The History of Yahweh - Storm God to Israelite Deity

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- VIDEO NOTES
Justin Sledge is currently a part-time professor of philosophy and religion at several institutions in the Metro-Detroit area and a popular local educator.
His KZbin channel is "Esoterica": @TheEsotericaChannel
- LINKS
Buy "The Early History of God" by Mark Smith: amzn.to/44ezTes
Buy "The Origins of Biblical Monotheism" by Mark Smith: amzn.to/3JyyZ32
- TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Pronunciation of YHWH
02:33 The Origin of YHWH
07:01 Oldest References to This God
18:00 How Translation Influences the Bible
20:00 Evolution of YHWH's Influence
27:55 Assimilation of the Gods
30:59 From Many Gods to One God
37:09 Link Between Religion & Intoxication
40:19 How Different Regions Worshipped YHWH
51:48 What is Jewish Apocalypticism?
54:47 The Introduction of Jesus
1:01:50 How Jesus Became Identified With YHWH
1:09:03 Paul’s Mystical Visions of God
1:12:41 Is This Theology Gnostic?
1:18:52 Christians Believing Jesus is YHWH
1:23:17 What is the Demiurge?
1:35:43 A More Attractive Christian Narrative
1:40:28 Recommended Books
- SPECIAL THANKS
A special thanks to my top-tier supporters on Patreon:
Tom Rindell
James Younger, DDS
- CONNECT
My Website/Blog: www.cosmicskeptic.com
SOCIAL LINKS:
Twitter: / cosmicskeptic
Facebook: / cosmicskeptic
Instagram: / cosmicskeptic
TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic
The Within Reason Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...
- CONTACT
Business email: [e-mail]
Or send me something:
Alex O'Connor
Po Box 1610
OXFORD
OX4 9LL
ENGLAND
------------------------------------------

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Thanks for having me on Alex - it was an honor and a wonderful conversation!

[@waido_]

Thanks for being so knowledgeable. :)

[@truenezito]

Hello

[@kidslovesatan34]

Thank you, Justin. Great discussion.

[@TheEsutan]

Thanks for being on! You're hugely knowledgeable and you did great! I hope to reach your level one day! Thanks mate!

[@scottythetrex5197]

This was so interesting! Thanks!

[@HisZotness]

Alex, my wife worked for Better Help, and they treat their therapists poorly, they grossly underpay them, and even demand that they perform unpaid duties. Avoid!

[@StarlightEdith]

They also sell your confidential data

[@HisZotness]

@@StarlightEdith Yay!

[@DemainIronfalcon]

He has heard these concerns and he will be doing what he can I believe, why is this so triggering how bad are they as an org or just individual maybe removed staff?

[@DemainIronfalcon]

@@HisZotness nice moustache

[@HisZotness]

@@DemainIronfalcon Their business practices can most charitably be described as unscrupulous.

[@MythVisionPodcast]

Dr. Justin Sledge is an juggernaut! May he get imported into cults of the 31st century as a divine internet storm God who defeated the chaos apologetic dragon bare-handed!

[@GnosticInformant]

lol

[@Herodotus77]

Just need to get Megan, Josh, and Bart to comment and all of my KZbin teachers will be represented on this page.

[@lukavukcevic6429]

What a cringe comment, makes me wanna kms

[@bankiey]

@@Herodotus77 Yo, who are these folks?

[@bartkl]

​@@bankieyI'm pretty sure they're referring to Bart Ehrman, Joshua Bowen and Megan Lewis (Digital Hammurabi)

[@neclark08]

LOVE this: "...This town's not Big Enough for TWO Warrior Storm gods..."

[@urbannsquirrel]

They would definitely clash 🤭

[@smillstill]

"my god can beat up your god!"

[@johnwheeler3071]

This guy is saying nothing new. Christianity knows very well that their are other divine beings that the capital G God of the bible created. He created heaven and earth and gave those in the heavenly realm free will and man free will. Some divine beings turned against God and some men worshipped those same divine beings instead of Yahweh.

