The Invention Of God File

As these nomads moved north into the highlands of Canaan, they brought their warrior-god with them. In the small hilltop villages that would become Israel and Judah, Yhwh met , the high father-god of the Canaanite pantheon. For generations, the two lived side-by-side. Yhwh was often seen as the son of El, a junior deity who eventually "merged" with his father, taking on El’s traits of mercy and creation. III. The King’s Champion

When kings arose in Samaria and Jerusalem, they needed a symbol of national unity. Yhwh was promoted to the "National God". He was no longer just a storm in the desert; he was the King’s champion, dwelling in a grand temple in Jerusalem. However, at this stage, the "invention" was still far from monotheism. Most people still kept statues of Asherah in their homes, and the King’s temple often housed symbols of other regional gods. The Invention of God

hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674504974">archaeological evidence for this transition or look into the natural origins of other ancient myths ? The Invention of God: Römer, Thomas, Geuss, Raymond As these nomads moved north into the highlands

The story begins not in a temple, but in the dust of the Edomite wilderness, centuries before the first stone of Jerusalem was laid. Yhwh was often seen as the son of