The Bible Book

90

THERE IS

NO OTHER

DEUTERONOMY 4:39, ONLY ONE GOD

N

obody knows for certain

how monotheism, the

worship of one single

god, emerged in ancient Israel at a

time when polytheism, the worship

of many gods or divine beings, was

the norm not only in the Near East,

but throughout the world. What is

certain, however, is that the

Israelites’ idea of monotheism

would have developed gradually.

They may have started by

recognizing their god Yahweh as

superior to all other gods, before

going on to deny the existence

of any others.

One supreme god

Although the majority of religions

in the region at this time were

polytheistic, most of them

recognized one specific god as

superior to all the others in their

pantheons. Examples included

Marduk for the Babylonians and

Ashur for Assyrians, who both

believed their rulers were divinely

ordained (although not divine

themselves). Almost certainly,

the first Israelites saw their God,

Yahweh, in a similar light. Yahweh

(God) was Israel’s national deity,

having delivered the Israelites from

Egypt as His chosen people.

In Deuteronomy, Moses asks the

Israelites: “Has any god ever tried

to take for himself one nation out of

another nation?” He reminds them

of the “miraculous signs and

wonders” and “great and awesome

deeds” that they witnessed in

Egypt. His question does not rule

Gideon and his men destroy the

altar of Baal in his father’s house, as

described in Judges 6:27. Worshipping

any other god was forbidden in the

Ten Commandments.

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Deuteronomy 4:39;

Isaiah 44:6

THEME

Monotheism

SETTING

14th–6th centuries bce

Moab and Babylon.

KEY FIGURES

Moses Prophet who passed on

God’s laws to the Israelites,

including that they should

worship no other god.

Second Isaiah Prophet who

gave the first indisputable

edict of monotheism in the

Bible. Sometimes known as

“Deutero-Isaiah.”

US_090-091_Only_one_god.indd 90 28/09/17 4:18 pm