The original gods of Israel (El, Baal, Yahweh, Asherah)
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- This is a lecture about a chapter of my world history book called:
"In Search of the Sublime - A world history of humanity's relentless pursuit of scientific truth, moral excellence, and enlightenment."
Read the book for FREE at:
worldhistorybook.com
Or buy it on Amazon:
www.amazon.com...
Kind regards,
Stephan P. Dinkgreve
MSc Theoretical Physics
Amsterdam
SOURCES:
R. Bellah, Religion in Human Evolution, Harvard University Press, 2011.
R. Hendel, The Book of Genesis. Composition, Reception, and Interpretation, Brill, 2012.
R. Hendel, The Book of Genesis; A biography, Princeton University Press, 2013.
M. Smith, The Early History of God. Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel, Eerdmans Publishing, 2002
Correction:
01:55 Some have noted that Yahweh was not part of the Canaanite Pantheon, as in, he is not mentioned in the Ugaritic text. I meant that in Israel, as we shall see, he was related to this pantheon, but this can be confusing.
03:05 The Bible itself explains "Israel" as "struggle with God," which seems to be folk etymology. Genesis is full of them. Here, the meaning of words was guesed at the time long after the original meaning was forgotten. "El rules" seems linguistically more sensible.
07:38 The Hebrew version of the Bible states “the children of Israel” instead of "the divine sons." The
"the divine sons" is part of the Greek translation of the Bible and also from a fragment from Qumran, making scholars believe that “the children of Israel" was a later alteration, to avoid the complications described on this slide.
According to the general consensus of scholarship *(even critical Christian scholars),* YHWH was originally incorporated into the Canaanite pantheon as a son of the Canaanite high god El before inheriting the top spot in the pantheon and El's wife Athirat (Asherah) before religious reforms "divorced" them. El's pantheon in Ugarit (modern day Ras Shamra in Syria) is called the *Elohim,* literally the plural of El. Interestingly, the Biblical god is also referred to numerous times as Elohim. If you want to see if El is fictional, just read his mythology in the Ugaritic/Canaanite texts.
"The mysterious Ugaritic text Shachar and Shalim tells how (perhaps near the beginning of all things) *El* came to shores of the sea and saw two women who bobbed up and down. *El* was sexually aroused and took the two with him, killed a bird by throwing a staff at it, and roasted it over a fire. He asked the women to tell him when the bird was fully cooked, and to then address him either as husband or as father, for he would thenceforward behave to them as they called him. They saluted him as husband. He then lay with them, and they gave birth to Shachar ("Dawn") and Shalim ("Dusk"). Again *El* lay with his wives and the wives gave birth to "the gracious gods", "cleavers of the sea", "children of the sea". The names of these wives are not explicitly provided, but some confusing rubrics at the beginning of the account mention the goddess *Athirat (Asherah),* who is otherwise *El's* chief wife, and the goddess Raḥmayyu ("the one of the womb"), otherwise unknown."
*"First, a god named El predates the arrival of the Israelites into Syria-Palestine.* Biblical usage shows El was not just a generic noun, but often a proper name for Israel’s God (e.g., Gen 33:20: “El, the God of Israel”)."
"I should add here that it is very clear from the grammar that the noun nachalah in v. 9 should be translated “inheritance.” *Yahweh receives Israel as his “inheritance” (nachalah), just as the other sons of El received their nations as their inheritance (nachal, v. 8).* With this verb, especially in the Hiphil, the object is always what is being given as an inheritance. Thus, Israel is given to Yahweh as his inheritance. ((Here I’m indebted to Dan McClellan.)) It would make no sense for Elyon to give himself an inheritance. Moreover, as I’ve argued elsewhere, it is not just the Gentile nations that are divided up according to the number of the *sons of El.* It is all of humankind, i.e., “the sons of Adam.” This clearly includes Israel. And the sons of Adam are not divided up according to the number of the *sons of El,* plus one (i.e., plus Elyon). They are divided up, according to the text, *solely* according to the number of the *sons of El.* *Thus, that Yahweh receives Israel as his inheritance makes Yahweh one of the sons of El mentioned in v. 8. Any other construal of the text would constitute its rewriting.*
A Sumerian hymn speaks to the goddess: “Nanshe, your divine powers are not matched by any other divine powers.” *Does this mean that Nanshe was the high goddess, that there were no gods above her? No, it does not.* Nanshe was the daughter of Enki, the high god. *In Sumerian mythology, as with Ugaritic, Israelite, Babylonian, and others, in the ancient past, the high god (Enki, in this case) divided up the world and assigned his children certain domains.* Nanshe was given a limited domain (the modern Persian Gulf) and was tasked with maintaining social justice there. *This is exactly what we see in Deuteronomy 32 with Yahweh. Yahweh is given a limited domain (Israel) and is given authority over his people, to punish them, as well as to protect and defend them against foreign enemies.* That Yahweh, like Nanshe, is said to have incomparable divine power *does not* mean that he is not subordinate to the high god who gave him his domain. *It is also of note that Nanshe, like Baal, Yahweh, and so many other deities, evolved over time. Her domain increased, and she was promoted in the pantheon (although she never became the high goddess)."*
*"The Most Heiser: Yahweh and Elyon in Psalm 82 and Deuteronomy 32 - Religion at the Margins"* based on the *majority scholarly consensus.*
(Written by Thom Stark who is a Christian)
*"Michael Heiser: A Unique Species? - Religion at the Margins"*
(A second response to Michael Heiser)
*"Excerpt from “Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan” by John Day - Lehi's Library."*
*"The Table of Nations: The Geography of the World in Genesis 10"* - TheTorah.com
(Excluding the short narrative on Nimrod (vv. 8-12), *which appears to be a later addition,* Genesis 10 contains *70* names of nations or cities, a number that was symbolic of totality. Similarly, the descendants of Jacob were *70* in number (Gen 46:37; Exod 1:5), *as were the sons of the supreme Canaanite god El, with whom YHWH became equated.)*
*"Polytheism and Ancient Israel’s Canaanite Heritage. Part V | theyellowdart"*
(Of course, much of this [i.e., that Israel worshiped El and Asherah alongside YHWH] is really to be expected given that recent syntheses of the *archaeological, cultural, and literary data* pertaining to the emergence of the nation of Israel in the Levant *show that most of the people who would eventually compose this group were originally Canaanite. As the Hebrew Bible notes, the Hebrew language itself is a Canaanite language, literally the “lip of Canaan” (שְׂפַת כְּנַעַן; Is. **19:18**), and so it cannot often be distinguished by modern scholars from other Canaanite inscriptions on purely linguistic grounds.)*
*"Ugarit - New World Encyclopedia"*
(Ugaritic religion centered on the chief god, Ilu or El, whose titles included "Father of mankind" and "Creator of the creation." The Court of El was referred to as the (plural) 'lhm or ***Elohim,*** a word ***later used by the biblical writers to describe the Hebrew deity*** and translated into English as "God," in the singular.
El, which was ***also the name of the God of Abraham,*** was described as an aged deity with white hair, seated on a throne.)
*"Mark Smith: Yahweh as El’s Son & Yahweh’s Ascendency - Lehi's Library"*
(Mark Smith is a Catholic)
*"God, Gods, and Sons (and Daughters) of God in the Hebrew Bible. Part III | theyellowdart"*
*"02 | December | 2009 | Daniel O. McClellan - Psalm 82"*
(Daniel McClellan is a Mormon)
*"Elohim | Daniel O. McClellan"*
(Refer to the article "Angels and Demons (and Michael Heiser)")
*"God's Wife Edited Out of the Bible - Almost."*
(Pay attention to whose wife Asherah (Athirat) is in the Ugaritic/Canaanite texts and how she became the wife of YHWH/Yahweh)
*"Yahweh's Divorce from the Goddess Asherah in the Garden of Eden - Mythology Matters."*
*"Asherah, God's Wife in Ancient Israel. Part IV - theyellowdart"*
*"The Gates of Ishtar - El, was the original god of the bible."*
*"The Gates of Ishtar - Anath in the Elephantine Papyri"*
(In addition to Asherah (Athirat) being the consort of Yahweh, it appears some Israelites also viewed the Canaanite goddess Anat(h) as Yahweh's consort)
*"Canaanite Religion - New World Encyclopedia"*
(Refer to the section "Relationship to Biblical Religion")
*"The Syncretization of Yahweh and El : reddit/AcademicBiblical"*
(For a good summary of all of the above articles)
Watch Professor Christine Hayes who lectures on the Hebrew Bible at Yale University. Watch lecture 2 from 40:40 to 41:50 minutes, lecture 7 from 30:00 minutes onwards, lecture 8 from 12:00 to 17:30 minutes and lecture 12 from 34:30 minutes onwards.
Watch *"Pagan Origins of Judaism"* by Sigalius Myricantur and read the description in the video to see the scholarship the video is based on.
Watch *"How Monotheism Evolved"* by Sigalius Myricantur and watch up to at least 21:40.
Watch *"Atheism - A History of God (The Polytheistic Origins of Christianity and Judaism)"*
(By a former theist)
Watch *"The Origins of Yahweh"* by Derreck Bennett at Atheologica.
