Did the Christian God evolve from Yahweh who was one of the polytheistic Hebrews skygods?

Question

"The sky gods of polytheistic religions. Yahweh was originally a sky god for the Hebrews. The sky gods are generally male; that is why the Christian god is male." (anonymousyah)

Answer 1

By the 12th century B.C.E., the Hebrews assumed an identity unique enough in the archaeological record to become discernible for the first time. In the mountains and plateaus of the northern highlands of Canaan, from Jerusalem north to the Jezreel Valley, the highland settlements, poor for their day, begin to show a single distinguishing feature from other, similar highland settlements in regions around them. There is little to go on - pottery shows an impoverished lifestyle, with little decoration and use other than as storage and cooking vessels. Yet one thing is clear - the bones of pigs become absent from the archaeological record. The prohibition on eating pork is therefore the oldest archaeologically supported feature of Jewish culture. It is representative of the beginnings of the transformation of the god "El" into "El-ohim," the god of gods, the god of Israel.

We now know this Mesopotamian god as "El-ohim," and our author "E," one of the earliest scriptorialists writing about this time, first has El introducing himself to Abraham as "El Shaddai" (El of the Mountain). He also appears as El Elyon, or El of Bethel in other, non-canonized scripture, and his name is also preserved in such Hebrew names as Isra-El and Ishma-El. The word Elohim was originally a plural of El.2

To the south, from Bethel to the Valley of Beersheba, a similar transformation is taking place. In this climatically and geologically harsher place, a place with a much smaller and less settled population with greater geographical isolation, the Canaanite god Yahweh is being transformed by a culturally similar people of the land of Judah. The unknown author known to scholars simply as "J" has his god being familiar with and comfortable with Abraham, and he casually appears to Abraham in Genesis 18, introducing himself as Yahweh. But "J's" contemporary, author "E" in the north can't have God being so casual, and first appears as a voice, commanding Abraham to leave his people in Mesopotamia and settle in Canaan.3

Yahweh, in his transformation from a pagan Canaanite god to the god of the Jews, becomes a cruel and vindictive god in the hands of author "J." He commands Abraham to sacrifice his first born son, an act which is not at all surprising given the nature of the pagan religions of the time. Many of these pagan religions (and remember that Yahweh got his start as a Canannite pagan god) considered the first-born to be the seed of a god. Because of this, they were often sacrificed to the god who presumably sired them.

Yet Elohim in the north continues to be a much more subtle god, who directs the affairs of men by revelation of the voice, hidden from the view of mere mortals. There is a tension among these peoples, both of whom identify themselves as culturally decendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. One people, perhaps, but two gods.

The people of the north, with a much more favorable geography and climate, eventually prosper and establish trading links with their neighbors. Their wealth eventually comes to greatly exceed that of the south - to the extent that they become a nation in their own right - the nation of Israel. Israel prospers to the extent that it becomes a significant trading nation - greatly eclipsing its poorer neighbor, Judah. The archaeological record clearly shows Israel to be a major regional power, one that certainly attracted the interest of its neighbors.

By now, the Egyptian hegemony in the region has faded, and the geopolitical vacuum was filled by Assyria. The Assyrians eventually assumed control of the region, with two provincial areas, Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. Israel, vastly more prosperous and populous than Judah, had its capital at various times in Megiddo, Samaria and Seschem, and Judah had its capital at Bethel, on it's northern frontier, or sometimes at Hebron in the south. Jerusalem, up until this time, was a tiny agricultural village of insignificance, and, until the Assyrian deportations, was certainly not a cultural center.

By the end of the eighth century, B.C.E., a Hebrew alphabet appears, and literacy rapidly spreads among the wealthier Hebrews. Finally, after centuries of oral tradition, writing becomes widespread for the first time, and culturally changes everything. The myths are written down and compared. And the two gods come into open conflict with each other.

It is at least a century after the first books of the Pentatuch was written that the gods of the Old Testament are harmonized into a singular being, this having been done by the third major writer of the Old Testament books, a writer (or more probably group of writers) called by scholars, "D" the Deuteronomist. If we are going to have a monotheistic religion here, we can't go around having two competing gods, so something must be done. The tribes of Israel and Judah had a choice to make, and Joshua warned them that Yahweh was a jealous god. Which god would it be? In essence, there was no difficulty making a choice. Yahweh was the more powerful, having demonstrated his power by intervening on their behalf in Egypt, and in the desert at Sinai. The choice was easy. It was Yahweh.
So the second great revision of Judaic religion has happened. In the original Pentatuch, written in the 8th century B.C.E., there isn't a clearly monotheistic statement to be found, but by the time of the writings of the Deuteronomist, a century or so later, the Deuteronomist has Joshua threatening the Israelites and making sure they became monotheistic under threat of being destroyed. The Deuteronomist pulls off this neat harmonization of two competing gods by having the Israelites reminded that their fathers had promised Yahweh that he would be their god, and so they made him their elohim, their high God. So now, Elohim, who originally was the king of the gods of Fertile Crescent, is now Yahweh, the god of Israel. If you have two conflicting gods, its a neat trick to just get rid of the conflict by declaring they're the same being.4

A god has to have a home, and the home of the god Yahweh was in heaven. But his priests on earth had to have a place for the ritual sacrifices that were handed down as part of the ritual of the "El" pantheon, as well as the original pagan Canaanite god, Yahweh, which of course had been descended into the Hebraic monotheism. This place was the temple, of course, whose construction was attributed to Solomon, a mythical king. The reality is that it was built at least a century later than the period attributed to the rule of Solomon. The whole story of Solomon, his father David and the events surrounding that dynasty were created during this era to explain the fading splendor of Jerusalem and provide a centering myth around which to rally the culture towards a monotheistic religion, under assault from the Assyrian culture that politically was hegemonous in the region.

