Israel s polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts, mark s. Kop the origins of biblical monotheism av mark s smith pa. According to the bible, ancient israels neighbors worshipped a wide variety of gods. Smith according to the bible, ancient israel s neighbors worshipped a wide variety of gods. The university of new england s tangier global forum and its founding director, anouar majid, host mark s. Heiser, the divine council in late canonical and noncanonical second temple jewish literature ph. Smith oxford university press, usa, aug 9, 2001 religion 325 pages. Boda at the mcmaster divinity college, mcmaster university the old testament contains a numberofdepictions ofa divine councilor assembly ofthe gods in the heavens. Monotheism and the redefinition of divinity in ancient. Pdf the early history of god download full pdf book. His publications include the pilgrimage pattern in exodus 1997, the ugaritic baal cycle 1994, the early history of god 1990, as well as several other books on the hebrew bible, the dead sea scrolls, and west semitic mythology and literature.
Oxford university press, 2003, 49 6 smith, the origins, 49. Oxford university press, 2001 as a result of comparing biblical and inscriptional evidence with the ugaritic texts, we can see how the worship of other deities lasted. The origins of biblical monotheism mark s smith haftad. When christianity adopted jewish monotheism, it simultaneously softened it by including the idea of gods trinity and his sons incarnation on earth. Yahweh and other deities in ancient israel is a book on the history of ancient israelite religion by mark s. The origins of biblical monotheism paperback mark s. Israel s polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts oxford. Drawing on ancient ugaritic texts and looking closely at ugaritic deities, mark smith examines the meaning of divinity in the ancient near east and considers. Does divine plurality in the hebrew bible demonstrate an.
As the bible tells us, ancient israels neighbors worshipped a wide variety of gods. The origins of biblical monotheism hardcover mark s. Smith the origins of biblical monotheism israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts 2001 oxford university press. Smith according to the bible, ancient israels neighbors worshipped a wide variety of gods. Drawing on ancient ugaritic texts and looking closely at ugaritic deities, mark smith examines the meaning of divinity in the ancient near east and considers how this concept applies to yahweh. Mark smith seeks in this book to discover more precisely what was meant by divinity in the ancient near. Below are some excerpts from mark smiths book origins of biblical monotheism. The university of new englands tangier global forum and its founding director, anouar majid, host mark s. Smith monotheism and the redefinition of divinity in. Indeed, that return has become increasingly prominent in biblical scholarship in the last thirty years, and to it let us now turn. It is, in any case, a valuable book about two important and difficult subjects, namely the nature of canaanite religion, or rather theology.
The dangers and hopes of biblical monotheism duration. Smith on the birth of monotheism in tangier, morocco. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts kindle locations 51575159. Smith explains how israels religion evolved from a cult of yahweh as a primary deity among many to a fully defined monotheistic faith with yahweh as sole god. Yahweh and the other deities in ancient israel by mark s. Smith explains how israel s religion evolved from a cult of yahweh as a primary deity among many to a fully defined monotheistic faith with yahweh as sole god. The origins of biblical monotheism download pdfepub. The origins of biblical monotheism ebook by mark s. Yahweh was the national god of the kingdoms of israel samaria and judah. Read the origins of biblical monotheism online, read in mobile or kindle. Download pdf the early history of god book full free. This article proposes that there is a straightforward way to parse the language of divine plurality in both the hebrew bible and the qumran.
Mark stratton john matthew smith born december 6, 1956 is an american biblical scholar, professor, and ancient historian. Biblical monotheism remains central in contemporary discussions. Smith posted on june 25, 2015 by zjb reading mark smiths eminent study throws light on the way that the early history of god, indeed the early history of god itself, is a history of the image in which that figure has been cast and recast over time. Heiser, does divine plurality in the hebrew bible demonstrate an evolution fromm polytheism to monotheism in israelite religion. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts by mark s.
Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts kindle locations 41574164. Oxford university press, 2001 as a result of comparing biblical and inscriptional evidence with the ugaritic texts, we can see how the worship of other deities lasted for quite a long time in israel s pantheon. The origins of biblical monotheism israels polytheistic. The extant baal cycle never recounts baal s return to life. In the final part of the book, smith develops the idea that the seachange toward monotheism occurred during the exile. As stolz 1996 has demonstrated, the philosophical or theological concept of monotheism is a modern invention from the time of enlightenment. Read the fulltext online edition of the origins of biblical monotheism. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts 2003. The revised 2002 edition contains revisions to the original 1990 edition in light of intervening archaeological finds and studies. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts oxfordnew york. The hardcover of the the origins of biblical monotheism. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts smith, mark s. Cosmologically speaking, however, these gods were still considered by many to exist as lesser beings unworthy of worship.
Parker, the beginning of the reign of godpsalm 82 as myth and liturgy, revue biblique 102 1995. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts, mark s. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts oxford. Smith, 97801954803, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The historical context for understanding the biblical god includes other gods and goddesses. Israel s polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts. The god and the gods of ancient canaanite israel the. Mark smith seeks in this book to discover more precisely what was meant by divinity in the ancient near east and how these concepts apply to. Read the origins of biblical monotheism israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts by mark s.
Israel s polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts kindle locations 35243525. Heiser summary most hebrew bible scholars believe that israelite religion evolved from polytheism to monotheism, an evolution in which the biblical writers participated. Perhaps this is because professor smith already provided such an account in a previous book, the early history of god 1990. The origins of biblical monotheism this page intentionally left blank the origins of biblical monotheism israels p. Miller in this remarkable, acclaimed history of the development of monotheism, mark s. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts. Monotheism and the language of divine plurality in the hebrew bible and the dead sea scrolls michael s. This article will not deal with the general debate about monotheism, which is a major issue in current biblical and theological investigations see ahn 1993. Drawing on ancient ugaritic texts and looking closely at ugaritic deities, mark smith examines the meaning of divinity in the ancient near east and considers how this. His origins reach at least to the early iron age and apparently to the late bronze, and in the oldest biblical literature he is a stormandwarrior deity who leads the heavenly army against israels enemies. Canaaniteugaritic perspective, not mesopotamia thorkild jacobsen, primitive democracy in mesopotamia, jnes 2.
Mark smith has generated a volume to complement his earlier work, the early history of god. He has served as visiting professor at the university of pennsylvania, the hebrew university in jerusalem, and the pontifical biblical. Pdf the early history of god download full pdf book download. It is now widely accepted that the israelites god, yahweh, must have originated as among these many, before assuming the role of the one true god of monotheism. Jan 27, 2017 the university of new england s tangier global forum and its founding director, anouar majid, host mark s. Israel s polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts mark s. Smith argues that within the bible, monotheism is not a separate stage of religion but rather. Smith origins of biblical monotheism israel s polytheistic background and. Jun 25, 2015 the god and the gods of ancient canaanite israel the early history of god mark s. Monotheism and the redefinition of divinity in ancient israel1. Smith, oxford university press, 2003, 0195167686, 9780195167689, 352 pages.
Smith is skirball professor of bible and ancient near eastern studies at new york university. Nov 07, 2008 below are some excerpts from mark smiths book origins of biblical monotheism. Although i draw attention to the monotheistic tendencies of such a circumstance, it is clear that. The dominant version of this consensus is that this. Reading mark smiths eminent study throws light on the way that the early history of god, indeed the early history of god itself, is a history of the image in which that figure has been cast and recast over time. Israel s polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts oxfordnew york. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts new. Smith, skirball professor of bible and ancient near eastern studies at new york university. The occasion for the rise of monotheism was the change in the world and the change in israels status. The major takeaway of the book that might be of interest to jewish philosophy is. The god and the gods of ancient canaanite israel the early. Israels polytheistic background and the ugaritic texts edition 1.
Journal for the society of old testament supplement series. Parker, the beginning of the reign of god psalm 82 as myth and liturgy, revue biblique 102 1995. Download the origins of biblical monotheism ebook free in pdf and epub format. An individual user may print out a pdf of a single chapter of a monograph in oso for personal use. Smith monotheism and the redefinition of divinity in ancient israel. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the origins of biblical monotheism.