Research Catalog

Title

The early history of God : Yahweh and the other deities in ancient Israel / Mark S. Smith ; with a foreword by Patrick D. Miller.

Author

Smith, Mark S., 1955-

Publication

Grand Rapids, Mich : William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2002.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Miller, Patrick D.

Description

xlvi, 243 p.; 24 cm.

Summary

"In this remarkable, acclaimed history of the development of monotheism, Mark S. Smith explains how Israels religion evolved from a cult of Yahweh as a primary deity among many to a fully defined monotheistic faith with Yahweh as sole god. Repudiating the traditional view that Israel was fundamentally different in culture and religion from its Canaanite neighbors, this provocative book argues that Israelite religion developed, at least in part from the religion of Canaan. Drawing on epigraphic and archaeological sources, Smith cogently demonstrates that Israelite religion was not an outright rejection of foreign, pagan gods but, rather, was the result of the progressive establishment of a distinctly separate Israelite identity."--Publisher description.

Series Statement

The biblical resource series

Uniform Title

Biblical resource series.

Subjects

• Israel > Religion
• Gods, Semitic
• God > Biblical teaching
• Bible > Old Testament > Criticism, interpretation, etc

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Introduction -- Deities in Israel in the period of the Judges -- Yahweh and Baal -- Yahweh and Asherah -- Yahweh and the sun -- Yahwistic cultic practices -- The origins and development of Israelite monotheism -- Postscript : portraits of Yahweh.

ISBN

080283972X (paper : alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2002024467

OCLC

49493240

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library