The origin of YHWH

[Huayna Capac357]

Well, according to a NOVA series, Egypt conquered a peoples in the land of Midian shortly after the Canaanite peoples started rebuilding their culture after their fall into barbarity.

These conquered people had a mountain/god called YHW. The theory is that some of the people escaped the Egyptians and migrated to the Canaanite lands. They then proselytized about their god, and tied it to their escape from the conquest. This might be where the Moses myth comes from, though there's no evidence of an Exodus of a large group of people who'd be enslaved generations earlier.

I can't rewatch those segments, 'cause they're not available to me. I've contacted a local professor of Judaism (as well as asking Plotinus). The professor said that the series was known to be quite accurate.

The cementing of monotheism appears to have happened after Solomon's purported time. That's obviously well after any Egyptian loss of its Canaanite vassals.

Very interesting. I wish Plotinus would give us some input on this.

 

[Lillefix]

Judging by the lack of vowels, the origin of Yhwh must be Czech.

I'll notify the white house. I'm sure the pentagon can parachute in some seriosly needed vowels.

seriously: comparative religion should be compulsory in schools

 

[Berzerker]

the burning bush does exist in Saudi Arabia - volcanic vents ignite a certain kind of tree that burns but is not consumed. This is close to the lands of the Midians who worshiped a deity named Yaw or YHW - this deity supplanted the Canaanite deities after the "Sea Peoples" destroyed the E Mediterranean's bronze age civilizations and the Hebrew moved in after the exodus.

 

[classical_hero]

Judaism was polytheism, then henotheism, then montheism, depending on the fashion at the time.

Unfortunately so, but you will see that every time they went away from what should have been the only God, they were punished and they returned to their God and then the cycle repeated itself for a few decades. Basically what the did "what was right in their own eyes".

That would be Asherah. If you were a good boy and read your Bible, you might remember that the Israelites liked to stick Asherah poles in Yahweh's temple. Yahweh's girlfriend you see, liked to have a pole around, for undisclosed reasons. She was also very, very fond of hard wood.

You are referring to Baal and Astaroth. Generally the gods of the ancient peoples were often very hedonistic.

Judging by the lack of vowels, the origin of Yhwh must be Czech.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

That would be Asherah. If you were a good boy and read your Bible, you might remember that the Israelites liked to stick Asherah poles in Yahweh's temple. Yahweh's girlfriend you see, liked to have a pole around, for undisclosed reasons. She was also very, very fond of hard wood.

You are referring to Baal and Astaroth. Generally the gods of the ancient peoples were often very hedonistic.

Bible reading fail. Asherah is not the same as Ashtaroth. Asherah is mentioned variously through the books of Kings. Ashtaroth appears mostly in Joshua and Samuel, but pops up again in Chronicles.

And to Miles, "pole" is usually an insertion (ha ha). Most of the verses concerning it say things like "And Ahab made an Asherah." or "And also the Asherah in Samaria stood."

 

[MagisterCultuum]

It is possible that Asherah and Astaroth are the same. One theory is that the former is an early (Bronze Age instead of Iron Age) name for the same deity.


Iirc, Canaanite myths had her as a consort of El/Eli before she was a consort of Hadad (Baal). It is certainly possible or even probably than many Israelite borrowed her as a consort of YHWH. This is of course strongly condemned by the bible. The presence of pagan folk religion does not necessarily mean that the faith was not initially monotheistic, at least for the high priests.



Wehn refering to the grove/tree/pole/stele Asherah is generally used in a masculine plural instead of feminine singular form.




Depending on how one defines "god," (most forms of) Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are still Henotheistic instead of strictly Monotheistic. There is not a problem with referring to angels and demons (and even powerful mortal kings and heroes) as "gods" with a term like the Hebrew word "El," which is better translated "Mighty One."

 

[El_Machinae]

Very interesting. I wish Plotinus would give us some input on this.

Here's what he said when I asked him

I hadn't heard of this, but from what I can tell after looking at some stuff about it online, it seems pretty decent. It seems to deal honestly with the various issues in modern biblical archaeology and to explain to viewers how much or how little is known about them, and why, and that's got to be good.

It's why I also contacted a local professor for input. I think you could watch it online, though. I think it's a good thing for Christians to be informed about the historicity of the Bible stories.

 

[Lord Baal]

Am I an idiot for not knowing what "henotheism" means?

 

[Cheetah]

Am I an idiot for not knowing what "henotheism" means?

You're actually connected to the Internet right now. And you know how to use it, and that it's easy to use.

Anyway, from wiki: "worshipping a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities"

 

[Lord Baal]

You're actually connected to the Internet right now. And you know how to use it, and that it's easy to use.

Anyway, from wiki: "worshipping a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities"

Not when my girlfriend's computer is next to impossible to read things on, and only let's me open one page at time, it isn't easy to use.