[@Dovahkiin0117]

@@johnwheeler3071ya evil corrupt killer yaweh 😂 the tribal war god Really wanna worship him go for it I guess 🤷‍♂️ stay goofy the world needs some levity

[@threestars2164]

@@johnwheeler3071 Wrong. The fact he is nothing more than a locally derived fable is proof he does not exist.

[@S1apShoes]

The idea that the name of God could be "yahoo" is funny af

[@seanbeadles7421]

Yoohoowoohoo

[@drsatan3231]

It could also be "Mr Puckles"

[@JUNKJACKZACK]

The best pronouncing I habe seen is yahava.

[@TheSimpleDudeOne]

That's exactly the story behind how Yahoo (the email service) was named.

[@elliotfisk1099]

@@seanbeadles7421 cartoon history of the universe??

[@shassett79]

"Hotboxing inside the Holy of Holies" is the best phrase I'll hear this week.

[@matthemming9105]

Evokes the image of am Ancient Matisyahu concert

[@Aquamayne100]

makes sense now that you think about it lol

[@calebadams8525]

My favorite way to spend an afternoon

[@kellydalstok8900]

Makes you wonder if that’s the burning bush Exodus is referring to, that being high was a way to “experience” the presence of god(s).

[@shassett79]

@@kellydalstok8900 I've burnt a few bushes in my day, I can tell you...

[@Herodotus77]

Dr. Sledge gets deep into the complexity and details on his channel. Having this overview was fantastic...kind of primer for Esoterica.

[@Herodotus77]

No if Alex can bring him back to give an overview of the history of magic.

[@smillstill]

The more I listen to him, Sledge has got to be a voracious reader with nearly total recall.

[@kurremkarmerruk8718]

What a tour de force narrative from Dr. Sledge. Talk about sitting back and weaving it all together; I couldn't even script what he just did. Each digression and topic was unpacked so pertinently (big props to Alex for marshalling the conversation with a deft touch), and all with effortless context. Deep wells of knowledge and understanding. I particularly enjoyed his read on the transitions through the Deuteronimic reforms and the Rabbinic theological innovations. The praise for Athanasius was intriguing, I might have to give it a try. Sounded very Manly Hall.

[@the_luggage]

The context behind _why_ the Israelites were worshipping a calf and how monotheism was inserted into their faith was fascinating. Such an insightful chat, thank you!

[@Mark761966]

Not many people know that it happened twice. And that the second time they really doubled down.

[@owncraticpath]

They worshipped a calf because they were deep into polytheism and idolatry since that was what Egypt had deteriorated into. Moses peace be upon him was sent to them, to purify them from that, and they followed a narration from the Samari telling them the god of Moses was the cow, a lie basically. This is the same, claiming YHWH is an idol just because some pagans made an idol of God and lied about him, just like Christians made an idol about the son of Mary and claim lies about him. Idk this is kinda funny from a Muslim perspective, since some Christians accuse us of worshipping the "moon god" based on precisely the lies pagans attributed to God, not realizing the book came to uncover such lies, and that the pagans just made up stuff without proof after having monotheism, not the opposite. This is like Christians claiming the Trinity was from the beginning, then Unitarians seem like "making monotheism up" but the truth is that the Trinitarians lie, Monotheism was the origin, not the end, and Unitarianism is just a revival of the original faith. There is nothing wrong with investigating, and honesty is a must, but assumptions must be treated as what they are. Praise be to God, the actual unity which is logical unlike atheism or paganism. Peace

[@the_luggage]

@@owncraticpath what scholars have discovered about the two forms of Yahweh- worship and how the bull was incorporated into one and not the other can be fascinating! I recommend listening to the video :)

[@exaucemayunga22]

​@owncraticpath you clearly don't belong here with your dogma

[@owncraticpath]

@@exaucemayunga22 Peace

[@PyrrhicPax]

"I think the average ancient Israelite was just like "I don't care what you call god, as long as it rains." I love the idea of the ancient "average Joe" caring more about his crop yields than which god his landlord worships.

