Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Mark S. Smith's "Early History of God" an evolutionary eye opener! October 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you're looking for a "History Channel" presentation for the general public, this isn't your book. But, if you're in need of a readable but stil extremely well-sourced, densely footnoted, and comprehensive history of the archaeology and textual evidence on the subject of the "Yahwist Cult" and its interaction with other Canaanite religious cults, this is just what you need. It is most effective in showing how "Yahweh" engulfed and devoured his competition, one by one, similar to the way in which the texts have him "eating Death." First he absorbed the cult of "El," the creator-sky god who was original "King of the Elohim" or gods; and as we know, in the early books of the Old Testament God is as often called "Elohim" (plural) as he is "Yahweh." Then "Yahweh" absorbed elements of "Baal" (the storm god and new King of the gods in Canaan), Baal's wife "Anat," El's wife "Asherah," and others. The point is that rather than "God" being the death of evolution, it's clear from this book that "Yahweh" is the product of centuries of conflict, accomodation, borrowing, and above all evolution. A triumph of evidence and reason! Review by W. Ron Hess (BeornsHall@earthlink.net)
Saturated with Interesting Information August 18, 2008
With copious footnotes referring to a great number of scholarly articles, Smith's book could be a University course study guide. EHG is a must read for anyone wishing to learn about Israel's early religions.
Excellent synthesis of 20th century scholarship August 13, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a fantastic synthesis of 20th Century scholarship on the religion of Israel in the period of the Judges and early monarchy. The Smith surveys the literature and provides his own theory of the the relationship between Israelite religion and that of other Canaanites. (One thing you will learn is that contrary to the way the situation is portrayed in the Bible, there is little to distinguish between the Israelites and Canaanites.) It deals with the issue of monolatry versus monotheism, did God have a wife?, are there various names of God in the Bible because originally they stories were about different gods?, and what of the ritual and cult in early Israelite religion.
Smith definitely draws heavily on the scholarship of Frank Moore Cross, Jr. and Marvin H. Pope, and their students, such as John Day (e.g., Molech: a god of human sacrifice in the Old Testament) and W.R. Garr (e.g., Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine: 1100-586BC).
The book is extremely well footnoted, making it valuable even if you don't buy all his arguments.
More of a Brilliant Mind May 9, 2007
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
See my review of The Memoirs of God. This is the same.
how "God" got started July 25, 2006
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
excellent disclosure of the evolution of the understanding of God in early Israelite history. book assumes a high degree of previous knowledge of early Israelite history within an historical / critical understanding of biblical studies. If you are a "literalist," save your money ... you won't like it!
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