IOTL, the Babylonian conquest of Judah and the subsequent Babylonian captivity was one of the major factors for the monotheism of Judaism (the Jews [or at least the commoners] previously worshipped several deities, such as Asherah, with YHWH being the 'national' god of Judah), as many began to see the event as YHWH punishing them for impiety. If the Jews somehow accepted Babylonian vassalage, with the revolt against Babylon never happening, or if the Egyptians successfully defeated Nebuchadnezzar and Judah remains "independent", then how long can Jewish polytheism last? How would this affect the development of religions?
WI: No Babylonian Captivity
- Thread starter Midnight-Blue766
- Start date
It seems that Hebrew's religion was already polytheist no more before the Neo-Babylonian intervention.
Yahwism, as a cult being used by israelit monarchies, was probably in a process of monolatrism with associated deities that while coming from ugaritic / semitic pantheons, had their role determinate regarding their parenty with Yahwe.
Without the use of Mesopotamian mythos to write parts of the Bible (using them directly, or being inspired by their forms while having a different meaning as Job's story) you could eventually end with a "loose" monotheism somewhat comparable to a Catholicism with marial-equivalent figures being associated with divinity rather than subordinated.
Yahwism, as a cult being used by israelit monarchies, was probably in a process of monolatrism with associated deities that while coming from ugaritic / semitic pantheons, had their role determinate regarding their parenty with Yahwe.
Without the use of Mesopotamian mythos to write parts of the Bible (using them directly, or being inspired by their forms while having a different meaning as Job's story) you could eventually end with a "loose" monotheism somewhat comparable to a Catholicism with marial-equivalent figures being associated with divinity rather than subordinated.