>>19956523Well it's no mystery Jews developed the cult of Yahweh as an evolution of Canaanite religion, of which Baal and the Elohim were a pantheon of deities. In the pentateuch and the prophets, the authors claiming to speak for I AM YHWH frequently refer to Baal and other deities of the surrounding populations like they exist and have real power in the world. No surprise coming from people who didn't know the earth revolved around the sun, really
The argument here is interpreting the text from a monotheistic theological standpoint like the second temple Israelites did. Thus, they deliberately obscured the name Yahweh in order to give it a sacred quality, to distinguish themselves from the goyim religions and their deities.
Modern Jews and Christians interpret the text in much the same way, monotheistic theology. The old testament was not, nor was it ever, monotheistic
