Who is Yahweh - How a Warrior-Storm God became the God of the Israelites and World Monotheism

[@BSteenbeke]

"When we allow our faith to dictate history, we betray both" - Esoterica I like it

[@akidodogstar5460]

Facts matter.

[@johnmascola3403]

I need to remember that quote. Thank You Doctor.

[@osborn.illustration]

That was a great quote! Based.

[@IpsissimusPrime]

Yeah, that intro!

[@geraldmeehan8942]

Spoken like a true scholar

[@Dontjudgeme420]

My Youth Pastor once told me that studying Theology as a person of faith can really be a test of that faith. Having to confront your beliefs with facts about early human understanding. This is such a great essay. RIP Uncle Randy.

[@Msmoocat55]

The Lutherans fix that problem by saying one can't use the historical-critical method of interpretation because the Bible isnt an historical account of events. You can only use the words in the Bible. And maybe Martin Luther. Something like that. My theology is pretty rusty.

[@paulschuckman6604]

Independent search for Truth! The more I learn the stronger my faith has become. So many things get changed with each translation that lately I've gone to the Hebrew text to try and understand things. Once it's been translated into Greek so many things get changed and then another translation into Latin or English even more changes to the text and the meaning behind it.

[@sophigenitor]

I'm from Germany and I had religious studies at school. One of my teacher was studying for a doctorate in theology and he described his seminary as atheism factory.

[@memeboi6017]

@@sophigenitor sounds very cynical, studying this kind of stuff really should never drive anyone to atheism unless there were already some preverbal wolves in the sheep pen.

[@sophigenitor]

@@memeboi6017 Why would someone who isn't 100% committed to their faith spend the time and effort to study theology?

[@ScottJB]

It's refreshing and impressive that you, as a Jewish person (or any Christian or Muslim for that matter) are honestly engaging with the evidence on this. Thank you!

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yep, this is an evidence based, academic channel.

[@stultusvenator3233]

Millions have done this, engaging in the "evidence: they are now known as Atheists as a result.

[@stultusvenator3233]

@@ScottJB Clearly the Abrahamic god does not exist. All claimed gods fit perfectly within mad-made imagines and the evolution of such thought. Just Archaic nonsense. This does not on its own eliminate any god existing. Just none have been demonstrated, have any evidence or are in anyway involved in human affairs. Some proof or evidence may come to light, but we are looking at such a low chance, beyond 0.1 X10 to the power of 82 conservatively. I would be more concerned about getting run over by Big-Foot on a E-Scooter.

[@stultusvenator3233]

@@ScottJB No gods to calculate chances on so Zero, I said I was being conservative just giving the number of Atoms in the Universe. Pretending there are questionable assumptions is ridiculous. You can believe in the golden horned rainbow Unicorn for all I care. No evidence means I don't have to give a shit. Claim it has wings and can fly into space then it is so absurd and counter to known facts, it is a false claim and does not exist. If you are now forced to remake and redefine, to reinvent and mold a god "who was unchanging forever" to fit modern knowledge and criticisms, that should be your big give away hint it is man-made and FAKE. Pick another one.

[@tyrchtemph1881]

@@ScottJB I don't think the "odds of a god existing" are relevant. If there's an unknown deity that actually exist but appear to be undetectable and non-intervening.....then there is no real significance to making any claims about it since there's nothing tangible to give us any information on it. We don't really know what defines a god aside from our own imaginations. No one knows what its attributes would be. There are no observations, no confirmable detectable information. The idea of gods being the product of human imagination is reflected in the human record with many different types of deities, entities, or creatures within stories amongst ancient cultures. If reality produces no definable data on the existence of a god or what composes a god...and then someone goes beyond that to claim: that a specific god does exist, or to know what a god wants, thinks, says, does, or how many there are, or how you should act, or treat certain groups of peoples......well, those are ASSERTIONS. Asserted claims. Someone would claim there are no gods if that's what the evidence suggest. Just like people say there are no magical leprechauns, because there's never been any detectable evidence to affirm those supernatural claims that leprechauns exist and can grant wishes. The atheist argument is basically a REJECTION of unfounded asserted claims, not that a deity has to conform to any type of form. Sure, someone can claim that a god(s) may exist, but they can also say "if one does....we don't have any information to say anything on the matter. So, we won't make any such statements until detectable information becomes available to support our position". That would be the proper route to go.

[@geneh460]

As much as I appreciate and endorse your scholarly rigor, I think most of my living family would spontaneously combust upon hearing your excellent lecture.

[@greatexpectations6577]

😂😂😂

[@danieltalbot8358]

@@geneh460 wait, but it wouldn’t be spontaneous, isn’t there a clear cause? 🤣

[@geneh460]

@danieltalbot8358 Here's the issue. There is a skewed sample space in my family. You would have to frame the event as spontaneous as a matter of survival. If you gave that many narcissistic and sociopathic people an opening to blame anyone else for their bad (re)actions, the gaslighting would be epic. So my story is spontaneous and I'm sticking to it.

[@misslayer999]

Sounds like proof of a damn good lecture LOL

[@KyokujiFGC]

It's interesting that he was a warrior storm god, given that the Greeks also worshipped a pantheon of gods led by a storm god. I guess that says a lot about how deeply storms affected early civilization as a whole.

[@NefariousKoel]

Implications are that the prehistoric Indo-European migrations across Eurasia are a likely origin. Their chief god was a storm god. It spread all over and seems to have been adapted to cultures in many places. Which wasn't unusual, at all, for polytheistic religions. Also, much later during the Late Bronze Age, one of the tribes of the "Sea Peoples" (raiders), whom the Pharaoh had settled in the Levant after defeating them in a battle, as part of a peace settlement, is believed to have originated in Bronze Age Mycenaean Greece . The "Peleset" tribe, as they were called by the ancient Egyptians. Believed to have then become the Philistines. Along with the mention in the Egyptian history, there have also reportedly been cultural artifacts from that period found in the area also linking that theory of migration/settlement by Mycenaeans. Although a storm god would've likely already been a staple in the area by that point, so I doubt the Mycenaean pantheon would've changed much in regards to that.

