Over sixty valid deities in the OT

[Willum]

So I knew there were other gods listed in the Torah/OT, but I didn't realize there were over sixty!

Sixty deities spoken about as if they were, to spout the phrase, "living gods."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... brew_Bible

How can the OT claim to be monotheistic, when Asherah (Ha-Sarah), is Yahweh's wife, and so many other deities are part of the narrative?

We all thought Judaism was monotheistic, but it has as many gods as any other religion.

Can anyone explain this?

If you are Judaic, is it OK to worship one of the less bloodthirsty ones? Dagon, god of grain and the oceans, seems nice.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 10 by JehovahsWitness]

Well, I can't be expected to bring you up to speed on the English language, but you seem to be able to invoke allegory, allusion, interpretation and so on in defense of God, so I figure you'd be able to figure it out alright, you seem to be very intelligent.

But if you don't get it, you don't get it - honor me by passing this OP by, instead of dragging it down with incomprehension:

OR, wait for more comments of those who do understand, see what they are talking about, and then enter the fray.

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 4 by Jagella]

Negative:
I've been reading the references. They are 'real,' gods, vilified perhaps, demeaned occasionally, honored more rarely, married to Yahweh, once.

They are "real" gods mostly in the original Hebrew Bible. Those real gods are "lost in translation" from Hebrew to the vernacular.

[JehovahsWitness]

...you seem to be very intelligent.

Thank very much you are too kind.

QUESTION Does the bible mention the names of many gods (deities)?

Yes, the bible does speak of many pagan god's worshipped by the people in ancient Palestine and surrounding terrotories. Not anywhere near to 52 but many, including gods such as Molech, Dagon, Baal (technically an umbrella term for a group of gods) Zeus, Hermes and many others.


The God of the ancient Hebrews, YHWH (English:Jehovah) is mentioned over 5,000 times in the Jewish scriptures.

QUESTION: Does God have a NAME?

[youtube][/youtube]


RELATED POSTS


Why would a monotheistic God need a name?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 257#932257

Is it true the bible teaches there are many God's (tigger)?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 313#868313

[Willum]

[Replying to post 13 by JehovahsWitness]

And marrying them, and punishing them, having children with them, and so on. Who's pagan now?

[marco]

How can the OT claim to be monotheistic, when Asherah (Ha-Sarah), is Yahweh's wife, and so many other deities are part of the narrative?

We all thought Judaism was monotheistic, but it has as many gods as any other religion.

Can anyone explain this?

If you are Judaic, is it OK to worship one of the less bloodthirsty ones? Dagon, god of grain and the oceans, seems nice.

There's a difference between believing in one God and believing there is only one God. The Israelites accepted there was a plurality of gods, but their brand was the true one. Akhenaton is often regarded as founding monotheism among the Egyptians, however temporarily, but in fact he simply made one god supreme.

It might be supposed that having a single god relieves stress but that would depend on the qualities one gives to one's single deity. Neither Allah nor his cousin Jehovah is possessed of charm; the script writers preferred a tough brute who could kick men into submission and despise women.

The Greeks on the other hand got Apollo to love Hyacinthus and Artemis wrapped the handsome Endymion in a silver sleep. Amorous Zeus appeared as a swan or a shower of gold. These are beautiful tales and we have been short changed in accepting Biblical stories in replacement. Instead we have Yahweh charging through the skies exposing himself to Moses. Give us strength!

Yes, the Israelites may have settled for one, but was it value for money? They've not been helped much through the centuries. The Golden Calf might have been more helpful.

[bjs]

[Replying to Willum]


I am somewhat confused. Are you suggesting that if the Bible mentions a deity, that is the same as thing as saying that is indeed a “living god�?

At any rate, polytheism did exist at various times throughout Israel’s history, and it was repeatedly condemned throughout the biblical text as being false.

Throughout the Bible there are some passages that treat other gods neutrally, neither confirming nor denying their existence but only telling people not to worship those gods. There are other passages which treat other gods negatively, both telling people not worship those gods and saying that those gods do not exist.

Take for instance Asherah. I do not know of any passage in the Bible which mentions her as Yahweh’s wife, thought if someone knows of one I would be interested to learn of it. I am also not aware of any extra-biblical text from the time that described Asherah as Yahweh’s wife or consort. That seems to be a theory based on the practices of other middle-eastern nations at the time.