[@Deepfake820]

They cared about which God was worshipped but not what it's name was. In this case they wanted a storm God to water their crops

[@jasonGamesMaster]

It's not just Justin saying this, either. If you look deeper into polytheistic beliefs around the world you find a much stronger element of reciprocity at play (and, to be sure, the Old Testament faithfully records stories of this nature, but Christianity has retextualized them so much people don't often think of it that way). A polythiestic person has a buffet of deities to worship, and so only those that "come through" on their "deals" (prayers and rites, basically) get revered. Very much a "If Zeus doesn't come through, see what Apollo says," kind of scenario. If you want some info on reconstructionist polytheism (modern polytheism that tries to discover what Christianity buried, not modern polytheism that just makes up stuff that sounds good) check out OceanKeltoi here on KZbin.

[@audreysilver-fq5rh]

Average Yosef*

[@Neptunion118]

It's crazy when you think that our modern conception of god is so loaded with meaning yet in ancient times god was the steward of ideal natural processes. It's like rain drops have been replaced by meaning, god is now a steward for the point of existence

[@Deepfake820]

@@Neptunion118 God isn't the steward of the process God is the process. Personifications are methods of mapping reality communicating it.

[@TheAustinDockery]

Probably the most interesting episode I have seen yet. A huge thank you to both gentlemen for this fascinating interview. Please knock on doors such as this more Mr. O’Connor!

[@WolfoxBR]

Glad to see Dr. Justin Sledge here. Truly a fantastic scholar and one of my favorite creators in the whole of KZbin. His channel is a delight and I'm glad he got some exposition on a channel that's surely full of people who might appreciate his work. Thanks Alex!

[@mymyscellany]

Esoterica + Alex is a combination I did not expect

[@waido_]

Ikr? I remembered seeing an Esoterica video on this topic, so I thought it was interesting that Alex was covering it. I didn’t expect to actually see Esoterica in the video.😂

[@seankelley3033]

I feel like the one weird guy who's somehow managed to be a fan of both

[@thoughtful1233]

A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@thoughtful1233]

@@seankelley3033 Really? I think atheists like myself and I would guess you... indeed, further, ex-Christians like myself and I would guess you, make up most of the listeners/viewers of Esoterica, MythVision, Gnostic Informant, Israel Finkelstein, Richard Carrier, Bart Ehrman, any number of people focused on the texts and archeology surrounding Israel, Canaan, and Christianity, and finally, Alex and other atheist KZbinrs. I think most Christians listen to preachers and motivational or therapist type content - apologists if they really want to go deeper. It's mostly (not entirely) ex-religious people who want to get deep into this stuff.

[@Cross-Carrier]

​@@seankelley3033 I love both. ESOTERICA is a fantastic channel. So is Let's Talk Religion

[@SeanMach]

Wow, what a fantastic conversation! I want to hear more of Dr. Sledge. Please have him back.

[@dylanjames8792]

Insightful and informative! Justin Sledge has an amazing wealth of knowledge to offer. Thank you for posting this!

[@interestedbaldy]

The most interesting and invigorating interview I have seen in a while. Thank you both.

[@danachirico623]

The Biblical history behind the scriptures is much more interesting than the shallow, modern interpretation that most people are accustomed to. Reading the biblical text from a modern perspective is just plain inaccurate. Thank you for bringing this information onto your platform. You’re doing great work here.👍

[@billwalton4571]

But why are his sources more accurate than the Bible? In fact these people are bias against the Bible so they will pretend as if they have a superior source to it when theyve got nothing as he had to admit multiple times.

[@user-soon300]

great comment ❤

[@rhondah1587]

Cultures evolve to adapt to the times in which they are existing in and must accommodate new information and technology to at least some extent. Regional and temporal interpretations will naturally happen and have happened throughout history. Nothing is ever static within human cultures. Religions, being human inventions, will naturally fracture and split into many different sects and forms of belief even in the same textual scripture. I hope to see the day when humanity comes to its senses and puts all religions where they belong, the category of legend and mythology.

[@natedizzy4939]

​@rhondah1587 yeah let's throw out the reason we decide to be moral and care about objective reality and things will be better

[@minhnguyenphanhoang4193]

@@natedizzy4939 I am a buddhist I can claim to be a moral person - or at least as moral as an average follower of Christ. So why does morality must be form your God and not mine ?

[@garycpriestley]

Absolutely FASCINATING conversation! I learned so much and it gives the context to the early bible so well.

