I read somewhere that Judaism was originally Henotheistic (aknowledging many gods but worshiping only one) and Abraham was only favored by his “patron god” who was morphed with the polytheistic Cannanite deity El (who later became Elohim).
Then after the exile to Babylon, the Jews rejected the other gods and only worshiped Jehovah. Thats why the 10 Commandments say “you shall not have any other gods before me” giving away that the Hebrews thought other gods existed. Also, the Hebrews borrowed the ideas of angels, divine laws, and temple worship from Egypt and Babylon.
Any answers from Old Testament historians?
Hi Pat,
I did ask a Rabbi a couple of years ago if Judaism was originally Henotheistic but he wasn’t able to give me a definitive answer. So I’ll be watching this thread to see if such an answer is forthcoming.
I did once read rather a quaint story that was retold in
Judaism For Dummies by Rabbi Ted Falcon and David Blatner (Hungry Minds, Inc, 2001) that is apparently well–known in Judaism. It’s about the patriarch, Abraham (Abram), when he was growing up.
Abraham’s dad was an idol salesman (so the story goes) with a shop full of stone statues of various gods. One day, Abraham’s dad goes out entrusting care of the shop to Abraham. Abraham wanders idly around the shop and randomly picks up an idol to examine it but it slips out of his hand and drops to the floor smashing into a hundred little pieces. Thinking swiftly, Abraham looks around to make sure that he’s not observed. Then he takes a stick and proceeds to smash all the other idols – all except for the largest one.
Abraham’s dad returning home is understandably upset.
“What’s been happening here?” he shouts at his son. “Why did you destroy my idols?”
“What are you yelling at me for?” responds young Abraham indignantly. “It wasn’t me. It was that big idol over there in the corner that did it.”
“Have you lost your mind?” shouts Abraham’s dad incredulously. “An idol couldn’t possibly have done this!”
And that’s how (so one might surmise) Abraham came to the realization that idols aren’t gods and therefore have no real power. Abraham continues to think about the idea of gods and eventually arrives at the conclusion that there must be just one divine being who is the reason for everything: the
real God with
real power compared to whom man–made and made–up gods are seen as the obvious fantasies they truly are.
Grace and peace,
Mick