[@seabertotter4325]

@@NefariousKoel I think that George Carlin said it well that we should worship the Sun. Most of our overt energy comes from it. Storms are really the result of the radiance of the Sun as the cause. But then space itself seems to be a void that is jam packed with potential energy. Is this void at a high level of conscious that only non verbal part of the human mind can intuit? Do we misunderstand it and call it the Creator of the Universe? How is possible to be separate from it?

[@stevenv6463]

Baal was sometimes identified with YHWH or El and in the Hellenistic time period there was worship of Baal Zeus.

[@seabertotter4325]

@@stevenv6463 Those were the days when YHWH was having a Baal!

[@stevenv6463]

@@edwardvgarrick8748 Isn't Yahweh said to ride cherubs, not clouds?

[@alcosmic]

I can't express how much I appreciate your integrity

[@beepboop204]

agree with you on that one

[@lilitheden748]

Wow, that’s all I can say. Keeping your religion and history apart testifies of great integrity. I watched this video with great interest and am looking eagerly forward to the second episode.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I don't dictate the history I do my best to be as honest and thorough as I can. I just deeply appreciate everyone coming on the journey with me.

[@beepboop204]

@@TheEsotericaChannel i think we all likewise deeply appreciate your willingness to be a pathfinder 🙏

[@dreadlordfluffy1991]

I'll second that!

[@pierrevillemaire-brooks4247]

"When we allow our faith to dictate our history , we really just betrayed both" Well spoken Sir. I like how well versed you are about a myriad of different cultures and theologies , and how you are able to take a step back and outline connections between those without taking a dogmatic tone. This approach makes it much more palatable to those that are less anchored in a particular faith.

[@KalebAaron-xn1gr]

Agree with you and may I recommend you a book that full of historical evidence called Vain Traditions.

[@HypervoxelRBX]

It’s not accurate at all

[@cosmopolitan4598]

Indeed, betrayed BOTH.

[@sean9321]

“When we allow our faith to dictate history, we really betrayed both” love it, you have my respect sir!

[@alihady-qc6xy]

Our Akkadian. ancestors, around 2500 to 2000 B.C., worshiped God and called Him (Aya) and Eal) in Arabic is a letter calling out to someone far away. But they made the angels control the universe without referring to God, so they established what is called (the complex of the gods) consisting of multiple statues, each statue symbolizing the king of angels # Therefore, each king had a specific function, so we find the complex of gods among the Akkadians (ancestors of the Babylonians) consisting of small statues It symbolizes some important angels. Prophet Abraham in the time of the Akkadians around the year 2000 BC, and he took advantage of people going out to celebrate one of their holidays, and destroyed the small statues and put the ax in the neck of the large statue without destroying it # which symbolizes him with the angel of death or (Azar) and in Arabic his names are (Azrael) and (Asher) In the Assyrian civilization # and the Egyptians called him. (Osiris) 🤔 Abraham's goal is to teach his people # If he controls life and death as you think without referring to God, why didn't his companions save # other small gnomes from collapsing or dying

[@PaoloVolpeFireFox]

​@@alihady-qc6xytu eri testimone del tutto😳😳😳?!!

[@archangel_one]

What if you have faith in TRUTH?

[@alihady-qc6xy]

Life is short and we will die and we do not know what will happen to us in the world after death. Just as you believe in accurate scientific research in this life and do not accept random research that is not based on the conditions of science... Likewise, you must be certain that the world after death is also based on wise, non-material laws. Therefore, Our interpretations and analyzes must begin with faith first

[@bobhogan9878]

@@archangel_one whose truth?

[@ForksandFreaks]

The simultaneous outpouring of academic and religious integrity alongside personal honesty and incredibly entertaining content across your livestreams, videos and interviews is truly the most precious gift KZbin has received since its very inception. I hope that content like yours, Dr. Angela’s, Seekers of Unity’s, Religion for Breakfast’s, Let’s Talk Religion’s and the Modern Hermeticist’s will inspire many others as much as it has inspired me. This little corner of KZbin stands as a rock amongst tempestuous waters, and though scholarship and historical research is as fluid and evolving as it always has been, the recognition of that fact is what separates the grain from the chaff. My most sincere and joyous gratitude goes out to you.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Comments like this makes it so worth it - so many profound and sincere thanks.

[@KalebPeters99]

I couldn't have put it any better!

[@agender7052]

Completely agree, this is my favourite corner of this platform and this channel in particular is probably, for my tastes, the single best channel on the entire platform in ANY corner of it.

[@F1RST_BLUD]

Best comment ever tops mine, and I comment very well always but very glad you for your comment, we should be putting out other channels more often and viewers and creators for the rest of us. I plan to this on my videos! Shoutout to the channels I follow. Stay tuned…

[@Ark_bleu]

This has the vibe of a canticle and It made me smile hard. (A very Well earned thanks, of course.)

[@widdershins1796]

Whenever I watch a video by Esoterica, I feel like I'm getting a University lecture FAR more engaging, fascinating, and Incredibly thought provoking than anything I've learned in a lecture theatre. Thank you for sharing your knowledge Doctor.

[@kg30004]

Finding authentic religious scholarship on KZbin is like finding a gold needle in a rotten haystack.

[@kg30004]

Thank you for the work you do!

[@ryandjl8541]

@kg30004 a normal needle in a normal haystack is harder to find ye

[@richardwaltz7878]

This is seriously one of the Top 10 videos on KZbin

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Definitely not better than 8 year olds opening Legos

[@nozecone]

Not to mention dogs cuddling kittens!@@TheEsotericaChannel

[@TRZN91]

@@nozecone dang you might actually have him with that one. I love deep diving into topics like that. But who doesn't love some cuddling baby animals? Especially across species lines!