[@stephenzaccardelli5863]

Just Alex BTW is bound to beautifully bring out a eureka momentous response in zoroastrian ✡️ monks

[@erenjaegersrightbicep63]

Such as amazing and informative conversation! I've always been a fan of the sort of archaic and mainstream adjacent religions and mythos, Demonology, Panagism, so on and so forth, and this evidence based and impartial dive into the history of theology was such a treat. The conversation flowed well and goes to show just how great of an academician Dr Sledge is!

[@seekingtruth3825]

This is an excellent interview! Well done Alex, and as always, I appreciate Justin's approachable teaching style

[@nickhumphreys2638]

Amazing. Loved it. Definitely keen to see more of this type of content. Fascinating 🙏🏼

[@jnorris0712]

This was the best interview so far. Huge fan of Esoterica. Please have him in again.

[@jasonmartinez9008]

This conversation connected so many dots and added context to my understanding of biblical authors that I didn’t realize I needed. Appreciate y’all so much.

[@Dogpool]

As a former Jehovah’s Witness , I know that if I was a current practicing witness watching this video would probably get me shunned

[@Aquamayne100]

So glad to be out of that repressive cult. Crazy how they keep people in a cage intellectually.

[@ekatzel3210]

It definitely would have gotten you shunned

[@TheAmericanAmerican]

Congrats on escaping the cult! I got out of the catholic one myself back in 2018 😁

[@markrichter2053]

Thanks for sharing that. It’s so interesting to hear you’re angle in how your faith group would react to you if you explored the history and origins of the Hebrew god. I came originally from an evangelical tradition. I could get away with studying anything. However, if I were to bring these things up in a Bible study there would have been an uncomfortable silence. No one would have engaged me and the subject would get changed. I tried this a number of times in the year before I left the faith. What I find fascinating is that evangelicals would see JWs as a cult. Which I think it is. But in in reality, from my experience, a lot of religious groups behave in a cult like manner, especially Evangelicals! There’s an authoritarian literalist interpretation of specific scriptures, which is extremely selective to suit their preferred theology. It’s always the scriptures and translations and interpretations that justify their own particular world view, which is extremely conservative and judgmental of those outside the group or those within the group who transgress the laws. Evangelicalism makes a lot of grace when it comes to hooking individuals into the cult, because sin-guilt-forgiveness becomes an addictive shame cycle. But in terms of social ethics, evangelical churches operate a strict legalism that’s totally at odds with their theology. But they live with a whole raft of irreconcilable theological contradictions and fanatically persue a creed that’s both inauthentic to the scriptures they claim to venerate and toxic to the culture they live in.

[@OmniversalInsect]

It amazes me how people will try to defend a group that promotes shunning of members who seek knowledge. And claim that it isn't a cult.

[@FluidThinker]

Isn't it crazy that I've been researching this topic the last few days, even watching Esoterica and then you upload a video about it.. thanks. Keep going!

[@thepooaprinciple5144]

Careful following "Synchronicities", the final stop is being chosen.

[@Jaymastia]

@@thepooaprinciple5144 explain further...

[@guaporeturns9472]

Seems Zoroastrianism is one of the earliest version of monotheism

[@allensnea9335]

same

[@Kyle111]

The lord works in mysterious ways 🙌🏻

[@leahandriley]

Excellent guest. The depth of subject knowledge on display is truly Ehrmanian! Thank you Justin for sharing

[@sarahk5380]

Two of my favorite KZbinrs coming together and taking about one of my favorite subjects. Instant favorite.

[@AkaedatheLogtoad]

Holy shit I didn’t know y’all were doing an episode together! This is awesome.

[@hugoohta4437]

Best conversation on Abrahamic religion I think I've ever listened to

[@blackbeauty5817]

This is definitely my favourite episode of within reason. Dr. Sledge's work is so interesting

[@LesActive]

This feels like tattling and I'm here for it. Great show!

[@KeenanCrow]

Gonna have to watch more Dr. Sledge after this. Great episode.

[@nietzschescodes]

I just loved that interview. Great guest!

[@Dragoon803]

Great discussion. I love throwing these videos on in the background while I do stuff.

