First Century Jewish Monotheism/Polytheism/Henotheism

[inquiringmind]

I'm interested in any evidence relating to first century Jewish monotheism, polytheism, or henotheism (Josephus, Philo, dead sea scrolls, Midrash, etc.)

Please post evidence here.

[LeSellers]

I'm interested in any evidence relating to first century Jewish monotheism, polytheism, or henotheism (Josephus, Philo, dead sea scrolls, Midrash, etc.)

Please post evidence here.

I seriously doubt that in the i~I there was any significant "Jewish monotheism, polytheism, or henotheism". That's not to say that there was none earlier (in, say, the vi~iv), but by the time of Ezra-Nehemiah, the old understandings of El/Eloheim/Yaweh and, especially, Astoreth, had been purged. The Maccabees had done an excellent job by the time Jesus was born

The stark contrast between Abraham's El Elyon and the Pharisaic Jehovah could hardly be more pronounced.

The question, then, is what prompted this particular query?

Lehi

P.S.: for new comers, I use upper Roman numerals for centuries after Chist and lower case for those before. In fact, almost any time I mean an ordinal in a series of specific things (like constitutional amendments), I use Roman numerals to save typing. Therefore, "XIX" probably means the "nineteenth century" or "nineteenth amendment", depending on the context. LS

[volgadon]

The Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael is a midrashic collection of treatises and homilies grouped around the book of Exodus. The traditions in it are mainly Tannaitic, that is, dating from before the early 3rd century AD.

A sizeable treatise inside the Mekhilta is the Shirta, which expounds the Song at the Sea (Exodus 15). The topic of course is celebrating God's might and his deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh's army. When the midrash reaches Exodus 15:11, it naturally discusses what the word elim meant.

The translation is Judah Goldin's.

Another interpretation of WHO IS LIKE UNTO THEE, O LORD, AMONG THE ELYM: Who is like unto Thee among those who minister before Thee on high, as it is said, "For who in the skies can be compared... A God dreaded in the great council of the holy ones... O Lord God of hosts, who is a mighty one, like unto Thee, O Lord" (Ps. 89:7-9).

[volgadon]

I think you'd enjoy Daniel Boyarin's "Borderlines," Inq. Boyarin outlines the theology of the Memra, or Logos, which is relating to the binary belief of the two powers in Heaven.

[Kevin Christensen]

I'm interested in any evidence relating to first century Jewish monotheism, polytheism, or henotheism (Josephus, Philo, dead sea scrolls, Midrash, etc.)

Please post evidence here.

Try this for starters, Barker's The Second Person, http://www.theway.org.uk/back/431Barker.pdf

and then read The Great Angel: A Study of Israel's Second God.

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

[inquiringmind]

The question, then, is what prompted this particular query?

I've been thinking of something Jesus said to the Samaritan woman.

"We Jews know what we worship."

That seems like an endorsement of the prevailing Jewish opinion (so I'm interested in what that prevailing opinion was in Christ's day.)

Try this for starters, Barker's The Second Person, http://www.theway.or...k/431Barker.pdf

Thank you.

I found this interesting too.

http://www.barr-fami...ord/trinity.htm