[@lebladful]

You want to know your God "Allah" ( Elohim) Read the Coran "Yahwew" was the god of the people of Sinaï as in egyption papyrus reveal

[@Chasing-Truth]

@@heartsfear9216 thats a troll copypasting for ragebait, I saw the same reply under another comment.

[@rocketsummer]

yahweh really played the long game but i gotta respect the hustle

[@finehowareyou]

😂😂😂

[@joannechisholm4501]

Indeed time tell the world the god is a con man

[@nauticdixons]

I swear, that's exactly what I said 😂

[@aprilhumen1229]

I have recently come to this understanding. It’s blown my mind.

[@mick20075]

You must be a tate fan 😂😂😂

[@gunkwretch3697]

I really like that humility, scholarship is really just a process of "failing better"

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yep anything else is hubris

[@nimmieamee1988]

When this got to El and Yahweh combining, and then Yahweh vs Baal, I was riveted, like I was watching some big action movie. You do a great job telling these topics!

[@christophermatthews9213]

@@nimmieamee1988 right!? 😁

[@John-vz5un]

Perhaps up there in the sky they are all still arguing it out in the Council of the Gods.

[@mrjdgibbs]

It's important not to underestimate the influence of Zoroastrianism post exile in the conception of Yahweh. The tension you speak of between a universal god and a porochial god is the tension between henotheism yahwehism snd monotheistic Zoroastrianism post exposure to the Persian empire. Between Yahweh and ahura Mazda

[@jazmendunham7666]

Did ahura Mazda have bearing on the old testament/intertestamental understanding of Satan? For instance...in the way the Greek Pan shaped that entity's physiognomy?

[@grimble4564]

​@@jazmendunham7666 idk but that would certainly be a great subject for a graduate thesis

[@hersheysbar28]

@@jazmendunham7666 From what I hear actually, yes! The conflict between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman is thought to have influenced the relationship between God and Satan, turning it into more of an adversarial relationship than what it was in Judaism.

[@Akcija1930]

Also the notion of dualism (good vs evil), afterlife and linear history toward the final judgement. Zoroastrianism is one of the most influential religion in history.

[@daveconrad6562]

@@Akcija1930 jainism

[@theplaguepadart3743]

"When we allow our faith to dictate history, we betray both" You have my sub purely for this. Absolute Facts

[@israelortiz2690]

That got me too! Bravo

[@gintograce381]

Saaaame!

[@silencemeviolateme6076]

This video completely ignores the Egyptian influence in Judaism.

[@courtneygraham1905]

I so appreciate this video! There was A LOT of dense information, but it answered some questions I've had for decades. See, I was "that kid" in Sunday school that asked the awkward questions, labeled a "doubting Thomas" from about 2nd or 3rd grade. When I was 12 or 13 I asked, " What happened to change God from a God of War to a God of love and peace? It sounds like multiple personality disorder to me." And was promptly kicked out for "being disruptive." Finally! I found a scholarly video that provides a reasonable and nearly scientific explanation. Thank you, so very much!

[@nathaniellassen]

Wow, you nailed it as a young kid!! Most adults are oblivious or in denial

[@sweetdreamscr]

Yes I always wondered that, first and second testament God have never seem to have anything to do with each other

[@LogicallyKnot]

I've always asked questions too. I grew up Southern Babtist so the switch was waiting on me when I got home. Sometimes the belt, depending on which parent was hitting me.

[@Purwapada]

"Severed hands flying around Anat like a storm of locusts." damn that so metal!

[@dannylo5875]

"Bat metal Hands hard Rockin"

[@JakeSmith-em5sh]

Llamas-with-hats vibes.

[@dannylo5875]

@@JakeSmith-em5sh That made me think about how progressive religions are becoming. "Showers of blood" "fire" "doom" "Zombie Apocalypse"

[@junglie]

@@dannylo5875 progressive? more like regressive.....

[@Dice-Z]

@@junglie Wouldn't that imply they were better before?

[@Iknowtoomuchable]

When you beat Jehovah's first stage, but then He rips off His shirt and yells, "NOW I FIGHT AS YAHWEH, WARRIOR!"

[@TransKidRevolution]

That was funny😒

[@pamelapurcell8574]

😂

[@Dussmasterzero]

You win

[@musclboy5]

🤣 you got me

[@YtChsr]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@YogiMcCaw]

I usually have no patience for videos in which one guy just stares into the camera and delivers his monologue, but Dr Justin Sledge actually captured all my attention because what he was saying was so deep and evocative. I found myself replaying short segments over again to make sure I was following what he was saying. I almost never do that with anyone else's videos.

[@NomadNothing]

I never realized Yahweh had such a long history before the Israelites. Thank you for taking the time to make such a difficult video.

[@brianfitch5469]

It's destroys their narrative as the chosen ones. So you won't hear about it typically.

[@andrejones2147]

What do you mean ? Did you not read the Bible ? It starts in Genesis ! There was a whole world before he flooded it … and then the time of Noah until Abraham’s until Israel was many many years… where do you think God went all this time ?

[@potassium1311]

@@andrejones2147 I think he's referring to the more secularly agreed upon history of the word, dealing with "yaweh" in a more anthropological sense, instead of referring to the god of the bible/torah/quran which he may or may not believe in

[@jamesn3122]

@andrejones2147 you sound like a goof. Adults are talking about history, hush now.

[@cheat4life123]

Middianites worship Yahweh before Israeli, moses learn about Yahweh from his father in law, Jethro and his wife zepporah

[@nedwardmumford7525]

I’m an early career RE teacher with a background in philosophy, and this video is one of the most interesting things I have come across in any of my studies. It is absolutely fascinating and so insightful. Your comment at the start; “if we allow faith to dictate our history, we betray both.” Absolutely electrifying.

