The curation, editing, translation and collection of a vast range of religious texts have produced scriptural collections such as the Hebrew Tanakh and the King James Version of the Bible. Attempts to produce a cohesive chronicling from these writings have resulted in one possibly unintended side effect: an inconsistent overall depiction of the Old Testament’s chief deity. Portrayals of him within its pages include a merciful and loving father figure, an avenging advocate for justice, a formidable warrior and a jealous and capricious bully. That’s partially because Old Testament writers used different names for him, each with a unique take on his nature and personality. One of these versions, Yahweh, still evokes speculation even today.
Who Was This Biblical Deity?
Although the Bible tends to present Yahweh as the ancient Israelite’s national god, his background may be more complicated than readers truly understand. One of the Old Testament’s authors, a pro-Yahwist who may have been alive during King Solomon’s reign, first uses his specific name in Genesis 2:4. Nevertheless, the “Yahweh” figure does not directly reveal the deeper nature of his name until Moses encounters him in a burning bush in the third chapter of Exodus.
The New World Encyclopedia further divulges that early Israelites may have associated Yahweh with El, another deity first honored by their Canaanite neighbors. What’s curious, however, is the apparent popularity of Yahweh worship among nomadic desert cultures in the ancient Middle East. Scholars have proposed a couple of different theories about his pre-Israelite origins:
- Yahweh was first revered by a Canaanite tribe known as the Shasu.
- Ancient Midianites worshipped him first.
As Haaretz writer Ariel David documents, evidence for the first idea comes from the discovery of an Egyptian inscription at Karnak dating from the 14th century B.C.E. that refers to “Yhw” as a deity of the Shasu people. Meanwhile, the “burning bush” narrative, along with a later passage in Exodus suggesting that Moses’s father-in-law Jethro was a Midianite priest of Yahweh, seem to support the second hypothesis.
Ancient Attempts to Remove Pagan Influences
Some Old Testament writings point to a common idea in the ancient Middle East that several gods existed together as part of a “divine pantheon.” Additionally, Patheos columnist Bob Seidensticker points to several instances in which Biblical writers acknowledged the presence of multiple deities, such as Yahweh’s commandment against worshiping other gods in Exodus 20:3. He also discloses that older Ugaritic Canaanite texts contain references to El and his consort Asherah having 70 sons, which may serve as some possible origins for the “sons of God” idea present in books such as Job. Finally, Seidensticker proposes that ancient Israelite culture moved from henotheism, in which many gods are present but only one is revered, to the monotheism that modern Bible readers will recognize.
Moreover, Ariel David also refers to the eventual spread of Yahweh’s cult, mentioning inscriptions intended to invoke “Yhwh and his Asherah.” Notably, Asherah was a fertility goddess who was often venerated alongside him. Nonetheless, her worship was forbidden by the Jewish kings Hezekiah and Josiah. During their reigns, they worked to enact religious reforms and establish the temple at Jerusalem as the center of the Yahwist faith during the 7th and 8th centuries B.C.E.
More Beneath the Surface?
For those who take a literal view of the Bible and regard its writings as divinely inspired, the idea that some key figures and concepts may have their genesis in pagan cultures can be troubling. Furthermore, debate continues about why Biblical writers warned against the worship of deities besides Yahweh. With a complex history and multiple influences from older and neighboring cultures, the story of Yahweh may not be as straightforward as previously believed.