How did the Canaanites worship their gods?

Answer 1

A:Each Canaanite kingdom, including both Judah and Israel, had its national god and other gods for different purposes. The understanding of these gods changed over the centuries, with goddesses predominant during the middle to late Bronze Age and male gods predominant throughout the Iron Age. Animal sacrifices were the normal symbol of worship, and human sacrifices are evidenced, at least in times of national emergencies.

Since the Hebrew people are now recognised by scholars as descended from Canaanites (not invaders who fled from Egypt), it is convenient to look more closely at how they worshipped their gods.

Lang, cited by Keel and Uehlinger (Gods, Goddesses and Images of God in Ancient Israel), "In the four and a half centuries during which there were one or two Israelite monarchies (ca. 1020-586 B.C.), there was a dominant, polytheistic religion that was indistinguishable from that of neighboring peoples. Insofar as there were differences between the Ammonite, Moabite, Edomite, Tyrian, etc. versions of religion, these beliefs stayed within the framework of Near Eastern polytheism, and each should be interpreted as a local variant of the same basic pattern. The Israelites . . . venerated their own protector god who was there to provide for health and family. But they venerated Yahweh [God] as well, the regional and national god, whose special domain dealt with war and peace issues." This is not the view that has come down to us in the Old Testament, and we are enjoined not to confuse the minority opinion expressed in the religious literature preserved in the Old Testament with the historic religion of Israel in the pre-Exilic period.

The worship of Yahweh differed somewhat in Israel compared to Judah, and to the extent that we can establish from the Old Testament the most ancient Hebrew beliefs, it tends to reflect the ancient Judahite beliefs over those of Israel. There is archaeological evidence that appears to demonstrate that, at least at one stage, the goddess Asherah was known as the consort of God. The archaeological evidence is that in early times, Yahweh was the Hebrew storm God, but in later times a moon God and Sun God. Worship of Baal was limited in Judah, but apparently quite normal in Israel.

The sun god was worshipped in both Israel and Judah during the monarchical period. The moon god was worshipped in Israel, but there is limited evidence of the moon god being worshipped in Judah.