[@henrydavidpurple8323]

I find your videos endlessly fascinating as a non religious person. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@aimeeread8858]

there is people that were claiming egypt is black because kemet meant dark soil,, i stipulated to them if you going to have that logic than it would also be applied ->to the land of Milk and Honey would be a white Milky-skin with Honey blonde-hair , so the land of milk and honey would have nothing to do with bees and cows or black africans. the land of milk and honey would have everything to do with Milky skin and Honey coloured hair in their own afrocentric logic. the Afrocentric quickly block me and then go on pretending they can have it both ways Black egyptian because of black-land kemet but then ignore the land of white-Milk and yellow-Honey and pretend that means the land of bees an cows?. they cannot handle the truth even when you tell them.

[@JimObsolete]

Humans are easily deceived.He is the demon who came out of the burning bush

[@WeBeJayMin]

@@JimObsolete I feel sorry for you, for the world that made you feel this guy is a threat. My wishes you find peace

[@sush1-ofc1]

@@JimObsolete sir, are you a gnostic?

[@KalebAaron-xn1gr]

Yes, indeed! And there is a special book that explained paganism, it is called Vain Traditions and back up with historical evidence. You may want to read it!

[@bobfrancis123]

“If we allow our faith to dictate our history, we’ve really just betrayed both.” That is a powerful quote that I will do my damndest to never forget. Absolute truth!

[@thefool3424]

It doesn't make any sense. You can't prioritize something over your faith otherwise you don't actually have faith in it.

[@FluidThinker]

@@thefool3424 your name is stunningly fitting to your perspective. Do you still believe that we originated from 2 humans?

[@nicholastaylor8613]

As an archaeology student and folklore enthusiast who has thus far put off reading the bible, this video was a nice contextualization of so many familiar ideas. Thank you.

[@samwallaceart288]

My favorite section of the Bible is _Samuel_ and _Kings_ (obviously cuz I'm named after it lol). It's an excellent jumping-in point for modern readers that covers the decision to appoint the first king of the Hebrews, how the head of the temple Samuel had a whole bunch of reasons why having a king is a terrible idea but went ahead and appointed one due to pressure from the people, going all the way up to the reign of King David and all the pros and cons that came with that. Samuel / Kings is a straight 4 books of solid narration focused on just a few consistent characters in-depth and why they made the decisions they made. Unlike books like Deuteronomy or even Exodus, the whole David arc holds up really well in terms of readability and narrative focus. Could easily be adapted into some _Game of Thrones_ type drama if you dug into the history around it and fleshed out the enemy factions a little.

[@pamelamerrillbrekka9974]

As a fellow academic in the humanities, I applaud your willingness to tackle this topic publicly. A most promising trend!

[@LMarti13]

so basically humans have always been a bunch of comicbook nerds arguing about canon

[@merkelkewuan8455]

Yes

[@kxvinns5221]

real and true

[@kiuk_kiks]

Basically 😂

[@papusman]

I read Mark Smith's "The Early History of God" a while ago, but while I found it fascinating, I struggled with digesting a lot of it. This video truly helped me grasp a lot of the finer points. Thank you!

[@Stone-faced]

What is something that would make all believers of Yahweh throw up in the metaphorical sense about everything about him

[@carlosmuller3565]

@@Stone-faced the fact that he had a beginning.

[@JALaflinOfficial]

Fantastic! I've studied the origins of yhwh for so long and never heard it put this succinctly before. I always learn new things on your channel. Thank you!

[@lizh1970]

Hindu , Indra, El is Saturn Rudra who's star is Sirius, he was known to the Assyrians as Ashur ( Enlil) who was replaced by Murduk ( Jupiter ) Yahweh .

[@devinmccrorey4911]

This is my favorite episode so far. Your research is so in depth it boggles the mind. And your dedication to truth over belief is noble...This episode made so much sense of the Yhwh of the Bible. Information is a powerful tool

[@sentient.ball.of.stardust]

This is the first time I see someone talk about this and I'm so excited as the entire Yahwe/El thing has been on my mind for years and years.

[@ty3381]

God has led me on this journey of exploration and this is the first real video where I feel like the origin of something I love has been put before me in an easily digestible way. From a 25 year old student thanks :)

[@IpsissimusPrime]

Justin, if there are any shortcomings, they are certainly NOT due to your efforts. Quite simply, a magisterial introduction for the masses. Thank you!

[@Ancin47]

ChatGPT could never write an introduction as beautiful and concise as the one we just heard!!!!

[@need2know739]

It can now.🤔

[@moonpearl4736]

Chat GPT: For example, throughout history, religious beliefs have been used to justify wars, genocide, and other atrocities. In such cases, the use of faith to dictate history can be seen as a betrayal of the values and principles that are supposed to guide religious practice. Furthermore, by allowing faith to dictate history, the accuracy and integrity of historical records may be compromised, leading to a distorted or incomplete understanding of the past. As such, this quote suggests that it is important to separate religious beliefs from the interpretation and recording of historical events to ensure a more accurate and truthful understanding of our collective history.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

​@@need2know739 we'll end up making the Borg at some point with this stuff ;)

[@nyakwarObat]

​@@TheEsotericaChannel you should read the wars of gods and men by zechariah sitchin

[@davidenwah3413]

It can now

[@thricedaly]

Your scholastic humility is impressive, I saw no shortcomings here. Thank you for sharing, Dr. Most informative, very, very, interesting. ❤

[@lordgoogoo6969]

Your content has been so healing for me, it gives such a real, refreshing, full picture to religion.

[@NoBudgetBits-]

I just love, love, LOVE this guy! He’s beautiful, wonderful, and somehow taps into our universal, inquisitive mind. I admire how he deftly balances between the casual and intellectual without pulling any punches or “dumbing it down.” But as he is a professor, I imagine he’s quite well practiced at that. I’m grateful for his generosity to a plebeian like myself. The Socrates of our time. Thanks for believing in your audience. Bravo!