However, the Bible does tells us that people worshiped Asherah, even creating a shrine to her in the Temple of Yahweh. The Bible condemns that action, describing it as worshiping a god the does not exist instead of worshiping Yahweh who does exist. First Kings 18 tells a lengthy story about how Asherah and Baal were not real gods, while Yahweh is the only real God.

So yes, some of the people of Israel did worship various gods. But no, the Bible does not treat these as various gods as “living gods.�

[tam]

Peace to you,

So I knew there were other gods listed in the Torah/OT, but I didn't realize there were over sixty!

Sixty deities spoken about as if they were, to spout the phrase, "living gods."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... brew_Bible

Your reference lists 57 and I see at least one overlap. The "God of Israel" is listed as is "Yahweh". You might only have about 50 or so. In any case, your point is well made from this list.

There are at least ten overlaps.

Yahweh and Jehovah are listed as separate 'gods'. But these are different ways that people have decided to write out "YHWH".

JAH is the short form of the name of God (YHWH); and is clearly shown as being so in HalleluJAH - meaning praise JAH.


Many things (such as Ancient of Days, and most of the titles listed under "E") are descriptions and titles of the same God.



That being said, one of the titles listed as a separate god is called "Names of God in Judaism". Is that supposed to be a separate god then? The god named "Names of God in Judaism"?



As to the rest (though there is overlap among the false gods on that page as well, such as asherah pole and asherah) there is no question that people worshiped multiple gods; including Israel. But Israel was rebuked continuously for doing this, for adopting the ways and the gods of the nations around them. Just because the bible mentions something does not mean that the bible is saying those things are true (or valid). False things are mentioned and called out as well. The golden calf is listed as one of those gods on that wiki page, and Israel was rebuked for having done this horrible thing (for having made and then worshiped that golden calf).




Peace to you!

[Willum]

[Replying to post 17 by tam]

Well, I am surprised to see you acknowledge that there are other gods. But I guess if your Bible says so, you have to go along with it, or blaspheme, right?
Yahweh and Jehovah, though pronounced differently in English, are actually pronounced the same.
Yahweh -> YHVH Jehovah -> YHVH, also know as Jove or Iove, you are guilty of an anachronism.

About Israeli rebuking, eh, how does one distinguish for gods? Isn't that only important if gods are true or false?

If the others are true, who says currying their favor isn't as good as currying Yahwey's?
If they are all false, that fits all the data reality has seen fit to give us, and again...

How is one supposed to tell the real gods from the false? If Yahweh had children with Asherah, then she'd be real, right? If he punished Amon-Ra, he exists, right?

[Tart]

So I knew there were other gods listed in the Torah/OT, but I didn't realize there were over sixty!

Sixty deities spoken about as if they were, to spout the phrase, "living gods."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... brew_Bible

How can the OT claim to be monotheistic, when Asherah (Ha-Sarah), is Yahweh's wife, and so many other deities are part of the narrative?

We all thought Judaism was monotheistic, but it has as many gods as any other religion.

Can anyone explain this?

If you are Judaic, is it OK to worship one of the less bloodthirsty ones? Dagon, god of grain and the oceans, seems nice.

Willum, id suggest to you to go read the Bible... There is no other "living god" in the Bible other then the God of the Hebrews... The Bible teaches that all these other gods are false idols, made by men, and having no life in them...


"15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them."
(Palms 135)

[Tcg]

Peace to you,

So I knew there were other gods listed in the Torah/OT, but I didn't realize there were over sixty!

Sixty deities spoken about as if they were, to spout the phrase, "living gods."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... brew_Bible

Your reference lists 57 and I see at least one overlap. The "God of Israel" is listed as is "Yahweh". You might only have about 50 or so. In any case, your point is well made from this list.

There are at least ten overlaps.

No matter how we resolve these overlaps, that still leaves us with well over 40 gods. Once the count exceeds one, monotheism has been left behind.

Well over forty certainly qualifies as more than one. The count after one is irrelevant really which is why I stated to Willum that, "In any case, your point is well made from this list."

Quibbling over whether it is 40 or 50 at this point is simply a method of ignoring the clear implications that even 2 would show.