Nevertheless, the historical reconstruction that El was the chief god of the Israelites is not indebted only to the testimony of the (rather late) biblical witness of P. *Numerous biblical texts attest to the fact that the titles, functions, and the imagery associated with the Canaanite god El, as revealed by the Ugaritic texts and the Canaanite myth of Elkunirša, were assimilated into the profile of the deity YHWH.* According to the Ugaritic texts, El was known for his *wisdom* (e.g., KTU2 1.4.V.65[6]) and *great age* (’ab šnm, *“Father of Years,”* and drd, *“Ageless One,”* in KTU2 1.4.IV.24 and 1.10.III.6, respectively),[7] his *compassionate nature* (lţpn il dp’id, *“Kind El, the Compassionate One,”* e.g., KTU2 1.16.IV.9), his role as *father of the gods and humanity* (’ab ’adm, *“father of humanity,”* KTU2 1.14..III.47, and bny bnwt, *“creator of creatures,”* KTU2 1.17.I.24) and *creator of the cosmos.* [8] El was the *divine King* (e.g., KTU2 1.2.III.5-6) and the *head of the pantheon or divine council* (referred to variously as the dr ’il, *“circle of El/Family of El,”* KTU2 1.15.III.19; mpħrt bn ’il, *“the assembly of the sons of El,”* KTU2 1.65.3; bn ’il, *“the sons of El,”* KTU2 1.40.33, 41; pħr kbbm, *“assembly of the stars,”* KTU2 1.10.I.3-4; ‘dt ’ilm, *“assembly of the gods,”* KTU2 1.15.II.7; cf. KTU2 1.2.I; 1.3V; 1.4 IV-V) which met at the sacred mountain. *His consort was the goddess Athirat who bore him seventy sons* (šb‘m bn ’atrt, *“the seventy sons of Athirat,”* KTU2 1.4.VI.46). El was also known for his *divine patronage and blessing of progeny to humans* (as in the Epic of Kirta; see, for example, KTU2 1.14.III.46-51), for his *appearances to humans in dreams* (e.g., KTU2 1.14.I.35-37), as *being a healer* (KTU2 1.16.V-VI), and for his *dwelling at the sacred mountain* (e.g., KTU2 1.2.III.5-6) at the *sources of the mythical rivers* (KTU2 1.2.III.4; 1.3.V.6; 1.4.IV.20-22; 1.17.V.47-48) in a *tent* (KTU2 1.2.III.5; 1.3.V.8; 1.4.IV.24; 1.17.V.49; c.f. the Canaanite myth Elkunirša which *describes El’s abode as a tent[9]).[10]*
*To underscore the fact that terminology and imagery originally used for the god El was adopted by the Israelites in their descriptions of YHWH,* the following brief summary might be placed in comparison to the discussion of El above: YHWH is an *aged, patriarchal deity* (Ps. 102:28; Job 36:26; Is. 40:28; Dan. 7.9-14, 22), *a father* (Deut. 32:6; Is. 63:16; 64:7; Jer. 3:4, 19; 31:9, etc.), *merciful and gracious* (Ex. 34:6; Jon. 4:2; Joel 2:13; Ps. 8615; 103:8; 145:8, etc.), *a divine patron who bestows the blessing of progeny upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,* often manifesting himself in *dreams or visions, a healer* (Gen. 20:17; Num. 12:13; 2 Kgs. 20:5, 8; Ps. 107:20, etc.), who *dwells in a tent* (Ps. 15:1; 27:6; 91:10; 132:3) *amidst the heavenly waters* (Ps. 47:5; 87; Is. 33: 20-22; Ez. 47:1-12, etc.), the *creator of the cosmos,* who is enthroned as *heavenly King* in the *divine council* (1 Kgs. 22:19; Is. 6:1-8; cf. Ps. 29:1-2; 82; 89: 5-8, etc.) on the *sacred mount of assembly* (e.g., Is. 14:13). Additionally, in much Israelite religious practice throughout the monarchic period, *YHWH had a divine consort, the goddess Asherah, the Hebrew equivalent of Ugaritic Athirat.[11]* (Originally the wife of El)
*"When Jehovah Was Not the God of the Old Testament. Part II - theyellowdart"*
Watch Professor Christine Hayes who lectures on the Hebrew Bible at Yale University. Watch lecture 2 from 40:40 to 41:50 minutes, lecture 7 from 30:00 minutes onwards, lecture 8 from 12:00 to 17:30 minutes and lecture 12 from 34:30 minutes onwards.
Watch *"Pagan Origins of Judaism"* by Sigalius Myricantur and read the description in the video to see the scholarship the video is based on.
Watch *"How Monotheism Evolved"* by Sigalius Myricantur and watch up to at least 21:40.
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In addition, look up the below articles.
*"Jews and Arabs Descended from Canaanites - Biblical Archaeology Society."*
("The study in Cell not only establishes that the ancient Israelites were ***descended from the Canaanites,*** but also establishes that the Canaanite people across the separate city-states of the southern Levant, and over a period of 1,500 years, were a genetically cohesive people.")
*"The Canaanites weren't annihilated, they just 'moved' to Lebanon - The Times of Israel."*
*"Ancient Canaanite religion explained* - everything.explained.today"
*"Archeology of the Hebrew Bible - NOVA - PBS"*
("Many scholars now think that *most of the early Israelites were originally Canaanites, displaced Canaanites,* displaced from the lowlands, from the river valleys, displaced geographically and then displaced ideologically.")
*"Origins of Judaism explained* - everything.explained.today"
("According to the current academic historical view, the origins of Judaism lie in the Bronze Age amidst polytheistic ancient Semitic religions, ***specifically evolving out of Ancient Canaanite polytheism,*** then co-existing with Babylonian religion, and syncretizing elements of Babylonian belief into the worship of Yahweh as reflected in the early prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. (The Torah)".
*Refer to the bibliography at the bottom of the page)*
*"Canaanite languages - Britannica"*
("Group of Northern Central or Northwestern Semitic languages including ***Hebrew,*** Moabite, Phoenician, and Punic.")
*"El - New World Encyclopedia"*
(Refer to the section "El Outside the Bible" and the fact that *most of the early Israelites were originally indigenous or displaced Canaanites)*
*"El (deity) explained* - everything.explained.today"
(Refer to section "Ugarit and the Levant" and the fact that *most of the ancient Israelites were originally indigenous or displaced Canaanites* and see how Yahweh, later conflated with El (Yahweh-El(ohim)) is fictional)
*"The Gods and Goddesses of Canaan - Essay - The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History"*
*"Canaanite Phoenician Origin of the God of the Israelites."*
*"The Phoenician (Canaanite) God Resheph in the Bible - Is That in the Bible?"*
*"How the Jews Invented God and Made Him Great- Archaeology - Haaretz."*
*"When the Jews believed in other gods - Archaeology - Haaretz"*
*"The Invention of God - Maclean's"*
*"How Did the Bible’s Editors Conceal Evidence of Israelite Polytheism - Evolution of God by Robert Wright."*
*"A Theologically Revised Text: Deuteronomy 32:8-9 - Ancient Hebrew Poetry."*
*"Biblical Contradiction #3: Which God is the Creator of the Heavens and Earth: Yahweh or El?"* - Dr Steven DiMattei
*"Biblical Contradiction #27. Are Yahweh and El the Same God or Not?"* - Dr Steven DiMattei
*"Biblical Contradiction **#294**, **#295**, **#296**. Which god liberated Israel from Egypt: Yahweh or El?"* - Dr Steven DiMattei
*"Quartz Hill School of Theology - B425 Ugarit and the Bible."*
*"The Origins of Yahweh and the Revived Kenite Hypothesis - Is That in the Bible?"*
*"Yahweh, god of metallurgy - Fewer Lacunae."*
*"Polytheistic Roots of Israelite Religion - Fewer Lacunae."*
*"Yahweh was just an ancient Canaanite god. We have been deceived! - Escaping Christian Fundamentalism"*
*"Religious Studies: El, Yahweh and the Development of Monotheism in Ancient Israel."*
*"Yhwh, God of Edom - Daniel O. McClellan."*
You make up so much garbage. YHWH is a Greek invention, the term literally derives from Greek and doesn't have any place in Hebrew.
You entire narrative is junk and what you think are facts are not.
Thank you!
E,l , Allah is the only true God.
@@epicofgilgamesh9964 Theses are the false gods of to the Israelites that god said not to and that the sons of God
So many people don't understand that! The followers of Abrahamic faiths don't understand where their own deity comes from! This video is awesome!
The more fringe the belief, the harder it's clung to.
There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his final messenger.
@@onyil0688 Allah is the cheaper version
@@onyil0688 He's the 3rd of 3. He's sitting in last place because he was latest to the party. Don't worry though, all are equally stupid.
@@dreadtrain2846 [Quran 2:255] Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge-except what He wills ˹to reveal˺. His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.
[Quran 67:2] ˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving.
[Quran 21:35] Every soul will taste death. And We test you ˹O humanity˺ with good and evil as a trial, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned.
It's not that El was the "original" god of Israel. He was the ruler of their pantheon, like Zeus was to the Greeks. Over time, as the Israelites shifted to monotheism, they merged the two most popular gods together, who then also absorbed popular characteristics of other gods in the pantheon who were dropped down to the status of angels, demons, or false gods.
Something you may have missed, elohim is plural, nor singular.
*not
@AngraMainiiu you understood what I meant, you just had to go and correct the spelling of an obvious clerical error.
I should give you lump of carbon to make a diamond for me.
@@billwilliams7285…or you could just acknowledge your failure to proofread - Instead you go for the passive-aggressive insult which is neither original nor funny.
@gazorpazorp9798 not paid to proof read, wasn't trying to be original, and neither are you! But what I said stands, look for some carbon, you could have a steady supply of the most common gems in the world!
It's both. You have to read how it's used in the sentence to tell. Standing alone you're right it's plural, but If the verb in the sentence is singular than the subject is singular. For example, "It is called a moose." vs "Those are called moose." Moose is both singular and plural, depending on context.
I'm sure you mention this in your book (I would guess), the J (for Yahwist), E (for Elohim), P, for (Priestly), D (for Deuteronomist), R (for Redactor), sources were written over different periods of time. The J source would signify the Jerusalem Cult, the E Source would signify the Sameria Cult, the P source would be the Priestly source, mostly post-exilic, The D (Deuteronomist) source would signify Jeremiah's contribution, and the final Redactor to signify Ezra 444 BCE)
A nice summary.
"Who Wrote the Bible", by Richard Eliot Friedman.
Reading it now. Annoying is that some scholars now disagree. Its complicated
I can’t believe anyone in the 21st century is still fooled by the documentary hypothesis. It’s been a dead concept for decades.
Its pure conjecture if no one dissents to conjecture your in a cult. Dont be in a cult.
@@adamh5153 This is what society is like with religion, can you imagine society without religion?
Isn’t human imagination fascinating? I love how many beautiful stories we have been telling to each other for thousands of years!
now now... it's spaghetti (literally just eaten) Alright, although when is a Myth not a Myth etc...as usual between reality, shekel-scribes, and "tribal-memories" there is a thread or threads of truth, but which threads are TRUE in an infinite quilt covering all and sundry?
Perhaps you shouldn’t love these stories, though. Stories about imaginary gods manifest ultimately in wars which are unfortunately all too real.
I’ve always been searching for something like this I’m happy to dive in
If you drill down into any of these forms of "evidence", its not nearly what's claimed in the video. There just isn't enough actual evidence thus far to make any reliable conclusions.
There was always polytheism amongst the Israelites. It's mentioned in scripture many times as why the northern kingdom was destroyed. Monotheism wasn't practiced by the southern kingdom jews until after the Persian rule or later. Some polytheism remains amongst jews to this day.
What matters most is that unlike the 'revolutionary' switch of e.g. the ancient Greek polytheism to Christianity, a completely different religion, the switch from polytheism to monotheism was _evolutionary._
Early Israelite polytheism was basically.. retconned to monotheism.
@NikolaosSkordilis Christians aren't monotheistic either. They practice subordinate polytheism much like the ancient Greeks, only the names have changed.
@@cameronturner7475 Neither Mary nor St. Michael are deities.
@@cinaedmacseamas2978 people only pray to what they consider to be deities. Christians may call them angels or saints or devils and demons but these are subordinate deities. They don't have all powers of the supreme deity because they are subordinate and they are spiritual beings with spiritual powers that can be prayed to and answer those prayers, thus deity . It's subordinate polytheism (or subordinate monotheism whichever you prefer) and is taught from genesis to revelation.
@cameronturner7475 hmmm. When I was a protestant I went to a divinity school and this is the first I have heard of this theory, and I have tried to maintain a well read status since. These non deity entities, my preferred terminology, yours is obviously different, are not deity because they were created, and created for the spiritual realm. If they were uncreated, like God, that would be different. That what you say is taught from Genesis to Revelation is quite another thing altogether.