[@johnmccormick1648]

Wow. What a great podcast. talk about having more clarity on all of this now. Dr Sledge is a great at illuminating the topic. Will be following him from now. Thanks Alex.

[@moontreeboutique7995]

Man, i love Dr. Sledge!! @theEsotericaChannel is the BEST!

[@Picasso_Picante92]

Never seen Alex so happy. He was in his element. Good for him.

[@fudgesauce]

I just finished listening to the podcast version and I have to say it was not only my favorite podcast of yours, Alex, but one of my favorite podcasts of all time.

[@goldenvalkyrie7142]

What an intresting conversation. I was hooked the entire 2 hours!

[@piaraskelly1038]

Informative is an understatement, fantastic discussion

[@spicysealion-et8kf]

Thank you Alex and Justin, this talk was so enriching. I had previously read there was a major evolution during the exile but this put so much meat to it.

[@RVP4Crew]

Thank you for this content: opening up history and ideas this way makes my day!

[@aarongibson8179]

Sobering. Thanks for a great interview, both of you. So clean and pointed in the questions. Never convoluted, and such honest answers.

[@beanndip]

Justin Sledge has one of the best youtube channels. Awesome sauce

[@AustinOKeeffe]

I've heard bits and pieces about the development of Judaism and Christianity over the years but this was a great summary given more or less in chronological order giving the influences on these religions and the meanings of theological beliefs. One of the best discussions on the subjects I have watched. It would take years of study to know all this so it is great to learn it in a more concise way. Thanks to both of you.

[@lauchlanguddy1004]

and all utter garbage... people believe in these ..."gods"?? its two gods , its one god, its a storm god, its Baal, its married, its divorced, its a storm God that made the universe, its a bull.... its all bull. Lets steal a country

[@LandanJ]

This information and history is fascinating to me. It feels like it scratched an intellectual itch (is the best way I can put it). Top tier conversation!

[@shigemorif1066]

What an amazing discussion. Need to rewatch!

[@spyro5484]

stop promoting betterhelp.

[@Kryptic712]

why

[@StuntpilootStef]

@@Kryptic712 It's a terrible company that underpays its workers and has no interest in actually providing care. This has been documented extensively for years.

[@TheMrblobbie]

​@@Kryptic712 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a proposed action against the online therapy service BetterHelp, Inc. for mishandling consumers' private health information, particularly regarding mental health issues, and using it for advertisement purposes.

[@DylanGeick]

@@Kryptic712they’ve been accused of some malpractice in making mental health work into a gig economy kinda like Uber

[@Fixedopinion]

​​@@DylanGeick I went to a mental health facility in my town, official mental health office of the city. I'm having a real hard time maintaining life, tied to this is financial difficulties, and going to this facility cost 295 dollars a visit. I went weekly, my financial difficulties were made apparent in the sessions. I believe that mental health is a responsibility of the church, not a career practice. And this exact experience illustrates my point. I went, explained that I was struggling in life, it was very much effecting my ability to hold a job and therefore pay for things. I have a 1095 dollar bill to pay. Adding to my mental health which was largely coupled with anxiety. I think any career that leverages someones need or health to make an abnormal amount of money fits into your category of malpractice. 295 dollars a hour. But they are professionals and their time is extremely valuable so I guess you could just add it to the side effects: financial burden. Lol Anyway, I think Betterhelp is a legitimate platform for therapy. There is no difference, and it's cheaper. So team Betterhelp!!!! Lol

[@bkylecannon]

Love seeing Esoterica here, big fan of both of you.

[@andeez4663]

I would have loved to heard more on the influence of Zoroastrianism on Judaism during the Babylonian period

[@perpetuostudens8819]

Yes, I think it's influence is most likely vastly underrated. Ahura Mazda=God (monotheism), Ahuriman=Devil, + angels, end of world etc

[@JosephVargas-ck8zj]

I Think Muslim identity why erased the face not recognize the muslim statue Yes babylon

[@warrior4christ578]

the other way around LOL

[@nmvhr]

@@warrior4christ578 Zarathushtra and his message are ~4 thousand years old now 😂

[@warrior4christ578]