[@asdfghjkl2261]

SO thankful for the book recommendations at the end. I was getting ready to ask for suggestions in the comments, but you succinctly addressed this at the end. Have a great day!

[@eliasflorentino3010]

I really enjoyed seeing a Jewish rabbi talking about this subject. I am Hebrew on my mother's side. Mizhaim.

[@MorningAndEveningStar]

As soon as El assimilation came up, I was just waiting for that Psalm 82 shout-out, and on the edge of my seat when you mentioned El's divine council. You made my day! Thank you! And I am deeply impressed how well you can summarize in just over forty minutes here, what I'd consider the most memorable and significant chunk of my undergraduate studies. And I still learned a thing or two! I found your channel maybe two or three weeks ago, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The depth and breadth of your knowledge on this scholarship blows me away.

[@wannabe_scholar82]

I know!!! El and Yahweh is such a complex, fun, and complicated issue and the fact he sums it up pretty well in 40ish minutes is impressive as hell

[@michaellimb5805]

0pp

[@johnnada9058]

Hebrew version of Joshua 24:14 is another great verse showing that people cannot continue conflating Yahweh with the Elohim. It says to worship Yahweh and put down the Elohim (that are repeatedly mentioned in Genesis).

[@Mortismors]

​@@johnnada9058also the connections between Chemosh/Utu and Elohim further distinguish them from Yahweh.

[@amenhalleluyah1111]

​@@johnnada9058 these people have ruined and butchered both hebraic meaning of words and Old English sub put down Elohim Elohim means god simply so it says put down weird gods are false gods strange Gods strange Idols that's what it means roughly and EL is male and was adopted to Latin if you look at old Latin classic Latin they don't have that it was adopted from hebraic classic writing but if you cannot find it in the Bible or modern Torah none of these Scholars are actual Hebrews they made up their own religion.

[@linkmaxwell]

I appreciate your work. As a Christian, I view God as capable of working His will through mundane ends - he can create the entire universe by setting everything up the way He wants it to be. He doesn't need to just say "let there be light", He is fully capable of creating a universe in which gasses will accumulate and begin the fusion reactions that power stars. Likewise, He is capable of guiding mankind through these periods into a better understanding of Him. He isn't just Yaweh of Storms, or El, or any of the other gods worshipped by humanity, but he speaks to us in these terms so that people come to accept Him.

[@lowersaxon]

Are you US Evangelian? If not, you could be.

[@rickwrites2612]

​​​​@@lowersaxonlly they sound the furthest thing from a US evangelical. Sounds more like how Jews,🎉 Catholics and mainline Protestants accept stuff like astrophysics and evolution as methods of God and that God chose to speak to ppl in ways they'd grasp at the time. US Evangelicals tend to be literalists who can't accept any sort of diversity in message or method and refuse to accept basic science.

[@DavidWalls-sr1pg]

​@@lowersaxonthat's not evangelical at all.

[@cultureal9544]

Why would a God need you to worship him or listen to him? Why? Why the need to be KNOWN by humans, but not with ALL beings?

[@JayBatoon1018]

And why would a god who is supposedly all-powerful need validation from created creatures? He is all perfect, source of harmony and all. Is it not enough for him?

[@SaintHierophant]

I've watched this 4 times on a loop so far. It's so fascinating. Thank you for this.

[@dimasgomez]

As he said himself, there is a lot of content about it. Don't fixate too much on his perspective, although it is a very good one. It is his in the sense that he put it together, but he would not claim credit over it. Learning from his scientific rigor, spread your wings!

[@jerrywhoomst1116]

This is one of the very best KZbin videos I've ever seen.

[@Theprofessorator]

I can't express how long I've been looking for a video like this. Thank you!

[@mdlahey3874]

Another quite splendid episode, pitched just right so as not to overwhelm the non-specialist, nor to bore those with a little more familiarity with this dauntingly dense topic. 🙏

[@byrondickens]

"When we allow our faith to dictate our history, we really have just betrayed both." I was listening to this while I was driving and I almost crashed my car!

[@harpsitardo]

Very erudite, scholarly and accurate summary of our current understanding of the subject. Very impressive. Haven't seen any of this channel's videos before, so I was skeptical at first - too many uninformed videos out there.. So this was a pleasant surprise. Very nice introduction on how honest it is to make faith the handmaiden of reason once again - even if we find the results uncomfortable or troubling.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Thanks for watching and the kind words!

[@dabronx340]

As I remember the legend of Abraham has Abraham leaving the city of UR in Sumeria and wandering in the dessert. When he asks the voice that whispers in his ears “which god he is ?”. The voice responds “I am God” or simply “El”.

[@TransKidRevolution]

Gross. I ate some of that dessert🙁

[@samy0001985]

6:00 "The moment we allow our faith to dictate history we really betrayed both" is the line which I will follow to see history. You have given me such a great teaching thanks for this. 🙏Respect🙏 from INDIA🇮🇳

[@KalebAaron-xn1gr]

Agree with you and may I recommend you a book that full of historical evidence called Vain Traditions.

[@concaveearth]

I very much like the way you present the material, setting aside any biases, religious or otherwise. Outstanding. And the one line , "When we allow our faith to dictate history, we betray both," is truly profound. I'll never forget that. I cannot thank you enough for giving your thoughts to the people of our world.

[@daniell1483]

Wow, I love the metaphor of a god arising from a society like Mad Max. Warrior storm god sounds right on the money!

[@jameskircher5235]

"When we allow our faith to dictate our history, we really just betrayed both." Sagely spoken, good sir!

[@jamesblack4411]

I mean it wouldn't really change the fact he is God at least for me it wouldn't

[@fionn_mac_ribs]

@@jamesblack4411 It should change your perspective on your faith. Given how your god is proven to have once been part of a polytheistic religion and a minor god in that religion. You’re essentially saying “lalalalala, not listening” in a polite way.

