How did the god of the Hebrews differ from many of the gods of other ancient people?

Answer 1

A:It is almost universally assumed that the ancient Hebrews were monotheistic, worshipping only one God in spite of occasional lapses into polytheism. Even those who recognise that the ancient Hebrews did worship many gods believe that the national God of the Hebrews was in some way special compared to the gods of neighbouring nations. The truth is surprising.

The people of ancient Israel and pre-Exilic Judah worshipped many gods, but Yahweh (YHWH or YHVH - Jehovah) was the national God of the two kingdoms. He was also worshipped, although as a lesser god among several of the neighbouring nations and is connected with Seir, Paran, Edom, Teman, Midian, and the Sinai in ancient texts. Many scholars believe that Yahweh originated as the Midianite storm god, YHW. The meaning of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) is uncertain, but it may mean 'He blows', from his earliest role as the storm God.

Keel and Uehlinger (Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God: In Ancient Israel) tell us that Yahweh and Baal were nearly indistinguishable in eighth-century Israel, fulfilling the same functions and roles and being conceived of using the same categories. Both gods took on the characteristics of a celestial/solar "Most High God." At the end of eighth century, Yahweh appears somewhat differently in Judah, where he was not primarily the 'Lord of Heaven' but he was conceived of as the actual sun god.

The seventh-century-BCE King Josiah of Judah imposed monotheism as the official religion of Judah, and the nature of belief in God was also changing. At the end of the eighth century BCE, Isaiah could still talk of seeing Yahweh in human form (Isaiah 6). Ezekiel at the beginning of the sixth century described the appearance of "the likeness of the glory of Yahweh" only partially by use by anthropomorphic figures (Ezekiel 1, 10). Zechariah, around 520 BCE, no longer dealt with Yahweh directly but communicated through the mediation of a "messenger" or angel, and did not see Yahweh himself but only the lampstand as a cultic symbol.

Answer 2

The Hebrew God focused on ethics, whereas there really wasn't any connection between gods and interpersonal relationships in other ancient religions.

Answer:The Hebrew God was (and is) worshiped as the master and creator of the universe (Genesis 24:3), not just one of many gods.

Answer 3

A:Lang, cited in English by Keel and Uehlinger (Gods, Goddesses and Images of God in Ancient Israel), says

"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. Finally, they worshiped gods who performed specific functions, those that were responsible for various special needs: weather, rain, women's fertility, etc."

The one major difference between the Hebrew religion and other western Semitic religions, during the period in which there were the two nations of Israel and Judah, was the introduction of a new God, Yahweh (biblical Hebrew: YHWH). Yahweh has been identified with the Midianite storm god, YHW, of whom there is evidence in the Egytpian records. Some scholars note the importance of Midian in the story of Moses and say that this story is probably in some way connected with the origins of Hebrew introduction of Yahweh.

In later centuries, after the destruction of Israel, the religion of Judah became monolatrous and the use of icons, images and idols ceased. After the Babylonian Exile, the Jews believed that only one God existed, a belief only shared at that time by the Persian worshippers of Ahura Mazda.

A:The Hebrew view of God differed from the beliefs of most (or all) ancient nations because, according to our traditions, we Jews (Hebrews; Israelites) have always worshiped the One God. God wrecked the Egyptian idols (Exodus 12:12) and warned against idolatry (Exodus 22:19). Abraham worshiped "the Lord God of Heaven and Earth" (Genesis 14:22 and 24:3) and complained about the Philistines' lack of fear of God (Genesis 20:11). Jacob confiscated the idolatrous images taken from Shechem (Genesis 35:2) and got rid of them (Genesis 35:4); and refrained from invoking the gods of Nahor (Genesis 31:53). Rachel pilfered Laban's statue-images (Genesis 31:19) in order to prevent him from idolatry (Rashi commentary, ibid.). Joseph placed his hope in the God of the Forefathers (Genesis 50:24). Moses characterized the Golden Calf as "a great sin" (Exodus 32:21, 30) and punished the worshipers (Exodus ch.32). During the rest of his lifetime and that of Joshua (Judges 2:7), no incidents of Jewish idolatry were reported.

Shortly before he died, Moses warned the people that he suspected that they would eventually succumb to the lure of the idols (Deuteronomy 29:17). Joshua gave a similar warning (Joshua ch. 24).

These warnings came true. Many of the Israelites went astray after the foreign gods (Judges 2:11). However, the Jews never invented their own idol. It was always the baneful influence of other peoples. And there were times when the entire Jewish nation repented (Judges 2:1-4) and prayed to God (Judges 3:9, 3:15, 6:6, 10:10).

Because of the idol-worship that did happen, images of idols have been found in Israel too. Images of God aren't found because it is forbidden to represent Him through imagery (Deuteronomy 4:15-16).

It should be noted that idolatry was never universalamong the Jews. The tradition of the One God was handed down in every generation, whether by the few or the many; and it is those who handed down the tradition whose beliefs we Jews continue today. Deborah ascribed victory to God (Judges 4:14), Gideon tore down the idolatrous altar (Judges 6:25-27); Samson prayed to God (Judges 16:28), as did Hannah (1 Samuel 1:11) and Samuel (ibid. 12:18); Eli blessed in the name of God (1 Samuel 2:20), Saul built an altar to God (1 Samuel 14:35); Jonathan ascribed victory to God (1 Samuel 14:12), as did David (1 Samuel 17:46); and Solomon built the Temple for God (1 Kings 8:20). A number of the kings "did what was right in God's eyes": Asa (1 Kings 15:11), Yehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43), Yehoash (2 Kings 12:3), Amatziah (2 Kings 14:3), Azariah (2 Kings 15:3), Yotam (2 Kings 15:34), Hizkiah (2 Kings 18:3), and Josiah (2 Kings 22:2).

And, of course, the Prophets, who spoke in the name of God and warned against idolatry: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea and so on.

The sages of the Talmud, who ridiculed idolatry (Megillah 25b), were simply continuing in the tradition of the Prophets whose verses are quoted in that context (ibid.).

Answer 4

God (whom your question calls "the Hebrew God") spoke to the entire assembled nation (Exodus ch.19) of over two million people. No one else claims such an event concerning their deities.
2) Not everyone is aware that the idolatry of the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and others tended to go hand in hand with cruel, licentious and excessive behavior, since the caprices which were narrated concerning the idols were adopted as an excuse to imitate those types of behavior.
Compare that to God, who reveals His attributes in the Hebrew Torah as wise, kind, holy, and pure. God is One, so the command to imitate His attributes (Deuteronomy 8:6) was (and is) a straightforward matter once one is even minimally familiar with the Torah.