@@nmvhr incorrect zoroastrian was invented during the Persian Empire. The Babylonian empire fell for pagan worship by the Persian Empire. There Persian empire free the Jews from captivity, in doing so Daniel become the 2nd most powerful man in all the Persian empire and was the Leader of the wise men, magicians, fortune tellers, seers and wizards. Daniel was not a pagan but worshiped the GOD of the BIBLE and foretold prophecy of the coming world. Certain wise men under Daniel rule did not like daniel and tried to have him killed but ended up dying themselves from a brutal death from the King of Persia. (Daniel and the lions den) Then about a 100 years later give or take Zoroastrians was created by false teacher in Persia to mislead people from the GOD of the Bible, why? Because the Persian King accepted the GOD of the Bible (GOD of the Hebrew-Judeo Christians)

[@pilotnamealreadytaken6035]

Great collaboration Top tier content. Thank you

[@BerryCran420]

This interview was fascinating beyond belief. 👏

[@graemem111]

No way! Two of my favourite KZbin guys, together? Amazing work guys. Content, style and delivery par excellence. Thanks, both.

[@melo5303]

This is the best and most unexpected cross over to show up on my feed! And I’m here for it

[@BSwenson]

Another fantastic conversation, Alex. Wow!

[@Queenread82]

Thank you. This is interesting and thought provoking. I was surprised when you said it had been two hours.

[@SimonSpalinger]

When ever I want my faith deepened and strengthened I now can also turn to this channel❤

[@krembryle7903]

And it strengthens my atheism too ❤️

[@Son_of_zeus]

and it strengthens my polytheism too!

[@koenigcochran]

Amazing. My favorite interview you've done so far

[@TheRealShrike]

This interview with Dr Sledge is fantastically riveting. More of this! More of this! You've had many great episodes and this may be my favorite. He introduced new material to me as well. Why have I never heard of little Yahweh?

[@butter_nut1817]

Usually call-in podcasts are out of sync but this was super smooth. Good job

[@canchero724]

Yahweh made sure we are entertained by his story.

[@mirelchirila]

The funniest part of this whole new atheist thing is the fact that in the end they end up knowing more about the religion than most practicing people .

[@7.2]

Usually religious people are blind, Jews tend to be more educated.

[@funkatron101]

Amusing but not at all surprising. Skepticism isn't born out of ignorance.

[@y5anger]

Some of them. Early online atheist activists either seem to have become amateur historians of religion or regressive culture warriors. Probably speaks to the two motives of new atheism- a love of truth and contrarianism.

[@drooskie9525]

That's more-so because most people aren't intellectual types. Not even atheists. Most claimed atheists aren't even truly atheist either. People really need to think a little more critically about what these terms mean. Most atheists don't actually understand religion. They understand it in a very superficial way, and only from their philosophical materialism point of view. They do not understand the ancient mind.

[@eoinc9511]

Anti religious intellectuals invariably have a better grasp of history and culture than those who join the religious cults of the earth. Understanding is something that happens when you don’t rely on “faith” as an answer.

[@Peace-Weaver]

Yaaah! weh have been waiting for an episode like this for some time. Excellent episode, straight fire!

[@ginismoja2459]

We have the same profile picture...

[@danielsmith6436]

Man, this is good! Thank you both.

[@Stoneworks]

Couple of my favorite creators, love it

[@feliloki7]

Love Dr. Sledge and am really happy to see him platformed on your show!

[@BenJuan123]

Saw the title of this episode and was expecting an interview with Francesa Stavrakopoulou - literally gasped when my boy Justin Sledge popped up on screen. Great episode 🙏

[@Teejaye1100]

Alex and Dr. Sledge are huge and valuable to humanity. This type of work is so therapeutic and it really shows the truth of things. I’m taking all type of notes.

[@ripleycravin1078]

I was pretty pumped when I saw this crossover. Did not disappoint.

[@jhunt5578]

Fascinating. One of the best podcasts this channel has put out imo. Will definitely be subscribing to Esoterica.

[@skepticalbutopen4620]

This was a thoroughly interesting conversation.

[@wjpperry1]

Awesome collaboration!