I don’t know a lot of this topic but I have read the Bible and I have noticed some strange gaps in information. For example, Judaism worships the God of Abraham. But in the story of Abraham he has a family in Canaan and he leaves them and starts sojourning and I always wondered what religion his family had being that he seems to be breaking from their tradition and starting his own sect. Other passages that left me wondering include the references to how Israelites do not make their sons walk through the fire and they do not pour out the cup of blood. All of these references seem very specific, like they are specifically criticizing the practices of another tribe.
You can read translated Hebrew interpretations of those specific verses. There’s not a single verse that is not interpreted and explained according to scholars.
I often find it the most useful tool, Jewish scholars have studied and interpreted these texts for thousands of years. They have some underrated wisdom.
You don't have it quite right. The *northern* kingdom of Israel was influenced by Ugaritic worship of El, Baal, etc., but *not* Yahweh. While the *southern* kingdom of Judah was influenced by Moabite worship of Yahweh. The two traditions were not merged until long *after* the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom.
References to Yahweh appear in Israel centuries before Judah.
@@DragonsinGenesisPodcast No, they don't. Judah and Israel were separate and distinct kingdoms.
Your analysis is wrong in 2 ways:
1. The Moabite's god had its own name Kmosh.
2. The pottery mentioned in this video was found in the desert at the south.
@@spodvoll Dragons in Genesis is right. Archaeological evidence shows the emergence of Yahwism in Samaria before Judah. Southern Palestine was sparsely populated in the early Iron Age, and Judah only became a kingdom quite a bit later than Samaria.
8:38 You mean ‘Israelites’ (i.e. descendants of the man called Israel), not ‘Israelis’ (citizens of the modern state of Israel).
The word ‘Israeli’ was not used before 1948.
Yep. Mistake. Didnt notice it at the time and a bit annoying to redo the video over it
In Hebrew the same difference exists. Israelites are called Sons of Israel, while Israeli is the actual Hebrew word for a citizen of the modern state and includes non-Jews. Jews continue to refer to themselves as Sons of Israel though and the land itself (not the state) as Land of Israel.
The Great Hymn to the Aten
ua-cam.com/video/wFfLK2pmMnw/v-deo.html
Was there a man called "Israel", though? For the naming scheme to mean that, I'd think they would have to be called "Abrahamites" or "Jacobites".
@Tzizenorec indeed. Israel is another name for Jacob the patriarch.
It is interesting that in the bible, god is quoted as saying thou shall have no gods before me. In other words in that time, polytheism was the norm and there were many gods.
“El” just means “god” in Hebrew and can apply to either the True God or false gods (just like in English). “Baal” means “lord” and similarly can mean the true “Lord”, a false god/idol or even a human of high position. (Just like how we use “lord” in English today.)
The pagan Canaanites worshipped fertility gods. They had a male one they called Baal and a female one they called Asherah, along with MANY other idol gods.
YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah in English) is the personal name God revealed to the Israelites. It means “He who causes to become.”
Exodus 6:2-3 God said to Moses: “I am Jehovah.”
Exodus 3:14-15 God said once more to Moses: “This is what you are to say to the Israelites, ‘Jehovah the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
YHWH/Jehovah is the name Israel was calling God BEFORE returning to Canaan. After taking up residence in the land, some Israelites were lured by immoral pagan worship. It is a mistake and an insult to wrongly say any pagan Canaanite gods were Israel’s “ORIGINAL” gods just because they were in the land and some/many Israelites at times fell away to idol worship.
Psalms 83:18 May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Not using the personal name God inspired to be in his Word over 7,000 times and replacing it with “LORD” has the effect of making God seem less personal. Equating his divine name to pagan gods is an attempt by those who do not believe in a Creator to diminish him and mock his worship.
Jeremiah 23:27 They are thinking of making my people forget my name by means of their dreams that they keep relating each one to the other, just as their fathers forgot my name by means of Baʹal.
Knowing and using Gods name Jehovah is crucial to our salvation.
Romans 10:13-14 (Joel 2:3) For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” 14 However, how will they call on him if they have not put faith in him? How, in turn, will they put faith in him about whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?
Watch a brief video on God’s name here:
www.jw.org/en/library/videos/Good-News-From-God-Video-Series/video-gods-name/
@@jepizzo2 Please watch the video again...
The elevation of Yahweh into the prime God and then the only God was a process. So how things are phrased depends on when the text was written.
@@blueharland You are just conjecturing. No Canaanites worshipped YHWH/Jehovah and so he was not part of any pantheon of Canaanite gods. Only Israel worshipped him. What archeological evidence do you have he was worshipped by Canaanites as a minor god and later was considered supreme and then the only God? Everything fits perfectly fine with the Bible's account of Israel always worshipping the Creator Jehovah as the most high and only true God and later succumbing time and again to idolatry as the Bible describes. (Exodus 20:2-50) (Psalms 83:18) Don't make stuff up and then state it like fact.
I bookmarked your Book's URL to read it later. Thanks for the free link.
Regards from Finland.
I think most if not all Gods are a way of explaining natural phenomena. Such as lightning, thunder, rain, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. Before we understood the science behind them.
I think many of us are very fortunate to debate religion instead of being persecuted by zealots. Ignorance, fear, and imagination; where else will it lead us?
Of course.
There is one true God. YHWH/Jesus. You need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and repent of your sins to become born again and go to heaven. Read the Bible daily and obey what you read to be saved from eternal punishment in hell.
@@Jesuslordoflords-y4m One true God and you named 2. Also, grow up.
“It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into everything.” ― G.K. Chesterton" - natural phenomena and rules are we referring to Natural law theory? the idea that God created an external moral order that is part of the fabric of the universe.
Those are just names, they don't mean anything.
If they do, El would be the sky, Asherah the earth and trees, Baal the clouds, Yam the sea, Mot the under the earth.
They are what the Greeks would call titans, actual things.
What they are named is pretty irrelevant.
I suspect what became known as the Israelites, were originally Canaanites, but probably a separate groups, probably slaves. So that would make sense. When Egypt invaded the land, they got the people as well. Some say it's the same people the Egyptians called the Habiru, that made the place unstable. In any case, they fled to the East. Probably they had the same beliefs at that time, but worshiped El exclusively, which would make sense if they are simply slaves and not owning the land or roaming the seas.
YHWH was not in the picture, it does not come from the Canaanite pantheon. I think what happened is they started to stop worshiping creatures and instead started worshiping principles and cause of movements, instead of things, which is also what others did and called gods. Definitively the Greeks. So the gods have domination over titans, they cause them to move regularly and orderly instead of chaotically. So the old gods became false gods. People moved from materialism to something more abstract.
I think that is where YHWH comes in. It's like the breath of El, the creative principle, so they just worshiped both, but one of them could not be named, because they believed saying a true name had power over it, and the power of creation should not be used in general. It would be seen as usurping God's creative power. So the actual god's names did not matter anymore. YHWH could be El, or Baal as Adonai (Lord). Both were more or less the same, having divine breath and divine power and it was that power that was YHWH, not a god in the modern sense, which are just Titans. We kind of regressed.
Incidentally it's the meaning of the Trinity. Three names that mean the same thing. That thing being more or less "sound", or alternatively light or truth, waves, etc. So it's the idea waves create things, have creative power over the material either to move it or to create it. Making the right sound, saying something true, means being to move things or to create them. It's what became known as "magic". Hard concepts for materialists, but it fairly easy if you get rid of the idea of matter as being ultimate reality. It's also pretty close to what physicists say. It's weird people refuse staunchly to credit ancestors for those ideas because math.
Some scholars believe that the Israelites were never slaves, but could have been a thorn in the side of the Egyptians.
Except they had literal meanings which became more archaic as time went on. El literally just means Higher Power, Yhwh is literally just an archaic form of He causes existence, Asherah literally means to Set Straight or possibly even "Right on, bro!' lmao
@@kightsun it’s kind of interesting how they initially thought of things very concretely.. the word for giving instruction is yara or “to shoot, throw” like a moving arrow at a target. What gets translated as sin or chattah in Hebrew was conceived as missing the target, going amiss from it. So when one failed instruction, it was as missing the target and going astray or to the side of the way or the path (derek). It would make sense why asherah was meant that, as ashar means to go straight, on a leveled path and was conceptualized as leading to happiness and blessing. It is so contrasted with the way the ancient Greeks thought in more abstract form.
@@pineapplepenumbra They managed to upset the Babylonians and the Romans quite a bit. I think of them as being like the Serbs.
"Incidentally it's the meaning of the Trinity. Three names that mean the same thing."
Not according to the people who invented the Trinity. They are very definite that is not the case. It's a pretty silly idea theologically but arose from the people that wanted to make Jesus divine but distinguished from the Gnostics.
"According to Irenaeus, the Gnostics held that Sophia, ..., descended into the water and begot Saturn, who is identical with Yahweh."
Carl Jung, Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self.
What Sophia created in error is the Demiurge. In the Secret Book of John, the Savior gives the most accurate description of God the Father or The One, as distinct from the Demiurge who masquerades as god in the Old Testament, and who constantly demands sacrifice; in particular, child sacrifice.
In the text, On the Origin of the World, "at the consummation of the age, ..., Sophia will take off her wise flame of afterthought and put on irrational wrath", to annihilate the Demiurge and his ruling cabals, ushering in heaven on earth.
The same text ends with "Each one by his deeds and his gnosis will reveal his nature."
Seeing that cow feeding her child
Make me remember how everywhere in india i see same thing
I do feel connection with that potrait because of it
Which cow?
That goddess athera also have sanskrit name.
7:53 I notice that you do not cite Bible verses. Very disappointing.
Google is your friend, or rather biblegateway.com. I will add them at some point.
Philosophy and religion are like climbing schools in the city, were you learn about climbing gear, ropes, knots and were these things are emotionally discussed back and forth, creating many ‘schools of thought’ which are competing and fighting each other - completely forgetting what learning about climbing was all about. Luckily there are the few mystics, who are dropping out of these weird climbing schools and go to the cliffs, immediately finding out the inexpressible difference between intellectually debating climbing and actually entering the overhanging 1000 feet wall. The mystics meeting other mystics while climbing typically don’t speak but all understand the nature of real climbing, independent from which climbing school they originated. They loose all interest in discussing and debating irrelevant intellectual misunderstandings and continue experiencing their ‘pathless path’ of mastering the cliff.
Say to me something about Zen without mentioning Zen.
There are many ways up the mountain but you do not find them by staying in the valley.
You know, what will you do?? The presence and nowness of the now is shared, every now is now. People are choosing to be defiant to truth because it exposes the brevity of their ambitions. I wish to make it publicly known who the NPCs are.
Hello. At timestamp 7:20 you mention that the Bible states that El divided up the nations of the world, giving Israel to Yahweh. Would you please indicate where that is within the Bible? Thank you.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9. You are need the note in the description, as translations of the Bible often give a later version of the text
You need to look in the beginning in Berĕshith. You'll see it.
Yahweh (YEWE in its original tetragramatton spelling) seems to me to be a genuinely distinct deity pertaining to the Mosaic sect of the semi-desert lands, comprising in this order the tribes of Reuben (in what is now Jordan), Simeon and Judah (these in theNaqab/Negev desert originally but expanding towards Hebron and Bethlehem, probably in the Bronze-Iron ages transition).
