How the God of Israel Was Born
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- The traditional narrative of a sudden monotheistic revelation at Mount Sinai is contradicted by archaeological and textual evidence, which shows a complex historical process.
- Two distinct traditions merged: a northern Canaanite tradition centered on the supreme god El, and a southern desert tradition centered on YHWH, originally a subordinate deity.
- The name 'Israel' and many biblical names ending in '-el' reflect the northern El tradition, while names ending in '-yah' or '-yahu' reflect the southern YHWH tradition.
- Moses likely had Egyptian origins, and the Kenite-Midianite hypothesis suggests his wife Zipporah's family introduced him to YHWH worship.
- The Levites, a priestly tribe with Egyptian influences, enforced exclusive worship of YHWH, as seen in the Golden Calf massacre.
- Josiah's reform in 622 BCE centralized worship in Jerusalem, and the Hebrew Bible was edited to harmonize El and YHWH into a single God.
- The infancy narrative of Moses appears to be a later addition modeled on the Legend of Sargon, providing a Hebrew genealogy for an Egyptian-named leader.
- Jewish monotheism evolved gradually through the convergence of Canaanite, desert, and Egyptian influences, rather than a single divine revelation.