Yahweh: rebellion or inclusion?

Several months ago there was discussion here on whether OT Israelites included Yahweh as an integral part of a pantheon or whether their worship of other gods was done in rebellion against Yahweh. The OT prophets to my recollection invariably portray worship of false gods as a falling away from or rebellion against Yahweh. Some archaeological evidence suggests instead that Yahweh was simply worshiped alongside the other gods as one among several. I believe Ted Davis and a relative or friend of his described such evidence.

As the prophets had a narrow vision of worship, they might have considered inclusion of foreign gods alongside Yahweh as heinous as direct rebellion against him. But I'm raising the issue again because 2 Kings 17 may offer an alternative explanation. That chapter discusses what happened after Assyria exiled the Israelite citizens of the Northern Kingdom and replaced them with various foreigners. The foreigners simply incorporated Yahweh into their various pantheons. Could artifacts from these practices of foreigners have provided the aforementioned archaeological evidence, thereby allowing for a more literal interpretation of the prophets?

Don
Received on Mon Jan 31 03:14:39 2005