What is Jewish Monotheism and Why It Matters
Did the ancient Jews really believe in only one God, or did they believe in many gods? Were Jews of the pre-exilic and second temple periods really “monotheists”?
This might seem like a very academic debate, but it shapes how we read the Old Testament, understand Israelite archaeology, understand in-house Jewish debates about images and idols, and even relates to the development of early Christology.
That is why I’ve made this podcast/video on “Introduction to Jewish Monotheism” (Part 1).
Here I cover:
• The definition of monotheism.
• Is the Hebrew Bible monotheistic?
• Were the ancient Israelites originally polytheistic?
• Is "henotheism" a better term than "monotheism"?
• Why monotheism is still a useful term!
• The sharpening of monotheism during the Hellenistic period.
• The relevance of Jewish monotheism for early christology.
Find below both the you.tube video and the podcast audio.
This is a scholarly look at Jewish monotheism that kept me riveted throughout and thoughtfully engaged the Jewish Scriptures and understanding while cogently explaining the criticism of modern scholarly thought.