All the rest were Elohists, i.e. within the broader Canaanite paradigm but may have coalesced into a united realm in the 8th century BCE (and not before) in the context of conflict with the Philistines (Pelasgians) and the famous trade deals of Solomon with Tyre (Phoenicians or North Canaanites), who had just founded colonies in the Western Mediterranean all the way to Gadir (Cádiz), just off the realm of Tarshish (Tartessos = Turdetania, extremely wealthy in minerals, especially silver, the "Potosí" of the Iron Age and Antiquity).
After the division of Solomon's realm, Judah persisted on Yahwism and may have already tended to monotheism, but the northern realm was not unified and clearly had two synchronous dynasties: the main one, centered around Ephraim and Manaseh was polytheistic (traditionally Canaanite), while the weaker faction, made up of Isachar and Zebulon tribes were probably pro-Judah and adopted a monotheistic Elohist approach instead. This probably explains the later fusion of El and Yahweh.
Then what are we even worshipping!? Is JC just another reincarnation!?
-Yahweh was originally from Midian now Northwest Saudi Arabia which is also where you'll find Mt Sinai - Jabal Al Laws. Arabia, Land of Moses, and the real Mt Sinai on UA-cam. Also Josephus talked about Mt Sinai being the tallest Mt in Midian - Arabia - a volcanic mountain
@@sirfrozsomji3984 - How can you even "know" that? Where's the evidence?
For what I read, what you say is based on a single personal theory by Karel van der Thoorn, who identifies the poorly attested Midians with the Shasu of Egyptian records (no similarity in sound whatsoever). However the Shasu are related to Jordan and North Palestine, not the Midianite country of NW Saudi Arabia, so they seem more reminiscent of early proto-Hebrews if anything. Some also claim that the Midianites were not Semitic, although I find this hard to believe TBH.
There are two Egyptian mentions to Shasu "of Yhw [/iːhuːɑ/]", which has been conjectured to be the same as Yaweh but was the name of a place, not a deity (they could be compatible, as happens with Assur, both a town and a god, but it's uncommon). The Shasu (and related Hapiru) can indeed be thought as the same as the proto-Hebrews (unclear but plausible) but I find hard to relate them to Midian.
@@LuisAldamiz So moses was Egyptian or reference to a king.
@@dannylo5875 - IDK, I don't worship anything or anyone. I don't believe in patriarchal religions in general or consider them "evil false gods". I venerate (respect but not worship) Earth (Gaia = the matter and the potential if you read that name in Basque), the Sun and the Universe, which are real stuff which actually sustain us and from which we emanate (and to which we shall unavoidably return).
This is great, we need a book version for kindle.
Eli-jah, Jeho-shua, contain Yahweh (Eli-yahu ib Hebrew for instance). Those are just the ones that came to my mind instantly.
These are all post-Moses, right?
@Stephans_History_of_the_World well, Joshua is said to be Moses' contemporary. But I understand if you say, that we can't be sure about such things. I'm just saying we need to realize it's all theories.
@@aborigine3716 I think he was referring to Yeheshua. Btw, there's no "J" in Hebrew
Please understand that Jehovah and El are NOT different Gods! God is; Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. There are no other gods! the "gods" Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech, Artemis, Egyptian gods...etc, those are idols. Any spirit that receives worship that is not the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a fallen angel, which are demons. The God of the Christian Bible is the Creator of all things.
The Bible tells us exactly who God is, where humanity came from, how we fell, what God did to restore our relationship with Him and How to receive that salvation. Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned against God. God is All Knowing, and can see the end from the beginning. Therefore God knew Adam and Eve would sin even before He created them. God gives everyone the freedom to choose because He wants us to worship Him out of our love for Him. God the Father sent Jesus Christ (God the Son) to be born of a virgin (and thus was born without sin because sin passes from the father but not the mother), He lived the perfect life of obedience that we as fallen human beings can't, and His final act of obedience was to lay down His life and die on the cross for our sins. Jesus was buried and then on the third day He was resurrected with a glorified body by the power of the Holy Spirit. That sacrifice on the cross paid for all sin throughout all history. And anyone who admits to God that they are a sinner in need of a Savior, believing the message of the gospel (Jesus virgin birth, death on the cross, burial, resurrection and return) and calls upon the name of Jesus Christ to be their personal Lord and Savior will be saved.
Salvation is a supernatural experience. At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit gives the person a new born again spirit and then indwells the new believer. Once someone is born again, that person will always be born again. We are eternally secure in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. Rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior will keep someone condemned and under God's wrath, and when death happens that person will go to hell forever.
No other religion in the world is true, only the God of the Christian Bible is Truth. Very very soon Jesus Christ is returning. And when He does He will rapture the Church (the Bride of Jesus Christ). After the rapture happens, the Antichrist will be revealed, which is the first seal judgement of Revelation 6. When that happens, the 7 year Tribulation (also know as "the time of Jacob's trouble") just began. The Antichrist will be the head of the Beast system, which will include a one world government, one world religion and a global monetary system that will require everyone to receive the Mark of the Beast on/in the right hand or forehead. Those who refuse the Mark will not be able to buy, sell or travel. But everyone who does receive it will be condemned to hell, as they are no longer redeemable. Choosing to receive the Mark of the Beast is choosing to reject Jesus Christ and instead choosing to worship the Antichrist, who will be indwelled by Satan.
Please understand that everything I said is true! The Bible is Absolute Truth and God's final Authority. I can testify that everything the Bible says about Jesus Christ is absolutely true! I have seen Jesus Christ numerous times in dreams, God the Father 4 times in dreams and the Holy Spirit once in a dream. I've been supernaturally healed (from a minor physical injury, from depression, from a reading learning disability and a physical condition) and God supernaturally protected me. Over the years since childhood, God has been preparing me for the work I'm doing today, which is blowing the trumpet and proclaiming the second coming of Jesus Christ. God has been showing me that Jesus is coming back to rapture the Church. If you don't accept Jesus Christ before the rapture, you will be left behind to endure the Tribulation. It will be absolutely terrible during that time! It will eventually cost a day's wages for a loaf of bread! By the time Jesus returns to rescue those saved during the Tribulation, more than 4 billion people will be dead! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. God cares about where you spend eternity and so do I.
God bless you and keep you always! 🙂
Romans 3:23 ESV
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 ESV
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:17-18 ESV
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Romans 10:9-10 ESV
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (God) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Colossians 2:14 ESV
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Romans 8:1 ESV
[1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:37 ESV
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 10:13 ESV
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.13.ESV
YOUR BIBLE STILE ALL INFORMATION and culture from From the same land they was allowed to live in! They HAD NO LAND THEY WERE NOMADS!!! After centuries of living with the people you know come up n say this is your land and this is your religion which says this is our land....OF COURSE they chased and chastized...why would u try take kill the same people who just helped you ???? Set of ungrateful people which is why war still happening...
The points of the video went completely over your head.
It's amazing that people in the 21st century still worship this ancient Jewish god.
@stevenpike7857 It's all because of the influence of the Roman empire.
@@grahamash62 A persistent remnant of our ignorant past. And you are right - it's because the Roman leader converted to Christianity and made it mainstream.
Especially since everyone now knows we made ourselves, or are here by accident
The majority of Jews are atheist or agnostic. You would know this if you actually knew any Jewish ppl.
It's because they haven't found me yet. It's ok. I'm patient. ;)
Did everybody just forget that the core point of monotheism and its reason God sent it to his prophets was because the people prayed to statues and idols, the statues were never real people that was later prayed to in the later generations. Bal is not God in the abrahamic faith, El means God and was never a statue that was prayed to. The origin of Yahweh is not that it was "merged" with the other idols, the Abrahamic faiths are very clear with that. Also a side note, Israel does not mean El Rules, the name is composed of two parts in Hebrew: Yisra and El, El is a common name or term for God, Yisra means "to struggle" or "to contend", because it was given as a name to Jacob because as God says to him "you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome".
The point i am trying to make is that Bal was their so called "original God" but it was a mere statue, the prophets came and talked the children of israel and prior into opening their eyes for their obvious Paganism. Bal is not considered a "false God" Bal is just considered a mere statue that was given value to. Even the children of Israel acknowledged that their statues did no good for them.
End point, El, Baal and Yahweh was not their "original Gods". Yahweh appeared after revelations to the prophets came. In the Abrahamic context, the term El was repurposed to refer to the one true God without implying a connection to idolatry. Only Baal is found to have been a statue that was prayed to.
Other source tells that Yahwe was originally a volcano god from arabia, and Mozes's story confirms this.
Judaism was monotheistic only in the sense that it was concerned with the worship of one particular god among many. With the line in the First Commandment, " “You shall have no other gods before me." the Bible itself says that there is more than one god.
Aren't there many gods even now?
Also the Bible considered any other « god « as a demon. Detuernomy 32:16-17
@@omarorihuela606 because they are
All one has to do is compare art works, look at the Sumerians, then the Egyptians, then these renegade goat herders... I rest my case.
...what case?
This video is predicated on the theory that the Bible was created from various external sources rather than the theory that it is an original source that deals with their faith's original oral history and theology. The theory in this video also presupposes that the first written record is the most accurate evidence, which can also presuppose that oral tradition is unreliable, as demonstrated by the "Telephone Game". There is anthropological evidence that supports the view that great care was taken by ancient societies to accurately transmit stories from one generation to the next.
The story of the Bible stands in opposition to the narrative in this video:
While it is probable that Abram (Genesis 11) was raised within a polytheist family, God chose Abram (Genesis 12), who placed his faith in the one true God and started following and discovering who God is. Abram never learns of God's name, for it is in Exodus 3:14 where "God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”, and Exodus 6:2-3 where "God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them."
Abrams's descendants did, in fact, wander away from the one true God to follow pagan religions and practices. There is no denying that the Old Testament is about God's people being unfaithful to God and God calling His people back to faithfulness.
Abram was the father of Ishmael (Genesis 16), and it is in Genesis 17 that God gives Abram a new name, Abraham. Isaac (Genesis 21) is Abraham and Sarah's second child, but Isaac is the child of God's promise. Isaac is the father of twins Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25). Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29) who bore him children (Genesis 29-30).
When Jacob flees his father-in-law, Laban, Rachael steals her father's pagan idols (household gods) and is able to hide them (Genesis 31). No motive is offered for Rachael's actions, and there is no evidence these idols became objects of her worship, or that she stole them out of spite. It is in Genesis 35:9-12 that God gives Jacob a new name, "Israel", and Jabobs descendants became Isralites.
[Quote: Genesis 35:9-12] God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”
The different names of God in the Bible do not refer to different gods within a pantheon. For example, El refers generically to a deity, and when used in reference to the true God of Israel, El is combined with nouns or adjectives (27 variations). For example, El-Shaddai is the "God of the Mountains" or "Almighty God". Cumulatively, the God of Israel is the one God of all creation. El-Kanna deals with an attribute of God, "The Jealous God". A personal God, El Yshuati, "The God of my salvation"
Read an Greek Bible from which the KJV, Bishop’s, and Geneva Bibles were copied. You’ll see what was deliberately left out. You’ll find that God was of a council of gods. The early Hebrews were quite polytheistic, often stealing stories from earlier older religions. When the Hebrews came under Babylonian influence, they began to hijack the old Sumerian and Akkad folklore and claim it as their own. Even their new “one true god” Yaweh was a minor Annunaki warrior/storm god. All religions covet from older religions.
