How did monotheism differ from early beliefs?

Answer 1

the idea that there is many other gods

The polytheistic religions had similar gods, recognised this, and so did not indulge in religious wars and persecutions. The monotheistic religions - Judaism and its offshoots Christianity and Islam, moved to conversions, voluntary and forced, and in religious wars to enforce their chosen god on others.

• Answer 2

Polytheists engaged in widespread slaughter, human sacrifice and cruelty to children including infanticide, with no need for the excuse of religious motives. It was only the monotheists who spread a moral code.

Quote:
"I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation ... fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations" (John Adams, 2nd President of the United States).
"Certainly, the world without the Jews would have been a radically different place. Humanity might have eventually stumbled upon all the Jewish insights, but we cannot be sure. All the great conceptual discoveries of the human intellect seem obvious and inescapable once they had been revealed, but it requires a special genius to formulate them for the first time. The Jews had this gift. To them we owe the idea of equality before the law, both Divine and human; of the sanctity of life and the dignity of human person; of the individual conscience and of collective conscience, and social responsibility" (Paul Johnson, Christian historian, author of A History of the Jews and A History of Christianity).
Monotheism is belief that a single god does everything. Prior to monotheism, all religions had many gods, each of which did only a few things.

Monotheism greatly simplified religion, so it is little surprise that it became the dominant form.

Answer 2

Monotheism differs from early beliefs in the belief in only one deity, as opposed to the worship of multiple gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions. Monotheism emphasizes the idea of a single, all-powerful, and all-knowing god, while early beliefs often involved worshipping a pantheon of gods with different domains and powers.