[@MetalBansheeX]

It's sad because people can't deal with the _facts don't care about your feelings_ thing when said facts go against their beliefs

[@thefool3424]

@fionn_mac_ribs7113 you can't prioritize something over you faith otherwise you don't actually have faith in it. So the saying doesn't make sense. Faith by definition means to believe in something without proof or evidence.

[@shaansingh6048]

@@fionn_mac_ribs He was introduced into that pantheon by humans, then has to fight his way out of it. He orders the Asherah poles and images of Baal destroyed, basically destroying the rest of the pantheon as I believe he always intended. None of the actual prophets associate him with these other gods, and in the Bible he clearly makes them his enemies. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"

[@silentobserver888]

This is a truly profound and powerful episode.

[@HExtraordinaire]

KZbin's been recommending some really good channels recently. I love this type of content

[@Drakkose]

This was an incredibly educative video. I've studied various mythos my entire life and Yahweh and Ba'al have never been on my reading list. Likely because I am Christian and would often get beaten for daring to question the origins of the stories as a child. Regardless, if you can't study the history and origins of these religions and find a good reason to stay devout you were never truly devout to begin with. There are many reasons to stay faithful, none of which relys on fear or peer pressure. These stories represent some of the greatest minds to have ever exist through thousands of years studying and explaining the human condition and how to both prevent and overcome every destructive state of mind you could possibly have. These writings are instruction manuals on how to lead a good life and how to keep your society prosperous. The human mind is complex and because it can contemplate any and all concepts, it needs a God to help it stay sane and true. No one individual can get through life alone. No human is perfect. It's not enough to rely on an imperfect creature beside you. You need a concept of perfection to keep moving in the right direction.

[@cultureal9544]

And how does old warrior God help you mirror becoming perfect

[@necurrence1776]

Dr. Sledge, your research is immensely appreciated. I really believe this is how people should study religion in general. By looking at it from the very begining and from all points of view. By not letting your findings offend you or your audience. But rather by keeping one's head clear and being impartial.

[@rivalism]

Based on how much I have seen this shared all over Social Media, I predict this will be one of your most popular videos. Great stuff.

[@clarkesensei4651]

Thanks for making these videos. You are far more intelligent and credible than the vast majority of KZbinrs.

[@Jason-cz3bv]

Fart

[@KalebAaron-xn1gr]

Indeed, may I recommend you a book that full of historical evidence called Vain Traditions. Amazing book!

[@BenjaminNielson]

Stoked to watch this one. Thank you Dr. Sledge!

[@analistadigital]

The history of religion is a history of religious syncretism

[@eingoluq]

And a history of cultural biases.

[@TheGEOPOLITICIANGUY]

“if we allow our faith to dictate our history, we really just betrayed both” Brilliantly said From a Muslim who has always been intrigued with the history of Alchemy, the Hermetic tradition, Magia, European Cabala, etc., to a fellow Jew, who is a scholar of these particular subjects - cheers.

[@mavm7473]

I empathize a lot with how you view the world , the dedication to truth and the value of history is commendable. Consider myself a new subscriber!

[@jc-jf3nc]

That first six minutes where the subject matter is being introduced was remarkably humble & linguistically excused beautifully.

[@dragonman1346]

“When we allow our faith to dictate our history we fail both” such a healthy mindset!

[@eljjtp]

This is amazing. Great research and information. My gf is so fundamentalist Jewish with people who would never let her watch something like this. I had send this to her.

[@elmartell5724]

Thank you so much for your honesty. I escaped a southern Baptist extremist cult the day after I turned eighteen, but spent the next five years desperately trying to hold onto the theologies I'd grown up believing so completely, and rectifying them with the real world I'd suddenly found myself in. Learning much of what you've discussed put that to bed and gave me peace, finally, and I took the first name El as a reminder of the very same truth you've explained so well here. Thank you

[@johnrockyryan]

You did the one thing Christians who do constant mental gymnastics couldn't.... you let go and my friend there's always Deism where you can believe in a higher power but not the bunch of contradictory fairytales that what I did

[@ChristianKnight-1054]

​@@johnrockyryan So does this mean the religion is not real? Could It not mean that spiritual forces changed the religions so that they are not the one true religion anymore?

[@clockworkgnome]

Love this video, a nice summation of what I’ve been studying the last year. Makes me feel that I’m actually learning from my pile of books instead of having it pushed right back out of my head by random internet stuff.

[@EAdano77]

This was a sublime and fascinating lecture. The hours of research you distilled here down to one video are remarkable. You've definitely earned another subscriber!

[@floorboss]

I agree. Maybe A tad long & yet not long enough for "the heavy" Heavenly- wealth of necessary subject matter #YHWY Arguably 1 of his Best Videos from the few dozen lectures I've absorbed.

[@thebiblepriest4950]

"Yahwism went into exile; Judaism came back." Brilliant.

[@Nauro-zg7yp]

This is, without a doubt, the most amazing content I've ever seen. I have *always* wanted to see a well researched, documented series on esoteric/occult beliefs and theology, since the early 2000s, and finding this channel is like scratching an itch that's been just out of reach for 30 years. Thank you so much for making this so accessible and engaging. :)

[@abaker4692]

Really? Most amazing ever?

[@Nauro-zg7yp]

@@abaker4692 Well, if we're going to be persnickety about it... Amazement is a subjective experience, and is technically not quantifiable. So, to the me that watched this while high off his ass at 2 am, this WAS the most amazing ever, yes.

[@aliviabcharming]

Thank you so much for putting this out there knowing the potential consequences. Your channel has been invaluable in my personal journey, and I really appreciate having access to someone who knows how to discuss theology from a historical perspective.

