So was believe in gods (plural), but having God be be the most

there's at least 2 schools of thought: 1 says jewish monotheism grew out of an earlier polytheism, the other says it didn't.

i'm sorry i can't remember the names of the arguments to point you in the right direction.

>>2658979
pretty sure the only people left who think it didn't come from earlier polytheism are those who think Moses started monotheism and the exodus, wandering and conquest are all historical, which they definitely aren't.

Youtube search: Michael Heiser divine council

>>2659036
this OP.
http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/

there's quite a few good articles on his site

I seriously thought that it was established, inarguable fact that ancient Judean people were polytheistic.

I realize now that I have no mental reference for this, like I've definitely never read a book about it.

I think I always thought that the covenant of with Abraham, and later the "no gods before me" part of Moses's whole adventure, implies fairly directly that Judean peoples must have had more than one God in their worldview?

Like is there seriously no evidence of a polytheistic pre-abrahamic culture?

>>2658979
>>1 says jewish monotheism grew out of an earlier polytheism, the other says it didn't.

I really want to know about the latter of these if anyone can help. I find it impossible to believe but I'm scrambling for a solid argument internally

>>2659071
well there's the constant complaining about idolatry in the OT, even blaming the babylonian exile on idolatry. there's also several statements in the OT that imply the existence of other gods:

Judges 11:24
>Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the LORD our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess.

The Israel was already monotheistic argument only claims that the "official cult" of Israel was monotheistic the entirety of the monarchy, while the popular religion was "corrupted" by the influence of Ba'al worship, essentially taking Kings at face value. Notice that even this argument claims that only a tiny select number were monotheistic before the exile.

Maybe Jerusalem maybe was monotheistic and the surrounding countryside was all over the place?

>>2659206
Jeremiah complained plenty about idolatry in Jerusalem, specifically mentioning grain sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven. also what about all the idols that Josiah took out of the temple?