The impression given by the Bible is of a cyclical swing between the cult of many gods and the cult of a single exclusive YHWH. But there may have been a prolonged period in which YHWH was worshipped as top God rather than the only God. Even the first of the commandments says 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me', presupposing that there were others – a matter of seniority rather than exclusiveness. It is only with 'Second Isaiah' as late as the fifth century BCE, that the first explicit statement of 'Yahweh Alone' is made categorical.
( Simon Schama )
[ The Story of the Jews: Finding ]
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