Yahwism

Yahwism, also known as the Israelite religion, was the ancient Semitic religion of the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. The Israelite religion appears to have been closely related to Canaanite religion, and scholars argue that Israelite religion was not originally monotheistic, instead sharing similar beliefs with its neighbors. The primary deity of the religion and the head of the pantheon was Yahweh, the national god of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Some scholars speculate that the goddess Asherah was the consort of Yahweh, though some scholars disagree. Evidence from the Bible and archaeology indicates the worship of other gods, such as Baal, Mot, Shamash, and Yarikh. The practices of Yahwism included festivals, ritual sacrifices, vow-making, private rituals, and the religious adjudication of legal disputes. For most of its history, the Temple in Jerusalem was not the sole or central place of worship dedicated to Yahweh, with many locations throughout Israel, Judah, and Samaria. However, it was still significant to the Israelite king, who effectively led the national religion as the worldly viceroy of the national god. Yahwism underwent several recontextualizations and redevelopments as the notion of divinities aside from or comparable to Yahweh was gradually degraded by new religious currents and ideas. Possibly beginning with the emergence of Israel during the Late Bronze Age, the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah had a joint religious tradition comprising cultic worship of Yahweh. Later theological changes concerning the evolution of Yahweh's status initially remained largely confined to small groups, only spreading to the population at large during the general political turbulence of the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. By the end of the Babylonian captivity, monotheism became more intense among the religion of the Israelites, and Yahweh was proclaimed the creator deity and the sole deity...