The first Monotheist?

[Elijah John]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

-Abraham?
-Moses?
-Zoroaster?
-Akhenaton?

-Someone else?

[Athetotheist]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

-Abraham?
-Moses?
-Zoroaster?
-Akhenaton?

-Someone else?

I believe that would be contestant #4 on your list.

[Zzyzx]

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Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

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Evidence points to Akhenaten (1300s BCE)

The first evidence of monotheism emerges from Egypt in the 14th century BCE (1353-1336 BC) during the reign of Akhenaten. The king was known to have worshiped Aten, the sun disk god (Figure 1). While initially, Akhenaten allowed the worship of many gods, as Egyptian kings had always done so, by the 5th year of his reign there was a decisive move that made the worship of Aten the only recognized religion in the kingdom.

However, while this represented an innovation, the worship of a single god proved to be highly unpopular with the priestly classes as well as, most likely, the local population. In this period, worship of deities was very specific to given cities and temples. Additionally, these temples performed important economic activities for communities. The ban of other gods or the cessation of worship of other gods would have been devastating to local economies and communities.

In Biblical chronology, we see that the establishment of the state of Israel would constitute the world’s first true monotheistic state. However, the reality is there is no evidence yet that shows monotheism existed or was beyond a limited minority either in Judah or Israel, the two main states of the Jewish people in the Bible. In fact, excavations throughout modern Israel commonly reveal the existence of other gods. In particular, Asherah (or Astarte), was worshiped, likely in conjunction with Yahweh, the Jewish god. While the Jewish Yahweh god may have been the main god, it appears other gods were worshiped and accepted by much of the Jewish population. Perhaps one of the starkest indications that monotheism, if it existed at all, would have been limited a very small minority of Jews. During the 8th century BC, archeologists have found evidence that suggests that Yahweh was married or coupled with the goddess Asherah.

This evidence indicates that even if Yahweh had supremacy he was not the only god worshiped. In fact, the Bible does seem to suggest this was the case (e.g., the Asherah poles worshiped in the Bible). What is not indicated is the extent of which ancient Judah and Israel, in essence, appeared to be very similar to other contemporary states, which had chief gods (e.g., Ba’al, Marduk, Ashur, etc.) but also worshiped other
https://dailyhistory.org/How_did_Monotheism_Develop%3F

Bold added

[SallyF]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

-Abraham?
-Moses?
-Zoroaster?
-Akhenaton?

-Someone else?

Abraham - never shown to be anything more than a fictional character.

Moses - never shown to be anything more than a fictional character.

Zoroaster - possibly a fictional character, but arguably a dualist.

Akhenaten - almost certainly a real character, but arguably a monolatrist.

Jesus - possibly a real character and almost certainly a monotheist.

[Divine Insight]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

I have no clue who the first person was to imagine there being only one God. But as far as I'm concerned that idea itself is kind of silly. After all if there could exist such a thing as a God why would there only be one of them?

As far as I can see a more important question isn't who came up with the idea of monotheism, but rather why do some religions demand it?

In the case of the Abrahamic religions it should be clear. The whole theology starts off by proclaiming that their God is a jealous God who demands that no other Gods be placed before him. This is the only reason that monotheism could be important to anyone.

Also, the very idea that a monotheistic God would be jealous of other Gods that don't even exist is a red flag isn't it? Why would a monotheistic God need to command that no other Gods be placed before him?

Seems to be to be a dead give-away of a culture caught with their hand in the cookie jar trying to create a monotheistic religion by proclaiming that their God is jealous of all other Gods.

If you stop and think about this it's pretty darn silly don't you think?

God: "Thou shalt have no other God's before me!"

God: ",... oh, by the way, did I mention that there are no other Gods?"

[Elijah John]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

-Abraham?
-Moses?
-Zoroaster?
-Akhenaton?

-Someone else?

Abraham - never shown to be anything more than a fictional character.

Moses - never shown to be anything more than a fictional character.

Zoroaster - possibly a fictional character, but arguably a dualist.

Akhenaten - almost certainly a real character, but arguably a monolatrist.