[@baraharonovich2926]

Fabulous! this was fascinating. even though I am somewhat familiar with most of what was discussed it gave me certain clarity on the historical narrative that I didn’t have before which is super meaningful. Thank you so much!

[@owenmcmahon3511]

heyooo big 1 hour 45 minute pod drop, thank you alex, you rock

[@whisperingleaves]

in other words, Yahooooo!

[@wannabe_scholar82]

Only an hour and 45 minutes 🥲

[@neikodigg4964]

Not a 5 hour conversation?! Very big mistake Alex! Unsubscribed! (Kidding)

[@BennyAscent]

Could've been 3 hours and I'd have been over the moon

[@Philanthrophxyz]

As a believer and bible nerd I had mixed feelings going into this video, but was suprised to come away from it encouraged and intrigued. KZbinrs like the late Michael Heiser, Michael Jones, Tim Mackie, and others have put out a lot of content from a similar viewpoint, but from the other side of the fence so to speak. This content was amazing and the conversation was brilliant and sparked a fresh interest! A few notes from some of the topics: That the early Israelites struggled with polytheism and pagan patheon worship leaking into their belief system shouldn't come as a surprise. Reading the end of Joshua (chapter 24) kind of spells that one out. The note about the God of Israel having prominent attributes to that of war, conquest, and raiding makes sense considereing the book of Judges (read Judges 2:16 it's literally what they were put into place for). In one breath you point out the fact that we have little to no info about how Yahweh was viewed early on and then with the next breath you seem to push the claim that they only viewed Him in relation to war and storms. That to me is a little bit of a stretch and the biblical text suggest that he was viewed much more complexly even early on. I think the attacks on the bull worship within the northern tribe was related the actions of King Jeroboam after the split of Nothern Israel and Southern Judea, through there are similar elements to the story in Exodus. Sacred geography is definitely a thing in biblical literature and it was indeed common practice to have dwellings for deities, yet in that same text you have verses like 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chronicles 2:6, and Jeremiah 23:24 that suggest that view was challenged among some Isralites in relation to Yahweh, some of which would have been written before the destruction of the temple by Babylon. I would argue, looking at literature from the prophets, that post temple theology was already present long before the pharisees came into play and was culminated in Jesus. From 1:01:52 onwards there are a lot of interesting theories brought up that could each be a topic of debate and scrutiny. Again though, this discussion overall was much enjoyed. Thank you both.

[@amu7379]

I think a lot of atheists overexaggerate how this is supposed to be some sort of shocking revelation for Christians. Maybe it's an Evangelical thing but as a Catholic I've always known that the Biblical narrative literally has the Israelites constantly worshipping polytheistic deities, and theologically it doesn't really bother me that people had a flawed understanding of capital G God as religion is supposed to be mankind's progressive revelation in the Christian narrative.

[@ancientfiction5244]

​​​@@amu7379 It should be obvious to you that a primitive Hebrew war/storm god that indulges in animal sacrifices, loves the smell of burnt meat, who battles mythological sea creatures like other fictional gods from ancient Canaan, who can't help the Israelites overcome iron chariots and who evolved over time from one of many tribal gods and patron deities to become "God of the universe" is obviously man made. Whether or not there's some sort of god or higher power that created the universe, who knows?

[@EVANSSAMUELBIJU]

Hey yo!It would be amazing to talk more on this and share information.Are you on any Bible,Chrstianity related discord servers or other sites?

[@ryanerwin1544]

​@ancientfiction5244 What's obvious to me is people who strawman other beliefs in order to tear them down lack wisdom and discernment and shouldn't be taken seriously.

[@amu7379]

@@ancientfiction5244 Even if we grant all of that dubious speculation, I don't see how that follows. God revealing himself to a people with a highly deficient theology and understanding of Him is the motif throughout the entire Bible. At the end of the day we see through reason and revelation that the only God that makes sense is the God of the philosophers.

[@adriannegentleman83]

I must say one of your best, Dr Sledge is awesome, and so knowledgable and interesting.

[@giuseppersa2391]

The two of you together has made a superb episode! 🇿🇦😎✌️🌹🌹

[@humn_rights]

Being of Muslim background, this episode is mind-blowing to me, which makes me relate how all religions of the ME look much more similar to each other. In some aspects, they overlap and sometimes transition from one to another in non homogeneous but gradual. Over geography, tribes, languages, and time. It feels like a one peace of very long symphony of different episodes.

