic culture dead death deities Deuteronomy discussion Divine Council Dumuzi dying and rising Ebla El's ělōhîm evidence example Exodus expression Ezekiel figure Frazer further Genesis goddess Hebrew History holy household human identified imagery Inscriptions interpretation Israelite Israelite Religion Jerusalem Judean king language Leiden literature Loretz M. S. Smith Marduk Melqart Mesopotamian monarchy monotheism monotheistic myth mythic mythology narrative noted Old Testament Olmo Lete Osiris pantheon Pardee perhaps Philo of Byblos Phoenician polytheism priestly Psalm reference reflect religious Rephaim Resheph rising gods ritual royal Schloen scholars Second Isaiah Sheffield status Studies suggests theology tier Toorn tradition Ugaritic texts underworld University Press verse West Semitic Yahweh Yahwism Yamm
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Page 2 - All this was a long time ago, I remember, And I would do it again, but set down This set down This : were we led all that way for Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly, We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, But had thought they were different ; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.