The historical origins of the biblical god Yahweh

Abstract

This article treats two separate but interrelated issues: (1) the historical origins of the deity YHWH (commonly rendered Yahweh), known from both biblical and nonbiblical sources and (2) the origins and development of YHWH's profile(s) in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament,

“Monotheism” and the Hebrew Bible

“…How, when, where, and in response to what would who develop such characterizations? The current article's more narrow focus on categorical issues around monotheism complements the nuanced assessments of scholars such as Smith, Michael Stahl, and Daniel Fleming, who reconstruct such histories of development(Fleming, 2021;Smith, 2003;Stahl, 2020).13 For discussion of the relationship of Yahweh's divine underlings to later Christian polemics regarding "pagan" gods as "demons" as well as further bibliography on the roles of such polemics within Christian monotheistic formulations, seeRichey (2021). For discussion of theological structures and hierarchies in the ancient milieu as bureaucratically conceived, seeHandy (1994).14 "Myth" and "biblical violence" are two additional areas that intertwine with categorization of monotheism within Biblical Studies.…”