[@DaniilDimitrov]

Welcome to the awaken world bother.

[@smillstill]

The difficulty in finding a common ground in religions is really paradoxical considering the interdependency they had on each other in their origins and early development.

[@humn_rights]

@smillstill I am speculating that It could be related to psychology of derby, I mean the rivalry becomes more intense when the competition is closer to home. In English football league, the rivalry is more intense when the teams playing are from the same city.

[@yf1177]

Because all mortal humans yearn for some kind of transcendence and salvation, even if these are illusions and delusions.

[@humn_rights]

@yf1177 Yes, and they lead to unfortunate consequences between groups following their great great great ...... grandfathers. I think secularism has an important role in world peace.

[@limecandy7099]

This is a fascinating video and a great addition to your first one Dr. Sledge. Thank you both! P.s. would it be possible to add Dr. Sledge name to the title?

[@stranger2Utube]

This was a phantastic conversation, thank you so very much! P.S. I was very surprised by Alex saying that it's all new to him, which made me realise I unconsciously assume Alex knows everything 😂

[@user-kq5qs8px4c]

Amazing conversation!

[@historywithhilbert146]

Super interesting conversation so thank you Alex and Professor Sledge. You've mentioned his ideas a few times in interviews, Alex, so would you consider talking to Tom Holland? I think yous would have a great discussion on the role of Christianity in shaping modern Western morality.

[@Lunar.67]

Ahhhhh esoterica! With episodes every week you've got us spoiled Alex 😭

[@c_wilder]

This is the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life.

[@WeyounSix]

One of the things I like about you Alex is you are exceedingly genuine, and I think that is why a lot of religious people are fine debating or otherwise having discussions with you, you are honest and un-hostile, and simply want to open a larger discussion. I really really respect it.

[@DannyMallinder]

This conversation was so good I didn’t want it to stop 😮

[@leonardofink4236]

One of my favorite podcasts to date Alex! Thank you for the conversation. The only thing I didn't like, it's that it wasn't longer.

[@amydebuitleir]

A fascinating topic and brilliant guest!

[@sethyarborough356]

I learned so much from this interview!

[@madjarov42]

What an unexpected but welcome crossover episode. Love this dude's dad jokes on his channel.

[@panta_rhei.26]

Esoterica is one of my favorite KZbin channels, and now this is one of my favorite episodes of Within Reason. Great conversation Alex ✌🏻

[@BimRen246]

This is an informative conversation and easy to follow.

[@kredonystus7768]

My favourite of your guests so far. Super interesting listening to him outside the context of his own channel. It's one thing to be able to make scripted videos on this stuff, it's another entirely to field questions for 2 hours. Really proves how much he knows.

[@auntied4950]

Wow, the time flew! Thank you for this very interesting talk! 🏆

[@efegokselkisioglu8218]

Nice profile pick. I bet you are a very nice person.

[@avryeditz]

@@efegokselkisioglu8218yeah i bet😂😂

[@seanrush3723]

One of those times I had to turn off 2x speed😂. Dr. Sledge has an awesome channel, I can't recommend it enough. Cheers 😊

[@DemainIronfalcon]

Shalom Alerkehm thanks for sharing your knowledge, it totally changed the very few things I erroneously thought I knew about origins of the early Gods and History of all that area. It was extremely easy to listen and understand you and Alex talk and makes absorbing it so much easier.

[@Hawaiian_Shirt_guy]

this is wonderfully done!

[@ramonacevedo356]

My 2 favorite voices, speaking to each other with curiosity and honesty. Top 10 conversations of all time...Doogie

[@Wilson-Jr]

"The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook." (Psalm 77 : 18) Hail Odin, I mean, Yahweh!

[@leoelliondeux]

Lets goooo Justin!!! Love love love the esoterica channel

[@MegaDonzee]

So good, I learned so much and enjoyed this!

[@Dzonrid]

Thanks to Justin Sledge for very informative answers! Big thumbs up to Alex as well!