In the year 742 B.C.E., while the Deuteronomist writers were still busy getting rid of Elohim, a member of the Judean royal family had a vision. In it, he saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, directly above the temple in Jerusalem. In the vision, Isaiah is commanded to bring a new message to Israel. Isaiah is filled with foreboding and with good reason; King Tigleth Pilesar, who had recently ascended to the throne of Assyria had designs on Israel, and now the god of Israel had to take up the duties of defending the people of his covenant.

Isaiah was commissioned by his god to carry the message to Israel that he is the only god there is; this comes as a great problem to the Israelites who see Isaiah's concept of God as being the very god who had aided the Assyrians in their victories against them. Isaiah is largely rejected with his message, and Yahweh becomes a pensive, introspective god, who invites his followers to enter into a dialogue with him. Isaiah's second innovation was the notion that the commandments of the god should be integrated into the very lives of those who follow him, and not just be restricted to temple observance and ritual. Only by doing so would Yahweh be appeased and Israel saved. This also did not have much resonance in the lives of the average Hebrew.

In punishment for disregarding the prophet's message, Yahweh conveniently permits King Sargon II of Assyria to occupy the northern portion of Palestine and deport the population. Suddenly, the warnings of Isaiah are taken a bit more seriously as the ten "lost" tribes of Israel are marched off into forced assimilation in Assyria and Palestine becomes the land of the Jews. The reality of course, is that Sargon was punishing Israel for its insurrection and refusal to pay tribute. Israel, with a wetter, more productive climate and much easier geography was much easier pickings than the dry, rocky, thinly populated and more distant Judah. So it was only natural that Sargon would choose to occupy Israel rather than Judah. Yet even as Sargon occupied Israel his own empire was beginning to crumble. Assyrian power was fading, but Babylonian power was increasing.

In the south, to ensure that the people of Judah hear his message, Yahweh sends a succession of prophets to them. They preach from the temple and ally themselves with the political power of the Jewish kings. In so doing, the temple and the political process become allied in the fight against the military power of their neighbors. There is no longer an Elohim cult, and the Israelites are long gone. The Hebraic religion and culture becomes a Jewish one. Amos and Jeremiah were the prophets of note from this period.

Answer 2

Depends on who you ask.

To make a long story short : no it did not. First, traditional concepts like gender,... do not really apply to the Christian God. Only created being have a gender, if he is called "Father" it is not because he is male, but because his relationship to us is a paternal one.

Second, we do not know much (besides what is told in the Bible, which, in my opinion, is entirely sufficient) about the different gods people in Israel believed in. If you want my opinion, based on what the Bible teaches, I'd say it is the other way around. The Hebrews tended to be influenced by th polytheistic religions around them and, at times, turned away from Yahweh to worship Baal, Ashera,... It is thus possible that, in those troubled periods, Yahweh became for them nothing more than just another God.

As far as Lilith is concerned, the first mention of her as Adam's first wife dates back to the 8th Century AD.

Answer 3

hi, Lydia Ezra C - Jewish pal, each Christian that has studied the understand God knows that Jews are Gods' chosen human beings, all of us study about Abraham and some have studied the scriptures. We also understand that Jews were searching ahead to the Messiah, yet maximum Jews do no longer settle for Jesus Christ because the Messiah. Christians are not any more polytheist, in truth we believe in God the daddy, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, that God is triune, that God has 3 persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). We believe that the Messiah is Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God. with out Jews, there will be no Jesus. i don't understand what your beliefs are yet i understand that if in case you've never study the recent testomony. I recommend that you get your self a sparkling King James version of the bible it quite is existence software. There you'll locate all the references to the former testomony on the issue of the recent testomony. perchance you'll study somewhat better about Christianity, and are available to understand somewhat better about the courting between Christians and Jews. you've study the Gospel, and would have a better appropriate understand-how of Christ and why Christians worship Him and all the grants of God, on the issue of Jesus and the the former testomony. It wont damage to study the e book. Many Jews belong to my Church. i can not convert you, what ever steps you're taking up existence you may be lead by ability of the Spirit of God. What I actually have Lydia Ezra C, isn't a faith, yet a courting with God, whom I worship with all my heart. Shalom, Agape, Foxx

Answer 4

Spaaaaaaaace Cowboyyyy, Yahweh! Raw Hiiiiiiide, Yahweh! Now "THAT'S a mans' God from the sky". WHAT is the point?

Answer 5

No the christain God and the Hebrew God are the same the division between Hebrews and Christians is that Christians believe Christ is the Messiah while Hebrews are still waiting for the Messiah.

Answer 6

Islam, Christianity and Jewish all worship the same God. It does not matter if it is called God, Allah or Yahweh, it's all the same. All 3 of these religions are branches of the same tree. If you look back in history, the separation of these 3 religion was due to the faults of man (and who was the true heir, was it jesus? Muhammed?) who couldn't agree on things.

Answer 7

Yep, that's where He came from. I think Moses had something to do with the Hebrews reducing their 'cultural luggage' in order to make life wandering in the desert easier. He came down off the mountain where God was giving him the Ten Commandments and smashed up the golden calf idol that his own people had put together. I think that Lilith, Adam's first wife, may have been a goddess of some sort but Her name and values got twisted by those who wanted to destroy Her reputation.

Answer 8

I think Yahweh was the war god, actually. But same difference (they tend to be male, too).

Answer 9

Good question. I have no idea, did the sky gods evolve from shamanistic male chauvinism?

Answer 10

There is but one God and that is God Almighty

Answer 11

My guess: Of course. It really gets interesting the farther you go back into civilizations.