The story of a baby floated down a river in a basket and rescued? Moses? Nope. That’s originally the story of King Sargon of Akkad that the Hebrews stole. Luckily, we have the far older original works of other cultures to verify.
@@blackhawk7r221 I have a copy of the Septuagint, and I have read it. You have an understanding that is inconsistent with established facts.
@@SpiritOnEarth Good. Now you have a source that is about as original as we can get. Now understand that we have zero Abrahamic writings older than 700BC. What we do have is steles, cylinders, and tablets in cuneiform that are some 2000 years older from a far different religion. Read them, and you will find the true sources of the myths many, many centuries before the Hebrews adopted them.
@Stephan's History of the World -- Thanks for your concise but excellent video. At ~4:25 you used the word 'Israelis' instead of 'Israelites'. Was it mispronounced, right? Thanks.
Yeah. As a Dutchy I sometimes struggle with the wording
The 22 known names of the 70 Sons (some are daughters) of El are:
Anat, Anatu, Anath
Astarte, Ashtart, Athtart
Arsu
Attar, Athtar, Ashtar
Azizos, Aziz
Baal, Ba'al, Hadad
Berith
Dagon, Dagan
Eshum
Fo
Hillel/Helel
Hey-el-el
Kothar, Katiru
Mannu-ki-ili
Mot
Shahar, Sahar
Shalim, Shalem, Salam, Salem, Salim
Shapash, Shapshu, Shapsh
Sidedon
Yahweh, YHWH
Yam, Yamm
Yarikh, Jerah, Jarah, Jorah
How distinguishing between the pre-Babylonian captivity definitions of El (God) and Elohim (sons/beings of El) versus the post-captivity syncretized definitions could resolve contradictions and cast the Yahweh figure of Genesis 2-3 in a very different light from the transcendent Elohim portrayed in Genesis 1.
Pre-Captivity Definitions:
In this framework, the supreme creator deity is simply referred to as El - God. The Elohim are understood as a pantheon or "sons of El" - lesser divine beings subordinate to El. This aligns with ancient Canaanite and older Israelite religious conceptions.
Under these definitions, the Genesis 1 account would refer to the transcendent El as the prime creator, with the Elohim (plural) potentially being celestial forces/angels enacting aspects of the creation. The Ruach Elohim (Spirit/Breath of the divine beings) hovering over the primordial waters connects to surviving traces of this worldview.
Crucially, this allows one to separate the Elohim of Genesis 1 from the distinct Yahweh Elohim first appearing in Genesis 2 to form man from the dust. Based on references like Deuteronomy 32:8-9, the pre-captivity perspective viewed Yahweh as one of the sons of El (an Elohim) rather than conflating him with El itself.
This de-syncretization casts Yahweh as a separate, lesser, more anthropomorphic deity associated with the ancient Israelites - perhaps retained from their Canaanite heritage. His behavior and commandments in Genesis 2-3 and elsewhere in the Torah would then represent the teachings of this tribal desert deity, not the supreme metaphysical creator El.
The Garden Scenario Reframed
From this vantage point, the events of Genesis 2-3 can be interpreted not as ordained by the most high El creator, but rather as humanity's initial tragic entrapment by the lesser devolved being Yahweh within his constructed realm of mortality, suffering, and cosmic privation.
Yahweh's wrathful conduct, his placing of humans under a yoke of commandments, his expulsion from Eden's paradisiacal environment, and the subsequent violent legacy of his covenants and laws all derive from the subjugating delusions and stunted, anthropocentric conception of this finite Elohim - not the infinite plenitude of the supreme El.
Contradictions Resolved
Separating El from Yahweh along the pre-captivity definitional lines could resolve contradictions in several important ways:
1) It distinguishes the transcendent, metaphysically profound cosmic creator portrayed in Genesis 1 from the all-too-human tribal deity of the remaining Torah material.
2) It allows for a reframing of the Torah's teachings around blood sacrifice, ethnic conflicts, law codes, etc. as the cultural mythological traditions of ancient Israelite history rather than attributed to the most high El itself.
3) It creates space for the Christ figure of the New Testament to represent a re-emergence of the supreme El's sovereignty and universal spiritual path - overriding the outdated covenants, ethnic segregations, and violent subjugations prescribed by the lesser Yahweh consciousness.
4) Humanity's existential struggling, our proclivity towards violence/evil, and our fundamental state of cosmic imprisonment can be metaphysically associated with the fallout of our ancient reunion from Yahweh's corrupted influence rather than the designs of the supreme El consciousness.
5) Competing depictions of the divine across different books (wrathful/peaceful, loving/cruel, spiritual/legalistic) can be added to different nodes of the El vs. Yahweh consciousness schisms.
While still requiring some nuanced interpretation, this delineation allows for a coherent reintegration of Old and New Testament perspectives under a broader metaphysical framework. It preserves the universal spiritual integrity of the highest Creator from the cultural mythological contexts surrounding the more finite tribal deity Yahweh.
By embracing the pre-syncretized definitions and recognizing the conflation of El and Yahweh as a later imposition, one can reconnect with deep streams of ancient Hebrew theological diversity. This presents an intellectually robust path for understanding the unified trajectory of the biblical texts as exploring a single universetheological consciousness's reassertion over more contingent, anthropomorphized deviations and exiles.
Exodus 15
Names of God Bible
2 Yah is my strength and my song.
He is my Savior.
This is my El, and I will praise him,
my father’s Elohim, and I will honor him.
Fascinating and thought provoking. Thank you for compiling the information and presenting it in such a clear and informative manner.
Thank you, this was very well presented!
Brilliant - a video that just gets straight to the point.
“God is One” was the belief held by Abraham who came to realize that the idols of the day were not God. After he destroyed all the idols manufactured in his father’s factory, He was then told by the One God to leave the country of his birth to the Country of Israel to which he was led by God, as per the Old Testament.
its a story, its mythology that was created to give old Israel an origin myth. its not that different from the others that were circulating at the time.
He "came to realize"? Can you explain this better?
@@michaelfisher7170no, as if you check inspiring philosophy video about genesis, you would in fact see how much of génesis does describe a previous time in a precise way of behavior of the era and not in the mossaic times in which culture was different
You’d think since he was going to all that trouble, he’d… i don’t know…. Come up with a DIFFERENT name for the godhead instead of retaining the name of a member of a pantheon. He should have cut the cord, Abraham was a fool as well as a pntheist.
@@michaelfisher7170 ...and it's a story that has undergone multiple revisions in order to suit the beliefs and purposes of later people.
Yhwh is literally ' breath in, breath out ' a perspective of life for the Divine.
Not to be combined with Baal etc who are demons.
That’s silly- you must have missed the facts being presented. El and Baal are in the same family of imaginary beings. Baal wasn’t a demon until the cult of El’s son Yahweh remixed the pantheon to their liking.
@@Katnip452Biblically El is Yahweh and the son of Yahweh is Yahweh. the Ugarit do not mention Yahweh. Yahweh is not related to the words for breath at all it is derrived from the verb "to be." I AM. His name distinguishes himself from all the other gods who are not. It actually doesnt make any sense linguistically for Yahweh to be a contingent offspring of a higher deity.
@ What about his wife, Asherah, and his father, El? I encourage you to watch Dr. Justin Sledge lectures on Esoterica to learn the history of Yahweh and stop with the Joyce Meyer baloney about breath. He was a mountain war god and changed a number of times in family, attributes and history. He’s not a real person, not a “he,” not a god and not a true thing. Just a cartoon character they keep drawing differently.
@@Katnip452 Id encourage everyone to stop sniffing whatever Joyce Meyer is puffing. Your and Dr. Sledges beliefs do not hinge upon the esoteric but pieces of tangiable evidence that do not exist. The Israelites worshipped Asherah her name appears in the old Testament 19 times. Yahweh is El and he does have a son Yahweh. The canaanite baal cycle was pressed into clay around the time of king David. Too late to matter if it did reference Yahweh. It doesnt.
Thank you. The way you presented it was sublime!!
It's astounding to me that this stuff is hiding in plain sight, but Christians still do all their mental gymnastics to rationalize that their god is the one and only
Abraham was not a polytheist this is why he left Babylon. There wasn’t may gods who told him to leave, just one.
Abraham is fictional character.
@ is So who was the first man named Abraham? This wasn’t his real name this is what he was called. It mean without god “ah-Bramah” a-barama a-brahiem, English put the hard A’s on it. Rama means king. This man left civilization when the Tower of Babel fell in search for the truth because the deceivers changed the words and the meaning of the words. Just like a narcissist to blame others for what they do. Just like Buddha who left everything and the Pilgrims who fled actual oppression and persecution. These days political opposition gets many labels, racist, bigot, sexist, Islamo-homo-phobic and fascist back then being called a witch was enough. I see you duel aspect of the true nature of The Way of thing? Is it not the teachings of a messenger from long ago? For a religion is a reflection of the teachings of the messengers.
88. Jesus said, "The messengers and the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you. You, in turn, give them what you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what belongs to them?'"
When will the aliens land on the White House lawn because they are sure making themselves known. The answers to which you seek are not where you think but where they tell you not to look. Jubilees, Maccabees, Enoch and of corse Thomas for starters.
Atheists use argument of silence again 😂😂
@@oferreiradelima4436 Abraham means without god, a-Brahma. He went into the wilderness, just like Buddha, just like the pilgrims. People get caught up in a web of lies surrounded by man made things and believing what they have been told to think by others for the true function of the cities is to disconnect us from nature and thus God as the Tower of Babel was the quintessential essential public works project, money scheme, the original Bridge to Nowhere. It was the deceivers that changed the words and the meanings of words as they do today for a narcissist always accuses the other of what they do.
If you tell a child they can be anything they want when they grow up then they believe they can be something they’re not. Makes one want to run away and find what’s real?
One God Most High, Amen
This is such an eye-opening exploration of the origins of Yahweh and the transition from polytheism to monotheism in Judaism! I’m particularly intrigued by the references to Yahweh and Asherah, how widespread was this belief, and how did it influence later monotheistic practices?
This is simply an hypothesis and should be treated as such. Jesus loves you.
Jesus existence is also a hypothesis
Jesus's existence is also a hypothesis
Very good, we have to open our eyes and learn more and more.
Professional critique: It would be helpful to some viewers if you’d cite your sources.
For examples, scholars use Bekker numbers when citing Aristotle. When referencing the Bible, could you please supply book, chapter and verse? As for the tablet you mentioned, there must be some official citation method for it like line number.
Will do. Didnt know the video would blow up so much. So was a bit lazy before.
The Ugarit text is written in somali language. Gods mentioned in Baal Cycle all have somali names, Baal, El, Mot, Yam, Anot, Dagan, Atrat etc. Baal = Wing, El = Waterwell, Mot = Death, Yam = Water, Anot = Springtime-cresent, Dagan = fertile-land, atrat = type of cloud of a particular rainy season. Also there is a god called Nlil = life, it is the opposite of Mot.
