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A:
Biblical tradition says that the early Israelites were monotheistic, but research has shown this not to have been the case. 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."
Jewish answer:
According to tradition, Abraham founded the belief in One God.
Abraham (18th century BCE) came from ancestry that had been God-fearing a couple of centuries earlier but had afterwards slipped into idolatry (Joshua 24:2). The Kuzari (Rabbi Judah HaLevi, 1075-1141) states that Abraham was gifted with high intelligence; and, as Maimonides (1135-1204) describes, Abraham didn't blindly accept the ubiquitous idolatry. The whole populace had been duped, but the young Abraham contemplated the matter relentlessly, finally arriving at the conclusion that there is One God and that this should be taught to others as well. This is what is meant by his "calling out in the name of the Lord" (Genesis ch.12).
Since then, Jews 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 universal among 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). Even at the height of the unfortunate spread of idolatry among the less-loyal Ten Tribes, there were thousands who remained loyal to God (1 Kings 19:18).
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.).
Judah was certainly monotheistic after the Babylonian Exile, but there is scholarly debate as to what extent the Jews were monotheistic immediately before the Exile. The difference, although less than a century, is important because the Persian benefactors who allowed the Jews to return to their homeland were themselves monotheistic when the Jews first encountered them. If Judah was already monotheistic towards the end of the monarchy, then they invented monotheism, although they were not the first to do so. If Judah only became truly monotheistic after the Exile, then it is possible either that Judaism was influenced in this by the Zoroastrian religion of the Persians or that Judaism was inevitably becoming monotheistic anyway.
AnswerIt is thought that the earliest Western monotheism was in ancient Egypt, where pharaoh Akhenaton instituted the worship of a single god, Aton, represented by a sun disk.
Although the Hindus are characterized as polytheistic, they believe in a main God and the other gods are subordinate to the Supreme Being. The Hindu religion may predate the Hebrew religion, but this would still be henotheism and not true monotheism.
Dictionaries define "Judaism" as The monotheistic religion of the Jews, since the founding principle of Judaism was and is the belief in One God. This was the teaching which was spread by Abraham, and has continued since then. From Judaism, belief in One God has spread through the Western world.See also:
What do Jews believe God is like?
Jews have always worshiped the One God. 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).
At the time of the Exodus, God wrecked the Egyptian idols (Exodus 12:12) and warned against idolatry (Exodus 22:19). Later, 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 Israelite 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, they never invented their own idol. It was always the baneful influence of other peoples. And there were times when the entire Israelite nation repented (Judges 2:1-4) and prayed to God (Judges 3:9, 3:15, 6:6, 10:10). Those who did sin did not represent normative Judaism. They were deviating from the Torah's standard; they were publicly, repeatedly, and scathingly excoriated by the Prophets, and they caused God's retribution to come upon the entire people.
Because of the idol-worship that did happen, ancient 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 Israelites. 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 that 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": David (1 Kings 15:5), Solomon (see 1 Kings 3:3), Asa (1 Kings 15:11), Yehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43), Yehu (2 Kings 10:30), 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). Part of this righteousness was their destroying whatever idolatrous incursions had occurred among the populace (1 Samuel 7:3-4, 2 Chronicles 15:8, 2 Chronicles 17:6, 2 Kings 18:4).
Even at the height of the unfortunate spread of idolatry among the less-loyal Ten Tribes, there were thousands who remained loyal to God (1 Kings 19:18).
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.).
See also:
The Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BCE, with many of its inhabitants exiled through the Assyrian empire, while others fled south to Egypt or Judea. The people of Israel had no concept of monotheism, because Israel was at all times polytheistic, as The Bible shows.
If by 'Israelites' the question includes the people of Judah, then the evidence of the Bible and of Archaeology is that the Jews were also polytheistic until shortly before the Babylonian Exile, when Judaism progressed though monolatry to monotheism (perhaps at the time of the Babylonian Exile).
Mary Joan Winn Leith ('lsrael among the Nations') says the early Jewish diaspora in Elephantine, Egypt may preserve ancient elements of Israelite beliefs frozen in time. The Elephantine papyri show that the local Elephantine temple was dedicated to Yahweh (God), but they also worshipped a god Bethel and the Canaanite goddess Anat.
It appears that post-Exilic Jews were proud to be monotheistic and felt embarrassed by remaining evidence of their polytheistic past. We can see this in some changes to the biblical texts, such as the treatment of the original birth name of Gideon - Jerubbaal, which actually means 'May Baal Contend' or 'Let Baal Be Great’.
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What are some of the Israelites achievements?
They believed in Monotheism.
What are some major achievements of the Israelites?
They believed in Monotheism.
What did the israelites invent?
The Israelites invented the MAC 11.
What are some words associated with the ancient Hebrews?
Israelites Jews tribe Israel monotheism Torah
Who first taught the Israelites to practice monotheism?
Abraham is conventionally considered the father of monotheism, but there were no Israelites in Abraham's time. Abraham's grandson, Jacob was given the name Israel after he wrestled with someone (his brother? an angel? God?) at the ford of Jabbok. His children were literally the Children of Israel, and the 12 tribes descending from him are collectively referred to as Israelites. Reading this question narrowly, Jacob was the first to teach his children monotheism, something he learned from his father who learned it from Abraham.
How were the Israelites different from other groups at the time?
They believed in one god (monotheism) , almost all the other peoples believed in many polytheism).
Did the Israelites invent the wheel?
The wheel was invented-discovered many centuries before recorded history began.
Why did the Israelites embrace monotheism?
The Bible itself tells us the the Kingdom of Israel and its inhabitants were at all times polytheistic. The Kingdom of Judah did eventually embrace monotheism, but this is believed to have taken place during the reign of King Josiah long after the final destruction of Israel. A large number of refugees had flooded south into Judah and it is possible that they had not integrated well into the culture of their sister-kingdom. The reforms undertaken by Josiah, including monotheism and written scriptures may have been intended to foster national unity.
Where did the Israelites practice their monotheism?
AnswerThe Bible tells us that the Israelites were at all times polytheistic, until the destruction of Israel in 722 BCE. The people of Judah adopted monotheistic Judaism during the seventh-century-BCE reign of King Josiah. At this stage it was limited to the city of Jerusalem and its immediate surrounds, still under the control of the king of Judah. The Jews have ever since practised monotheism wherever they were to be found.
How did the Hebrews belief in monotheism separate them from other people's of the time?
The Hebrew's belief in one God was in marked contrast to the many gods of the nations round about them at that time. Archaeologists who have deciphered ancient writing in Egypt, for example, have discovered that as they looked at the earliest dated records the beliefs tended closer towards monotheism, as evidence that something akin to this was the original religious expression of mankind. By the time the Israelites existed as a nation, this primitive monotheism which the Israelites themselves maintained continuously as their official religious expression had deteriorated into polytheism, often of the grossest kind, in other nations.
Summarize Israelite behavior after Joshua's death and God's response to it?
In the book of Judges, after Joshua's death, there is a cycle of four stages: 1. The Israelites worship Idols (usually the Baal and Ashera). 2. God sends to them some enemy to punish them. 3. The Israelites cry and pray to god for his forgiveness. 4. God sends a judge to save the Israelites.
What do Monotheism believe in?
Monotheism is the belief of one god.
