Monotheism in biblical Judaism

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Did the Israelites believe in one God and other gods did not exist? Or did they believe other gods existed but that one should only worship one God?
Please give examples. Thanks!
 
G-d is One
One of the primary expressions of Jewish faith, recited twice daily in prayer, is the Shema, which begins “Hear, Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd is one.” This simple statement encompasses several different ideas:

There is only one G-d. No other being participated in the work of creation.
G-d is a unity. He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity. He cannot be divided into parts or described by attributes. Any attempt to ascribe attributes to G-d is merely man’s imperfect attempt to understand the infinite.
G-d is the only being to whom we should offer praise. The Shema can also be translated as “The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd alone,” meaning that no other is our G-d, and we should not pray to any other.
 
The Decalogue. First Commandment. All other gods were man-made idols and Judah/Israel had a sad history of worshiping idols. The golden calf in Exodus 32 is a prime example. There were many others. The Book of Wisdom addresses this rather extensively. After describing Christ in everything but name in chapter two, versus 10-20, it goes on to decry and lament the false gods and idols of the Hebrews.
 
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Did the Israelites believe in one God and other gods did not exist? Or did they believe other gods existed but that one should only worship one God?
Please give examples. Thanks!
It changed over time. By the Babylonian Exile, Monotheism.
“Down to the eighth-century prophets, the religion of the people was monolatrous rather than monotheistic; they considered Yhwh to be the one God and their God, but not the one and only God.”
and
“Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?” (Ex. xv. 11)
also
"The doctrine of absolute monotheism is preached in the most emphatic manner by Jeremiah (x. 10; xiv. 22; xxiii. 36; xxxii. 18, 27) and the Deuteronomist (iv. 35, 39), but the Biblical teaching on the subject may be said to have culminated in Isaiah of Babylon. "
See Jewish Encyclopedia: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10950-monotheism
 
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