The names of the places have also somali names such as Ugarit, Lqq, Ebla, habigalbet, mtian, etc. Ugarit = hunters, it can also be used fishers, luqaq = Mazes, Ebla = blameless/pure, habigalbet = Western-river, mitian = twins. Hebrews use somali terms such as Baal, Yahwe and Adon. Adon means “slave”, but when one is Adon/Slave to the real God, he himslef becomes “Master” to all those who didn’t reach that level of devotion to God. So for example, all the prophets are Adons to God and Masters/Lords to their people.
Allah is the most high = El. The fact the Canaanites had also El is not a problem; the problem is the association-shirk. Probably Jewish rabbii wanted to distance them selves for the true name since it was adopted by Canaanites. Allah SWT existed before the children of Israel and he was known in the region since Noah.
In Deuteronomy 10:17 it actually says that Elohim and Yahweh are both identical with El, the most high. You have to get the original Hebrew words there (e.g. from footnotes to a good translation). Otherwise it sounds like nonsense like “God is the God of Gods”. It is actually a very important verse.
HERE I AM
Yahweh is a subordinate entity to El. You can't refer to content without context. The context of who The Elohim are and who El is (and who Yahweh is) is well-established before Deuteronomy was written. In fact, the context of all those entities (and they're each distinct) was well established centuries before any part of the Torah was written. The biblical authors merely revised pre-biblical Canaanite myth in order to "frankenstein" together a new dogma by switching characters around and re-editing all the back-stories.
@@Red_Black_Key Yes, I think that's fair to say. They established monotheism by making all these deities into one retroactively.
In Genesis this even leads to duplication between Elohim and Yahweh.
@@erikt1713 Yeah, the "merger technique" for sure. Pharoah Akhenaten actually attempted the same thing to shift Ancient Egypt into "merged-monotheism" like that under Aten during the 18th Dynasty (before Torah was written). They even suggest Akhenaten's monotheistic shift probably inspired the biblical authors to follow.
@erikt1713 elohim is plural. Singular means they are the same will. Wisdom leads to counting known gods in the Bible that are sovereign yet in the same will and may serve different purposes. Elohim, Jesus, hokyspirit.. that is 3 male gods in same will. Now the other one is ancient of days as a soviern entity in gods will which we will refer to as elohim. Elohim is not a name like ours because you only know Jesus name so it's like somewhat more thsn an entitlement. Ancient of days, how can that be a God on elohims level. There is only one way to prove it for sure. Ancient of days bestows all honor power and glory unto a Him.. what Him is that,Jesus of course . The elohim and El shaddai do it when Jesus is baptized. And Dan 7 is regading other things , like beast w iron teeth is industrialization. Now aod set the directions and interesting that the Aztec calender came true to be wisened as an end to old and a start to new. Such is revelations in rev 12.
Thank you for linking your sources for the video... Is there somewhere that one could find the citations for the video.
Most are from the sources listed, I think. Is there anything you are looking for?
0:46 Actually El is the Father of the pantheon of these Gods, senior son being Baal who later becomes Yahweh who says to Jerusalemites I am no more your Baali but Ishi - Hosea 2:16. The Greek God Zeus and his sons is modeled on El and his god sons - Elohim. Yahweh started out as a lone God from Midian which is now Saudi Arabia. Moses would've been a Midianite like Jethro the Midianite priest of this God- see Map of Moses Moving to Midian - Headwaters - Christian Resources. El's 70 godsons to each be the god of the 70 tribes - Deut 32:8 CEB, ESV. These Gods would've been territorial Gods, presiding over certain areas - family /tribal Gods - hence the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
4QDeutj (the Dead Sea Scrolls version)
"When Elyon gave the nations as an inheritance, when he separated the sons of man, he set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God (bny 'l[hym]). For Yahweh's portion was his people; Jacob was the lot of his inheritance".
Thank you! It's funny that the drawings show animals that look fairly normal while the god and his wife don't.
Simply stunning. PH.D Michael S.. Heiser established that Elohim is singular and plural. He effectively explained how Elohim was single or plural, as in the case of Yahweh.🙏
You don’t get it.
El/Yahweh is Cush. Baal is Nimrod/Lucifer. ( י ה ו ה), Yod~Heh~Vav~Heh, YHWH is the negro moon god of Jewish mysticism, Kabbala, Freemasonry, & Judeo Christianity. Yahweh is Michael Heiser’s god not JESUS. (John 8:19-59) JESUS is not Jewish. (John 10:26) Jews are not JESUS’ SHEEP.
It´s too much of a coincidence that judaism went monoteist and all about an ethical god, at a time that cannot be objectively separated from when they were released from exile by the persians, that happened to also believe in a single, ethical god: It´s hard not to see the roots of judaism in zoorastrianism.
Zoroastrianism is the least dangerous of the monotheistic franchises of religion.
Job is a Zoroastrian story translated into Hebrew and added to the canon.
After the Exile too, it is notable that the Hebrews become more "civilised". Which was rather the objective. I tend to admire the Babylonians, they didn't simply wipe out the annoying Hebrews, they civilised them.
@@EbenBransome Thanks for your insight and take on this thread. Good thoughts, good words and good deeds!
Exciting lecture, thank you
Very interesting. Thanks for posting this.
3:04 the word "seems" is really convicing
bit like the bible
Yeah, seems. Speaking in absolutes in a field full of conjecture is more of an apologetic tactic
Well, if Judaism could put three gods into one, why couldn't Christianity?
Judas Priests copied and stole that narrative from the Hindu _Trimurti,_ a triad of the deities Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (or vice versa).
@user-l4y7r04wy6iv Isn't it more likely that they had the same idea, like inventing the wheel in different parts of the planet at the same time? What could the tribes of Jews bordering the Egyptian empire have known about the religion of the Indo valley?
@@rivertonhigh-v4tthose Judas Priests had another thing coming
@@rivertonhigh-v4t they copied nothing from Hindus
The concept of three deities is way old and traces it's roots back to early indo european myths
@@rivertonhigh-v4tlook at the geographic locations of India and Palestine and then take a look at yourself
Amazing scholarship
they only come with gods thing after getting out from egypt, mixed every single stories of gods from every single tribes they met.
thats all.
that three gods existed long before they even stepfoot in the land of levant and set-up a few tents which later their story teller ( something like todays reporters? influencers? news anchors? & etc ) axegerated and told other nomadic desert tribes as a kingdom, and yes the few hectres of farmland they stole it from native villagers... such as those am me lek and when villagers fighback they massacre them and twisted it as something devine....
no wonder ppl like karl mark said religion is an opium.
enuf is enuf
that is the title of the video you mentioned at the end ?
Sad when our god kills his brother and sister gods and erases them from history or turns them into villains. We never really get to know our lost gods. And what we know of our own god is a fiction he made to cover his crimes.
Your Gods can kill siblings and get killed (they have death) so where did they come from, who created them who can die? This proves your Gods are not the supreme or the all powerful.
The current version used one of his sons as a human sacrifice to himself.
7:31 ware can I find this in the bible: “ In the bible, we also read that El, here a god of the entire earth, dividend up the nations of the world among his sons, giving Israël to his son Yaweh.”
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2032%3A8-9&version=NIV
The first commandment reads: "thou shalt have no other gods BEFORE ME".
I interpret that as saying it is OK to have other gods just as long as they are not elevated OVER yahweh. Otherwise, what is the purpose of tacking on the words "before me"
The I of I Am, is first - anything you add to that - such as a man, a musician, a worthy of unworthy person - are all secondary and derivative. True currency is not taken off and worked in private to use for self-upmanship, but truly moved, and this congruent rather than artificially presented.
The self can be as conflicted as the 'War in Heaven' to which the early symbolic development of self-conscious renders as what we now call 'mythological beliefs' - because our beliefs are 'enlightened'.
The corollary in Christian teaching is Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added ye.
But Jesus taught recognition in love - who has seen Me has seen the Father. Clearly not a Terror God demanding sacrifice -or Else!
Whatever we give priority to will represent our purpose, as decision. That we can give priority to self-illusion is very evident after the bubble has popped. If you read the words aloud in your heart as you speak them with your mouth, what meaning resonates?
But it is simply so that all cultures of antiquity experiences a psychic or felt existence that has been associated with imbalance, excess, chaos, fear, and assigned to a 'lower nature' under a 'hier-archical' control - that generates order but at cost of felt participance.
Distrust of psychic 'power' suppressed and limited mind. Now we have a distrust of freedom to question - lets all migrate to a screen world under technocratic elitism that runs cannibalistic as did Saturn.
It also implies that there are other gods.
It could mean you shall not serve anyone else before me. Meaning his instructions supercede those of your king, emperor or government
But right afterwards it says: "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them". This contradicts your interpretation. Perhaps the phrase 'before me' meant something slightly different back then?
@@MrMathoks It clearly says other Gods,not humans
Well my father has many names I don’t call him any but my FATHER I CALL JESUS MY SAVIOR AND JESUS ALSO I SAY THE TRUE KING OF ISRAEL BUT KNOW THIS……GOD HAS NEVER SPOKEN TO ME NEITHER HAS JESUS BUT WHEN I GOT MY DEVINE ENCOUNTER IT WAS GABRIEL THIS HAPPENED 3 YEARS AGO AND I WAS SHOWN IN A DREAM ABOUT 1 month THAT IT WAS Gabriel AND HIS ROLE as THE MESSENGER my God when you get to Jesus baby, you get excited❤
Asherah was in the Bible too. God was jealous of the Asherah poles people kept putting up in the High Places and blamed the early kings for not rooting out the heretics.
Correction: the particular faction that wrote that verse was on the anti-Asherah team...while other biblical authors working under other theologies were not. "God" was not jealous because both El and Yahweh were in alliance with Asherah under the original theology; it was the later theologies and their factions that became extremists and anti-Asherah over times. The Torah is a multi-century long fan-fiction written by different authors with conflicting theologies all attempting to remix their own versions and revise the backstories to conform to their competing narratives. It's not an unified voice of a singular "God" at all.....quite the contrary.
@@Red_Black_Key the pro asherah texts were just redacted. we know because theyre missing. Lol.
@@adamh5153 This is a testable hypothesis. They wouldn't be missing entirely, only missing from the Torah.
@Tzizenorec The Israelites killed their prophets and worshipped Asherah and Baal and Dagon and Marduk more often than they did not. Thats the Torah.
@@Tzizenorec That's like saying book-burning should leave evidence of which books were burned.
The Bible quotes God as saying, "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil." First Commandment also states, "Thou shall have no other god before me." In the English of King James's time, "before" would mean "more important than," not "except," implying the existence of other deities who were inferior to Yahweh in the same way as, for instance, the Norse gods were all ruled by Odin and the Greek gods by Zeus.
In the first part of the Hebrew scriptures, God is repeatedly named as Elohim. In ancient Canaanite "Elohim" translates as "the sons and daughters of El", chief god of the Canaanite religions. There are many other places where such relics of the original religion are found, some of them very obvious. At some point there was a takeover, a grab for power by the priesthood and followers of Yah, the storm/war god, among the Israeli people. Or maybe they were just really good talkers. Nothing in the Jewish scriptures or Old Testament takes into account the Late Bronze Age Collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean, the known facts of which render the Biblical stories of enslavement, exodus and invasion of Canaan impossible.