[@CalebBification]

@@urbandesitv3529 would you be willing to state what the acedemic consensus on this topic is, or direct people towards that information? I don't know where else to look and top search results seem to largely agree with this video. How else would I know if you're not just echoing from your own chamber?

[@CalebBification]

@@urbandesitv3529 sorry all I can find online is Yaweh being considered an early storm and war god. I found some suggestions that it may have been a desert or even a volcano god. If there are other theories they don't appear very mainstream if search results are any indication.

[@rhodarose3451]

@@CalebBification So Yahweh is the storm and war god .. look around .. wars and our President saying "the Storm is coming" .. the god of this world, the one most called upon is Yahweh. This all seems to mesh together as the answer to the problems we face in this world. Our True Creator is loving, merciful, and forgiving. We are to call Him Father. If we are loving, merciful, and forgiving we Know His Truth.

[@amitozazad1584]

"When we allow our faith to dictate history, we really just betrayed both." Wow!

[@LucasRodrigues-fg4ib]

Your content is a gem in the caves of such controversial topics. Thank you so much for bringing them forth! ❤

[@KalebAaron-xn1gr]

Yes, indeed! And there is a special book that explained paganism, it is called Vain Traditions and back up with historical evidence. You may want to read it!

[@kirtisawant9288]

You really gave so much information in such a short time and that too without us getting bored. Thank you for your efforts, keep up the good work.

[@FraktalPriest]

You literally said words I've never heard before and I still learned a lot, thanks!

[@morganwatson2046]

I am so impressed you even tackled this topic let alone did such a good and thorough job. Speaking of your frequent jokes during the video of " why isn't this a heavy metal song ? " that totally reminds me of an obscure game people can play online ( not released in full. More like doing rock paper scissors in that anyone can play it and everyone owns it ) called " Bible Verse or Heavy Metal lyrics " where you just say either a bible verse or heavy metal lyrics and everyone else guesses which of the 2 things it is :3

[@Yamikaiba123]

Actually, I study in the historical musicology of Hebrew recitation, and to tell you the truth, a lot of the Hebrew Bible's poetry very well could have sounded like what we call 'Rock' or 'Metal'. We can at best reconstruct tradition-strands of the melodic motion of any given piece, but for Rhythm, we are on much more solid ground. I've successfully decoded the syllable-lengths of most song-poetry corpuses (it's not easy to do completely, because rules for syllable length evolved along with peoples's conception of what constitutes a syllable, and thus the length of vowels and the weight of consonants themselves evolved with the Hebrew language- and so older and newer poetry in the Hebrew Bible are not all as rhythmically even when certain later ways of pronunciation are applied... but most of it does work well when the oldest ways are inferred/reconstructed and applied.) Anyway, yeah. Rhythmically, I mean, there are many songs in the Tanakh that remind me of metal. Psalm 2 reminds me of Power Metal, for example.

[@sarahrosen4985]

That sounds fun! A musical version of Hassid or Hipster. 😊

[@lowrydan111]

This is hilarious!

[@ashesfalldown492]

This makes me so happy. I love the history of my religion and how things evolved. Understanding that helps me to better understand the whys I have always had. I would love to see a video on the Canaanite myth cycle.

[@fourthgirl5028]

Yes, more on the canaanites.

[@aquarian-talk]

If you like the history. Then, why are you religious?

[@ashesfalldown492]

@@aquarian-talk because Judaism is more about orthopraxy than orthodoxy? Because questioning God is a Jewish tradition at this point? Because something doesn’t have to be literal truth to have value? There is something beautiful about a fifty plus person Seder outside (COVID restrictions) across the spectrum on observance and focusing on the wins we have had in the LGBTQ+ community. Because lighting candles on Shabbat reminds me it is ok to take a breath, that I don’t have to be doing something all the time( full time student snd work full time as a manager). Because prayer is more for us than God, showing gratitude in the mornings is a great way to start the day, and saying the Shema before bed connects me to Jews past and present.

[@David-lu4th]

@@ashesfalldown492 lmao

[@SierraNovemberKilo]

Got it. The who is Yahweh question has always stumped me. Starting 'somewhere' is great. Youve provided plenty of leads to follow. Thanks.

[@JackMooo]

So fascinating to hear this through a historical lens, rather than a religious one. Great video👏

[@ShallowCreation911]

It's based around assumptions rather than "historical facts". This "Yahweh" god is actually an Egyptian God that had the initials "JHW".

[@ohsweatbret]

@@ShallowCreation911 lol they said a historical lens, not historical fact

[@ShallowCreation911]

@@ohsweatbret You're likely responding to a comment from long ago that I don't even remember.

[@worgancrow]

The "Queen of Heaven" was a title of Inanna. Inanna became Ishtar. Who became Astarte. So any reference to "The Queen of Heaven" is most probably a nod to Astarte / Assherah assimilation.

[@crqf2010ruler]

A title is a title. A connection only exists if there was one done. For example, is the native religion of the natives in Brazil derived from Indo European Mythology and Semitic Mythology? Because Tupã also has the title of a Storm and Order god of wisdom and soldier bravery.

[@fathurrachman9498]

@@worgancrow greek then adopt it to aphrodite

[@themagicianandthefool1878]

Absolutely phenomenal video. This should be mandatory watching for...everyone. You should be really proud of this episode Dr Sledge.

[@grammysue1228]

I am soooo grateful for this content!!! You present things in an engaging way and I appreciate that! I love that so many others are interested in these topics! ❤

[@htes]

It’s like our gods are based upon our level of awareness, as humanity grows and evolves, so must the gods. The history of the assimilation is a reflection of the awareness of humanity and our belief systems over time.

