Jews and Polytheism: Understanding the Transition to Monotheism

For many people, understanding the religious beliefs and practices of the Ancient Israelites can be confusing. Were they originally polytheistic like most other cultures of their time, or were they early adopters of monotheism?

There is substantial evidence to support the idea that the Israelites were polytheistic initially. This is in line with the religious practices of most societies of that era. The theme of loyalty to their God came to the forefront in the Ancient Israelite religion, with the promise of divine reward for their devotion. However, the idea of exclusive monotheism, which posits the non-existence of other gods, did not emerge until later.

Polytheism and Early Ancient Israelite Religion

A core belief in early Israelite religion was that their God, Yahweh, had a contract with His people. This contract was conditional; the Israelites would receive divine rewards if they remained faithful to God, even as they recognized the existence of other potentially rival gods. This conditional relationship can be seen in the famous commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

Read literally, this might suggest that other gods don't exist. However, a more nuanced interpretation views this commandment as a statement about fidelity and trust. Yahweh was specifying a unique bond that would only hold in the absence of the worship of other gods. It's a clear example of how the Israelites' monotheistic understanding was compatible with the polytheistic norms of the period, indicating that the gods of other nations were real, but not to be worshipped.

The Jealous God: Yahweh and Other Deities

The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) — a key religious text in Judaism and Christianity — reflects Yahweh's deep-seated jealousy. The text often recounts stories where Yahweh reacts negatively to the worship of other deities, perpetuating the idea that these gods existed but were not to be trusted or worshipped.

Yahweh's jealousy aligns with the prevalent polytheistic belief that each nation and region had their own deity. This idea was so common in the ancient world that it laid the groundwork for later monotheistic beliefs. The transition from recognizing the reality of other deities to positing their non-existence would come later, and was particularly evident in the influence of Hellenistic Greek philosophy on Christianity.

Transition to Monotheism: The Role of Christianity

The shift from polytheism to monotheism in Judaism and, specifically, in Christianity was marked by a significant philosophical and theological transformation. In the Christian worldview, central to the belief and practice was the idea that people should have faith. This was a significant departure from the Jewish emphasis on action and obedience to divine commandments.

In this new context, the question of belief became paramount. For Christians, especially those in the Hellenistic world, the issue was not about following laws and traditions but about believing in God. This idea is encapsulated in the famous words of C.S. Lewis: “The inherent truth and rationality of Christianity lie in its belief, not in the fact of its creation by God.”

This emphasis on belief over action was foreign to the traditional Jewish practice, where trusting and acting upon the divine commandments was far more important than belief. It is as if the question of whether a knife exists is less pressing than whether it is used properly; the reality of the knife is incontestable, but its effective application is the key.

Therefore, in the early stages of Jewish religion, believing in either the 'right' god or the 'wrong' gods was not as significant as acting according to the commandments. Monotheism may have been the goal, but in practice, the focus was on excluding other gods, not on excluding different belief systems altogether. The emphasis was on fidelity and trust in one’s contract with God, rather than on the non-existence of other deities.

Conclusion

In summary, the early Israelites recognized the existence of other gods, but their monotheism was about faithfulness and trust in the unique bond with their God. It wasn’t until later that the notion of other gods being non-existent became central. The primary focus remained on practical exclusion of others, not theoretical non-existence.