Honestly the part where YHWH says "I'm the one your ancestors called El-Shaddai" is a massive give away. It's so counter-factual. "Oh, they worshipped a different God?! Uggggghh... that... was... the same god as well actually...! It just had a different name, properties, aesthetics..."
It is not impossible at all. In fact, the exodus easily could have contributed to the bronze age collapse, if not downright causing it. When the most powerful nation and hub of trade in the region(Egypt) suddenly experiences massive plagues followed by the abrupt loss of most of its workforce, what do you think is going to happen if not a sharp economic collapse? And as for the vague similarities between Israeli and Canaanite Gods, do not forget that Melchezidek and others were recorded as having been believers in Abraham's God's despite not being obviously related to Abraham. Some speculate that Melchezidek was king of Salem, which was at or near the Jebusites. It is entirely possible that if Israel(Jacob) did flee to Egypt circa 1800 BC then the Egyptians would initially consider his family just as Canaanites, until they fled under Moses and became their own unique nation around 1300 BC. By that time, the Canaanite nations had corrupted the original faith and mixed it into their pagan worship. Israel still saw El and Yahweh as separate beings at this time and would not try to fuse them into one until the Deuteronomists took over centuries later. The point is, the evidence is easily reconcilable with the majority of the biblical record.
YHWY was the creator of the entire universe and all the beings (humans and spritual). Mankind was deceived in the Garden by a spiritual being, the Satan who was the leader of a rebellion of spiritual beings. These spiritual beings called Watchers, left their abode in heaven, and came to earth and married women and had offspring, called the Nephilim. Some of these Nephilim became known as gods, as they were greater in height and stature compared to humans. The Watchers, Nephilim, and their descendents of the Nephilim, were opposed to YHWY and brought much evil to the world. God destroyed the entire remnant of the Nephilim by commanding Moses and Joshua and other Israelite leaders to do so, promising them that His power would be with them. The original Watchers were put in confinement in Hades, for later annihilation.
So, all gods are man's invention.
Not Jesus
@@JohnGrandline jesus as well
Indeed
"gods" Yes.
@@JohnGrandline 🤭🤭🤭😇
I remember reading the part of the Bible mentioned in the video saying he was the supreme deity of the council of gods. Fundamentalists don't seem to mention this at all. I once read this represented a system called Henotheism, where you believe there are many gods but you worship just one of them.
There are also the ambiguous "nephilim" mentioned in passing in Genesis. The name is associated with giants and "fallen ones". Presumably they were demi-gods -- children of various gods.
The Jewish Sabbath ritual begins with the woman of the house bringing and blessing a candle, which is very much in keeping with the Greek traditions of the Goddess Hestia. Hestia is the humble maintainer of the hearth and home, which is viewed as the cornerstone of all civilization.
I just ordered the hardback version of your book on Amazon, based on this video and a quick scan of the digital version. This kind of stuff is right up my alley.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading it.
Yeeees! Thanks!
This is a logical, historical interpretation of the Bible. This is not accurately told. The Bible or god Yahweh is not accurate here. The wording, meaning, of Yahweh and the word god in Hebrew is completely different from the heiroplyphic cultures around at the time. God in Hebrew means power. He is called most high for that reason. The universe is about 6000 yrs old at the most.
So Lucifer would be a revision of that morning star deity.
It's interesting that Deuteronomy has a verse warning against worshipping the sun, moon, and stars. And that later on Jeremiah says that god controls them. It seems like there was an active phasing out of those gods existence after they were no longer worshipped.
thanks for the illustrative qualifiers. Very approachable overall.
The claim that ancient Israel was originally polytheistic, with Yahweh, El, and Baal as part of a “divine family,” draws primarily from archaeological findings at Ugarit, an ancient Canaanite city. Texts from Ugarit describe a pantheon where El is the chief god, Asherah is his consort, and Baal is a storm god. Some scholars suggest that early Israelites adopted elements of this Canaanite religion before transitioning to monotheism. However, this interpretation misunderstands both the biblical account and the cultural and theological distinctions of ancient Israel.
The Bible explicitly refutes polytheism, affirming that Yahweh is the one true God. From Genesis onward, the worship of Yahweh as distinct from other gods is central to Israel’s identity. While the Israelites did occasionally fall into idolatry, worshiping Baal or other gods (as recorded in the books of Judges and Kings), these instances are always portrayed as acts of rebellion against Yahweh, not evidence of polytheistic origins. Archaeological findings, such as inscriptions mentioning “Yahweh and his Asherah,” reflect syncretism-instances where Israelites adopted pagan practices-but do not prove that Israel’s faith was inherently polytheistic. Instead, these deviations align with the Bible’s account of Israel struggling to remain faithful to God in a pagan environment.
Moreover, Yahweh is not mentioned in the Ugaritic texts as part of the Canaanite pantheon. Attempts to link Yahweh with El, the chief deity of the Ugaritic texts, or Baal are speculative. The Bible does occasionally use titles like “El” or “Elohim” for Yahweh, but this is because “El” was a generic term for “god” in the ancient Near East, not because Yahweh was equated with the Canaanite El. Similarly, while Baal was a prominent Canaanite deity, the Bible consistently portrays Yahweh as the one true God in opposition to Baal, with stories like Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) emphasizing this distinction.
In conclusion, the suggestion that Israel was originally polytheistic misrepresents both the biblical narrative and the nature of ancient Israelite religion. Any overlap in language or titles between Yahweh and Canaanite deities reflects the shared cultural context of the ancient Near East but does not indicate theological continuity. The biblical witness, supported by Israel’s distinct practices and self-understanding, affirms that Yahweh was always worshiped as the one true God, with polytheistic practices seen as corruption rather than origin.
Are you interested in the truth or are you trying to defend Israelo-Judaism? YHWH is a Canaanite god.
I mean, here’s the thing… I suppose you could say monotheism is better than polytheism. No why should that be. Because it’s logical that should be one God? Why? If there’s one god, why not have a few? So then you are embarrassed by that idea so you like them and we’re gonna have one god and I’m gonna tell you about this God God’s gonna be all good all knowing all nice all special sometimes inscrutable sometimes irascible sometimes he’s going to tell us to go in and kill people etc. etc. but we don’t question this God etc. because this is the one god and since it’s the one god it must be the one true God it’s just a circular logic.
"A book written in Babylon in about 6th century BCE from oral traditions is more reliable than records written at the time by literate civilisations" - that's your argument.
Very well said, totally agreed.
It would be very interesting to have a source link to the particular texts in the Bible.
Deuteronomy 32:7-9
"Remember the days of old; consider the years long past; ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you.
When El Elyon (the Most High) apportioned the nations, when he divided humankind, he fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the gods/sons of god; Yahweh’s portion was his people, Jacob his allotted share."
Exodus 6:3
"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, as El Shaddai. Yet by My Name, Adonai/Yahweh, did I not make Myself known to them."
@@KasperKatje Thank you. I will study your information.
@@arjanlammerdin8539 extra info: for the Deuteronomy verses I used the oldest manuscripts. KJV etc. will state "sons of Israel".
When you quote the Bible could you give the reference please.
He couldn't. His quotes are embellished
The YT Channel ‘Inspiring Philosophy’ is currently doing a live ‘debunk’ of this video. You might want to review some highlights you agree and disagree with.
Might be a way to open a dialog. But, we’ll see who wants to talk or not (as opposed to firing response videos off the port bow, so to speak).
Cool. I checked but didnt see anything. Where can I find it?
Ah, found it in the live tab. Ive seen the first few minutes and the guy seems to give a rational critique. Not just hating. I hope it stays this way throughout. That type of critique is always more than welcome.
Deut. 32:8, not "sons of Israel" rather "sons of Elohim" according to the DSS. To me, it makes more sense to reject the exodus story, and realize that Israel simply distinguished themselves from the surrounding Canaanites by eventually going monotheistic; in doing this they smeared together El and Yahweh (and eventually down-played El).
It can't be dismissed since alot of archeological evidence has been found to support the exodus!
I posted this elsewhere, but there is Assyrian evidence that Moses was real, c. 1200BCE, and led a group of Akhnaten worshippers out of Egypt.
According to the Assyrians, Moses and his lot reached Canaan not in 40 years but about 2 weeks. I guess if you had to listen to Moses it would feel like 40 years, though.
Moses then embarked on forced conversion to his religion and, as usual, incorporated the old religion into his new one.
@@EbenBransome Some people think that Moses WAS Akhenaten, which seems simpler to me.
@@fredisfast Makes no sense, since he died in Egypt. It's no different from the Boer Trek, the Mormon Trek or the Protestant departures for the Americas - charismatic leaders get people to follow them to somewhere where they can do the oppressing instead of being oppressed themselves.
The following scripture is why God chose Abraham, it was to bring the Messiah using the nation of Israel. The Jewish temple and pattern were a type and shadow of the heavenly.
The temple was destroyed to get the Jews to move on, that convenient was replaced with the gospel and blood of Jesus and pouring out of Holy Spirit on all obedient believers. Devils believe and tremble, don't mock God.
God said utterly destroy men, women and children so Israel would not fall into idolatry and paganism.
KJV Genesis 18:19
[19]For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
God is still looking for who so ever will obey and follow.
All gods are man-made and there are 10s of thousands of them.
You’re not describing Gods then are you? Just fictions. Ontologically Gods are not made by men and are usually “real” possessing a substance of some kind. By your own statement Gods are real but they are not substantive.
@@way2tehdawn All gods are man-made and there are 10s of thousands of them, that means ALLGODS. My belief is in a single creator that never communicated with humans to start any of the cults. Google Panentheism.
@Rajul_Jamil when I finally grew up, it shocked me how glaringly obvious it was that we humans make our "God"s in our own image...how contrary to the reality of it Genesis is.
@@JimmyMatis-h9y Google Panentheism.
All deities except for God Almighty.
The rest are human machinations or demonic entities, with false personae, trying to lure humans further away from God.
And it's millions... not thousands.
Biblical scholar, here.
I noticed your very gracious comment on IP's terrible video review of your presentation here, and I wanted you to know that if you do choose to respond to him, then please be sure to not just take his or Joel Korytko's word for everything said there. Michael Jones simply does not grasp why scholars are generally convinced about the strong correlations between the earliest phases of YHWH worship and other Canaanite religions. He cherry picks from Mark Smith's very interesting book, "God in Translation," without clearly understanding it, and the larger argument Smith is making for precisely how and where in the Bible we can see the developing fusion between the ancient High god, El, and the secondary deity, YHWH.
I will be doing a stream responding to Jones this week on my channel, and I encourage you to watch.
Havent had the time to watch the video yet, let alone prepare a response. Lots of other things going on in my life at the moment. I think I will have to let it go.
Those descriptions of the “gods” sound a lot like extraterrestrials than some supernatural beings. They may have had powers that made them seem to be godlike in their eyes.
Exodus 22:28 "Thou shalt not revile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people". God is telling people that there are other gods?
gods meant ruler of the country.
Yes, that's why you can find the names of El, Baal, Asherah etc. in the bible.
