Jehovah and Satan were the same in the Bible? Jewish Polytheism

by VM44 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  VM44

  I have read a few postings (which of course I cannot find now) concerning the early Jewish beliefs were of a polytheistic nature. Many gods were believed in, and Jehovah was only one.

  I also recall that mention was made that the ancient Jewish believed that Satan and Jehovah were the same god! Or perhaps the two names were for two different godly attributes in the same god.

  Examples were given where these older vestigial beliefs still can be found in some verses of the Bible we have today.

  Can anyone explain elabroate further on this subject?

  This is an important topic, as it shows that the Bible, in particular the book of Genesis, was not written by a single individual and completed as a single piece of writing, but rather, was the result of patching together and revising older beliefs and stories by more than one ancient scribe!

  If anyone knows of any good books on this, please name them....We need more light on this aspect of the Bible.

  --VM44
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  Sam the Man

  Hi there,

  One book I liked was 'IT AINT NECASSARILY SO' where the authors went to the 'Holy' land and discussed with archeologists their findings. Karen Armstrong wrote 'A history of God', also I think she did the 'A history of the devil' as well. These are two books I can definately reccommend....also, of course, 'The Jesus Mysteries' totally blew my belief system away.
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  daystar

  You might find this interesting - http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_sat2.htm#bce
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  daystar

  Oh, it also looks like Wikipedia has some info. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan

  Note that the JWs have their very own special little entry, #6, for their views on Satan.
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  Narkissos

  Some discussion and references here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/67503/1.ashx

  The Satan character does not belong to polytheism at all; at this stage there are only more or less benevolent or malevolent deities, no polar, absolute opposition of good vs. evil.

  Interestingly, when the stage of monotheism (Yhwh is the only god = God) was first reached no Adversary character was implied either: God was presented as the source of both evil and good (Isaiah 45:7; probably against Persian dualism).

  As Yhwh gradually rose from the position of one of the sons of El (cf. Deuteronomy 32:8f) to the position of the supreme El, chairman of the divine assembly, appropriating features of many other deities along the way, then a satan (common noun, meaning "adversary," in the special sense of "witness for the prosecution") appears as a functional title in the assembly (cf. Zechariah 3; Job 1--2). At this stage the satan needs not be always the same person (1 Enoch 40:7 still mentions several satans for different cases), and he is not an adversary to Yhwh-El but to the person under examination (Joshua or Job). His role in behalf of Yhwh-El can be compared to the different role of the lying spirit in 1 Kings 22.

  Only in 1 Chronicles 21 (rewriting 2 Samuel 24) will Satan (anarthrous) become a proper name, taking charge of an action previously ascribed to Yhwh (inducing David to make the census) but now deemed unbecoming of the supreme god (God).

  This trend will confirm in apocalyptic and Qumran literature where a number of embarrassing actions previously attributed to the god Yhwh (asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Genesis 22, trying to kill Moses, Exodus 4, respectively in Jubilees 17:16 and 48:2ff) will be attributed to the Adversary (often called Belial or Mastema).

  Only in Gnosticism will the Yhwh of monotheistic Judaism, creator of the world, be identified to an evil character (this is partly visible already in John with the "prince of the world" or the "Father of the Jews" as opposed to the "Father of Jesus" in chapter 8).
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  Cygnus

  Karen Armstrong and Elaine Pagels are both gifted authors. Recommended.
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  Hellrider

  As Yhwh gradually rose from the position of one of the sons of El (cf. Deuteronomy 32:8f) to the position of the supreme El, chairman of the divine assembly

  Holy mother of...I did NOT know this!

  Only in Gnosticism will the Yhwh of monotheistic Judaism, creator of the world, be identified to an evil character (this is partly visible already in John with the "prince of the world" or the "Father of the Jews" as opposed to the "Father of Jesus" in chapter 8).

  And I did NOT know this either! What does the JWs think of this? Well, they would deny it, of course.
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  Ianone

  Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. Notice that JEHOVAH is contrasted with the name of God Almighty? Satan posing as the Angel of the Lord here?
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  That Nate Guy

  Hello. Yes, I can elaborate on thsi topic to the tune of 228 pages. I spent nearly four years researching and writing on this topic. The result was my book Jehovah Unmasked! The True Identity of the Bible-God Revealed.
  
  A pic of my books cover has already been pasted on this site by someone other than myself, in another section. They also put up a hyperlink to it, so I don't see any problem with adding the link here too.
  
  http://jcnot4me.com/Items/theology/JEHOVAH_UNMASKED/jehovah_unmasked.htm
  
  Be advised that some folks are breaking the law and sending out an earlier form of my @copyrighted book as a Word document. This probably makes the lawbreaker feel clever, but they are simply law-breakers, and their actions will eventually bear bitter fruit. This is all the more unfortunate when it is soneone who professes Christ who is stealing from me.
  
  I know you'll enjoy the book, and will have many "ahHA!" moments.
  
  Nathaniel J. Merritt Met. D.
  [email protected]
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  Ianone

  Nate, what faith or lack of faith are you?