[@MrChristianDT]

Looking at what is happening in the world now is kind of giving me a new perspective on how religion came to be what it is. Not really how it came to be a thing in the first place, but how it got to where we are, now. Because Pagan cultures were always completely at home with adding to their religions or creating new interpretations of things, but never with abandoning religion altogether. A God only ever stopped being worshipped if it's entire purpose was completely absorbed by another deity to the point of redundancy. Hell, with many religions, you could walk across all the nations of a specific culture group and get several different names for the same exact deity that weren't used elsewhere, as well as hear completely different & contradictory stories about them & the origins of the earth which would all be being believed by some practitioners of the exact same religion at the exact same time. But, religion and society influenced each other greatly. Societies started with simple ideological principles which were probably put in place for seemingly sensible reasons and got more complex the more complex society itself got. Even looking at terrible things, like the Jews demanding that women should marry their rapists- well, if women aren't able to do certain things a man can do by law, then they are partly useless for a parent to keep on once marriable & if it's colloquially accepted that men refuse to touch women who've already been touched, then you'd be stuck with a useless mouth for the rest of your life if you didn't force that, as terrible as that is. And Religion began to, not only explain how the world formed, but also why society operates by the laws it does, why people are supposed to find one thing acceptable and another thing unacceptable & adding the element of a command by an all powerful deity scares people into being rather strict about application, irregardless of the harm it's capable of doing. That harm created a world where a lot of people may have fell through the cracks or felt disenfranchised by the system. Empires rose & wildly different cultures shared knowledge and became brothers & we end up with a couple failed early attempts at new religion in Atenism & Zoroastrianism before we basically end up with Christianity, Islam & Bhuddism virtually all at once, who begin dividing up the whole of the earth between them. I'm starting to think these people either meant well in trying to save all those disinfranchised people, but didn't realize that what they were teaching was creating a new version of the exact same problem they were trying to solve, or if they were just so angry, they wanted to invent a new standard of perfection that they were able to hold to and force everyone else to hold themselves to it too, to cause people deliberate pain as a punishment for disinfranchising them in the first place. Maybe even a mix of both? Of course, all those religions went about carving up the world in wildly different ways from one another, but I do think they all arose from a similar place, honestly. Now, we're kind of at a place where it's happening all over again, but people are fighting over whether we should alter the pre-existing ways yet again, bring back a modern version of the old ways, or just abandon the concept of religion altogether as archaic and damaging.

[@riverforest2997]

For me, it's the opposite. As humans become wiser, our gods seem more ridiculous and feeble.

[@milliondollarmistake]

I wonder when people will start to say that god created the internet.

[@htes]

@@milliondollarmistake now that would be an interesting debate… was the internet divinely inspired?? Wonder what the founders of the internets’ belief systems are…

[@ihaventshoweredin6weeksbut527]

And now where we can see billions of light years in space they now say God is beyond space and time

[@leonardofink4236]

Anyone else came here from his conversation with Alex O'Connor?

[@Richardbutticus]

You remind me of my grandfather and father. I strive to have the metaphysical objectivity they did. I’m very pleased I found you. More importantly, thank you for selflessly taking the time to enrich the thoughts and feelings of others.

[@noellegaige9652]

I revisit this video every so often since I first watched it a year ago. I feel like I discover something new every time. Thank you for this!!

[@Andy111Woodcock]

Thanks for sharing this knowledge and wisdom, it's genuinely staggering that content of this quality is freely available 🙏🏼

[@dillonzehnder9313]

Thank you for even attempting to cover such an enormous concept in such a short time. Really cool stuff.

[@Insight-music]

Beautiful breakdown of ancient history that many do not know of, and probably should

[@TheWildHerb]

I grew up a jehovahs witness and this is so fascinating!!! I left 16 years ago but i love history. I am enjoying your Chanel.

[@rafaelyon3347]

“this episode is a testament of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good…” Humility after achievement. Nice. Ist episode, new subscriber. Lets’s learn…

[@michaelp.3369]

This has got to be one of the most educational videos that I've seen in a long time. Good job.😊

[@FractalSkye]

Thank you so much for this! I can stop telling people this in long chats on occult Discord servers and just link this and say "this is roughly my framework when I'm dealing with "Angels" as their own divinities". Amazing summary. Thank you Dr Sledge!!

[@dannylo5875]

They feel are like separate creations with their own rules to summon them or bring them into being.

[@FractalSkye]

@@dannylo5875 not in my experience but plenty of people do experience them that way. Especially monotheists

[@koffeeblack5717]

I'm afraid you will still need some explanation, since I watched the video and am left unsure what the specific operative assumptions of your framework is. Indeed, a historicized account does not imply a metaphysical framework or occult framework. A monotheist, for instance, will simply interpret the historical development of Yahweh, in all its complexities, as the exoteric expression of progressive revelation through gradual embodied assimilation by the pious. A polytheist and henotheist will each give a different reading of the history, although they all agree on the facts. But where the polytheist interpretation will differ is how they take The One as different from Yahweh, rather than a further, deepening revelation of the same undivisible deity.

[@Mezinga01]

You had me at I check my religious views at the door. You have my respect sir. I appreciate your points and will donate for your contribution on such a contentious topic.

[@williamschristopher12]

Great video! I LOVE this subject and pretty much everything you cover on your channel…the “Recommended Readings” section in the description is truly appreciated! Thank you, you are scholar and a gentleman!

[@redalchemy7322]

Probably the most conceptually interesting video I've watched in years. Thank you for putting all of this together! It was a joy to watch

[@TioKeats]

I love what you said about “checking your religious commitments at the door.” I have my own personal religious beliefs that are very important to me but I love your channel and learning about a number of topics that don’t necessarily align with my own faith. You take such an unbiased and scholarly educational approach though and it keeps me coming back to your channel for more. Thank you 🙏

[@KalebAaron-xn1gr]

To further your study, please check this book called Vain Traditions, full of historical evidence.

[@Dhia3933]

I couldn't leave without leaving a comment. So thank you for your intellectual integrity. You have more than earned my subscription. Thank you 🙏