I had heard that the ancient Israelites came from the area that is now Iraq.
At 6:30, the Kuntillet Ajrud potsherd, did you notice the pole reversal? Yahweh Jr. is tripping Yahweh Sr./EL.
Israel means struggle with God in Hebrew. In what language does Israel mean? "El rules"? Assyrian, Akkadian, Aramaic...?
Modern scholars generally think that "El" is a _subject_ in the name, not an object. So instead of "struggle with El (God)" it would be "El (God) struggles." The root for "struggle" also commonly gets translated as "contends." That's how I've generally seen it translated ("El (God) contends"), but the root for "contends" _does_ also seem to be cognate with a root meaning "rule," such that there's some overlap in the meanings.
The story in Genesis where Jacob wrestles with God is probably a folk etymology.
It is commonly assumed "Israel" as "struggle with God" is a folk etymology. Genesis is full of them, where the meaning of words was guesed at the time long after the original meaning was forgotten. "El rules" seems linguistically more sensible. Thats about what I know about it.
Ah, this is even better than what I wrote
To my understanding the word Israel came about to distinguish the children of the Patriarch Abraham through his son Isaac, the children of his son through Jacob and there from his twelve sons. Abraham was then worshipping the One and Living God and so did all his descendants share his faith to this day. I just am curious where all the foreign gods in the video arose from. Yes, some from among the children of the twelve sons of Jacob did get contaminated by the pagan gods of the Egyptians when they were in Egypt before the deliverance by Moses. But, weren't they purified before the Lord approved of their entry into the Holy Land?
Christians all believe that Jesus is the Lord God of the Old Testament Who showed Himself as Man. But, there are so many people who wish to have exciting recipes to pollute the Christian Faith.
I understand " Variety is the spice of life." However, Truth cannot be polluted. It's Jesus Who tells us: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life - (refering to Himself as the visible God-made Man).
No one comes to the Father ( refering to Himself as the invisible Almighty and Eternal God - the supreme Creator of the whole Universe).
God loves and blesses all who believe and all who are generous to open their hearts to Him.
The issue there is with your quote 'I am the way, the truth and the life'. Prove that Jesus actually said that as it is only said in John not the other 3 gospels. And John's opening is platonic philosophy setting Jesus up as the 'logos' so the 'logos is the way, the truth and the life'. Anywhere in John you can swap out the word Jesus, with the word logos.
The only truth is objective truths (like maths proofs) and the bible teaches subjective truths which is why there are 1000's of denominations. We can prove and agree 1 + 1= 2, but one can't prove that a book said someone said something. It would be like trying to prove Shakespeare's plays are documentaries.
So they had several made-up gods instead of just one made-up god?
it sounds as though the entire thing were made up! lol.
Is there any source of information that allah is derived from el-la, a feminine form of el, that means singular goddess?
There’s no evidence for that, (la) means “no” and it has no relation to Allah.
Atheists should study Arabic and should stop using GENETIC FALLACY ; 😂
Atheists are disproving beliefs that Bible & Quran never claim instead of disproving the ACTUAL claims of Bible & Quran 😂
I have always found it so ridiculous that anything the Jewish people’s ancient writings say about where they came from who their fathers were etc etc is never true unless some heathen scratched something about them but god forbid you just take a people’s word
The Hebrews didn't become literate till the Exile and were dependent on oral tradition. We're taking the evidence of literate societies. However by writing "some heathen" you display bottomless ignorance about the Near East.
The writings of an advanced culture versus the oral tradition of a tribe recently emerged from nomadism?
Seems rather defensive. I have some Jewish blood, but I don’t believe for a second that any god chose my ancestors. How about look at the evidence; we evolved religion just as we evolved everything else. Grow up.
@@EbenBransomeagreed.
@@BudoReflex I have some Southern Jewish ancestry (via Italy), it's just a fact with no special significance.
Could you explain to me why it's said in some places that yahweh and Baal are the offspring of the high god El. Thanks
Only in the new testament where Yahweh is identified as the son of Yahweh who is himself identical with the most high God. El whom Abraham worshipped exclusively.
No where is Yahweh Identified by the baal cycle of the ugarit as stated in the video.
Baal is not of Isreali origin nor even accepted with the jews...has nothing to do with them
Watch the video again.
@@Narrowcros oh dude it's in bible , quran and old testament
@@anj7502 As a refrence to what the phenocians used to bieleve and they got it from mesoptomia
@@Narrowcros yahweh but yahweh itself was a part of canine orgin of israel where he was god of thunder or something who was among yahweh , baal , el etc after israel splitted from canines they worshiped only yahwel making him god of israelites as they believed he help them free frrom slavery yahweh was regionalised god who was not made universal until the time of issiah even old testament confirms its not monotheistic its HENOTHEISTIC which contradicts islam claims ?
1. El and Yahweh
In ancient Canaanite religion, El was the supreme god of the pantheon, often considered the head of the divine council. He was depicted as the father of gods and the creator deity in the Canaanite mythology. El was associated with creation, wisdom, and rulership.
Yahweh, on the other hand, is the name of the God of Israel, and in early biblical texts, Yahweh seems to have had a more localized or regional role, initially as a warrior god or storm deity. Over time, Yahweh's role expanded, and he became the sole, universal God of the Israelites, associated with monotheism in later biblical texts.
Some scholars argue that Yahweh might have originated as a regional god of the Israelites (possibly from the southern areas like Edom or Midian), and his nature gradually absorbed or supplanted older Canaanite deities such as El. This theory is supported by some linguistic and archaeological evidence suggesting that Yahweh may have been originally considered a son or aspect of El before he became the singular deity worshipped by the Israelites.
2. Yahweh as the Son of El?
There is evidence in certain ancient texts that Yahweh may have originally been understood as a kind of subordinate figure or even a son of El. In some Canaanite traditions, the younger gods (like Baal) were depicted as sons of El, and there are references in ancient Israelite texts that might suggest a similar relationship between Yahweh and El, especially in early, non-monotheistic texts. For example, in the Ugaritic texts (from the ancient city of Ugarit, modern-day Ras Shamra, Syria), El is portrayed as a father god, and other gods, like Baal, are seen as his sons. Some scholars have suggested that Yahweh may have once been viewed in a similar way before becoming the sole God of Israel.
This is an informative, short video for those who have a short attention span. Most people these days spend most of their time on tik tok. From a former old bible believer, good job Sir!
It's funny that Israelites were Canaanites lol.
They called themselves “alien residents” and lived a nomadic life in tents before going to Egypt to keep themselves separate from Canaanites and their worship.
(Hebrews 11:9-10) By faith he (Abraham) resided as an alien in the land of the promise as in a foreign land, and dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the very same promise. 10 For he was awaiting the city having real foundations, the builder and maker of which [city] is God.
@@jepizzo2 Stop referencing a fantasy book. They didn't go to Egypt. Archaeology proves you wrong, grow up.
@@jepizzo2 They were LITERALLY an offshoot group of Canaanite/Phoenicians that splintered off to start a new cult. We have the archeology to show it; we also have their linguistics (Hebrew is a derivative of Canaanite/Ugaritic) and even the theology of the Torah is just poorly edited/remixed version of the very same Canaanite theology that predates it by centuries. 😂
@dreadtrain2846 What Archaeology?
@@that39warguy6 There is literally NO archaeological evidence that a mass of Jews ever entered or exited Egypt at that time, none, zilch, zero. They were originally
Canaanites according to ALL evidence. You can learn more using Google. This is open knowledge, easily accessible by anyone with the internet. If you actually cared about the truth, you would have looked it up yourself.
Miss the Egyptian source of their texts (remember Moses?) and resulting early philosophies and you'll miss the obvious first "god" which is still in use. It was Amen, aka Amun, the god of AmenMoses. The references to multiple gods is a hold over from the philosophies encoded in the symbolism of the Ogdoad, aka the *. where Amen was Cheif and there are seven aspects. This is what the Elohim flows from, before the other names and expectations came into play after associations with Canaan.
Yeah, there are far more layers to add and discuss.
He also didn't mention the Yahweh from Teman part, showing Yahweh originated as a storm/vulcano god on mount Seir (also mentioned in Songs) .
Or the adoption of theological important numbers, like 12 (and probably 7) from Egypt and 40 from Enki.
Israel never became polytheistic. If you read the Bible it's clear that a portion, or remnant which was faithful to the One True and Living God. But, at all times there was anywhere from a faction to a majority of people who worshipped baal, or some other false god
It started as polytheistic and then became monotheistic.
@@Ninjaskeptic No, it DIDN'T!! That's LITERALLY what separated Isreal from all the other nations, they were the only monotheist nation and that's why God made them his chosen people.
@auroraoghene8073 The ignorance is palpable. I guess I'll ignore all the evidence to the contrary and take the word of someone whose entire worldview relies upon truth claims, not evidence. You should be questioning your own beliefs, not imposing blatantly inaccurate opinions. Come back with verifiable claims, and we'll talk 😁.
@@auroraoghene8073 and what’s the name of the one true God…. As revealed by that God maybe? I Am? El?
Lots of nations happily tell themselves they are the "master race" because... they say so. That aint no effin evidence.
Much of the early Old Testament expresses neither polytheism nor monotheism but henotheism which is the acknowledgement of many gods but the worship of just one of them. It’s easy to understand how this might be a stage in the progression from polytheism to monotheism and it is captured in the OT whereas modern Judaism and Christianity acknowledge the existence of no other gods but might have subsumed them into characters named as angels or other supernatural beings.
So Baal and ashera were original and the monotheistic part was actually a betrayal of the original, these are things not taught in church.
Just because they were worshipped before the one true God doesn't make them true.
The Hebrew Bible acknowledged that people worshipped false Gods before the true God.
Abraham broke the false Idols statues of his father...
I don't understand how it changes anything.
@achilles7607 so the one true God wasn't capable of a solo act from the beginning? Kind of a Beatles before John Lennon solo? My problem is that if God is perfect and eternal why wasn't it that way from the start, not even a new name. Baal is one of the first known death and resurrection deities, add that Baal was the son of El and it's not even a little suspicious that the same story was blended back in with Christianity and Jesus Christ. This is God! He either had the power to speak truth to the world or not. From the Zoroastrian, to Judism, and the split of Christianity and Muslim, God seems to change the plan every couple of thousand years.
@achilles7607 let's put it this way if someone told you that the Bible got it wrong and calling God Jesus Christ was wrong. They made it illegal to worship Jesus and even put people to death over it. Would you stop? That is EXACTLY what happened to Baal and Ashera worshipers when it all went monotheistic.
@@achilles7607 It looks like evidence to the contrary won't sway you from what you've been brainwashed into believing.
@enevitableparadox3735
What? What did you read the Bible? In the beginning God created the world. He wasn't there in the beginning because he is eternal, he has no beginning and he has no end.
Just because humans didn't always know doesn't mean he doesn't exist and that he didn't do the things he did.
God is one and almighty.
Just saying, believe whatever you want, I don't care. But just understand that the God of Israel was always the one and only God. The Israelites are the first monotheistic people.
And just because other religions existed before doesn't make them true. Or this one false.
Very interesting and well formatted