Jesus - possibly a real character and almost certainly a monotheist.

Falling under the category of "someone else" the Prophet Isaiah.

Almost certainly existed, and based on his writings certainly a true Monotheist.
But there must have been other Jewish prophets as well, who fit those criteria.

So since they predate Jesus, looks like Jesus doesn't win this after all. Unless he pre-existed the whole bunch in some mystical sense.

[Willum]

Judaism didn't become monotheistic until about the 3rd century CE.
I know it is kinda NEW knowledge, but it is common these days, so it is rather inexcusable that it fails to be acknowledged.

There are about 50 deities in the OT, Dagon, Ba'El, and so on. They are as real as God, the Bible says so. Technically they still have not been given up, and non-technically, they are part of the whole story.

Now the Bible says God will outlast them, on the other hand, God is having existence problems of His, own. Probably dead Himself.

Anyway:
Zoroastrianism per-exists its name-sake. Much like Judaism per-exists Moses, at least conceptually.

Akenism existed 20 years, and was a joke to everyone but its creator. It died with him, barely existing, so it should be scrapped as a political move to consolidate political power under one god.

[marco]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

-Abraham?
-Moses?
-Zoroaster?
-Akhenaton?

-Someone else?

Though it is popularly thought that monotheism mystically penetrated Egyptian worship when Akhenaten moved the royal court from Thebes to Amarna, it was odd monotheism that recognised one ruling deity, the sun disc, but allowed Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti to be gods as well.

The old religion that permitted many gods, and welcomed any others, was remarkably tolerant. The new notion of an all prevailing deity brought what Christianity brought, intolerance of other religious forms. Iconoclasts, not unlike the ISIS warriors today, smashed old images and chiselled out references to the old Amun worship. Temples were closed that had brought Egypt prosperity.

Regarded as a heretic, Akhenaten's name was scratched from records and only when the Amarna site was excavated - as it still is today - did Akhenaten's name resurface. His son Tutankamun changed his name to revert to Amun worship.

From this flirtation with one deity, presumably a jealous one, we are introduced to oppression and removal of toleration.

[Elijah John]

Who was the world's first Monotheist that we know of?

-Abraham?
-Moses?
-Zoroaster?
-Akhenaton?

-Someone else?

Though it is popularly thought that monotheism mystically penetrated Egyptian worship when Akhenaten moved the royal court from Thebes to Amarna, it was odd monotheism that recognised one ruling deity, the sun disc, but allowed Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti to be gods as well.

The old religion that permitted many gods, and welcomed any others, was remarkably tolerant. The new notion of an all prevailing deity brought what Christianity brought, intolerance of other religious forms. Iconoclasts, not unlike the ISIS warriors today, smashed old images and chiselled out references to the old Amun worship. Temples were closed that had brought Egypt prosperity.

Regarded as a heretic, Akhenaten's name was scratched from records and only when the Amarna site was excavated - as it still is today - did Akhenaten's name resurface. His son Tutankamun changed his name to revert to Amun worship.

From this flirtation with one deity, presumably a jealous one, we are introduced to oppression and removal of toleration.

So are you equating monotheism with intolerance? Is that necessarily so? What if there is actually one, universal God known by different names? And worshiped with different rituals.

Sikhs, Ba'hai, and modern Jews are all Monotheists, and all theologically tolerant. Jews do not preach that people are condemned to hell for following the "wrong" religion.

And can you think of any Monotheist who pre-dates Akhenaton? I don't know of any.

There is a theory that Akhenaton's Aten-worship influenced Moses when he was in Egypt. Perhaps planting the seeds of Monotheism (or at least Monolatry) in Moses' mind and heart. What do you think?

[SallyF]

If this discussion does nothing else …

It emphasises the fact that Jehovah/Yahweh/Whatever - the single male god of the biblical writings - is NOT God with a capital G.

No version of "God" is EVER shown to exist outside human imaginations and the writings of human imaginations.

Innumerable versions of "God" were imagined before anyone imagined the brutal, pagan Yahweh.