God — The Invention Of

By removing God from a physical temple and making him a "portable" deity of laws and stories, they invented a faith that could survive anywhere. The local storm god of the Midianite mountains had finally become the universal Architect of the Universe.

When kings arose in Samaria and Jerusalem, they needed a symbol of national unity. Yhwh was promoted to the "National God". He was no longer just a storm in the desert; he was the King’s champion, dwelling in a grand temple in Jerusalem. However, at this stage, the "invention" was still far from monotheism. Most people still kept statues of Asherah in their homes, and the King’s temple often housed symbols of other regional gods. The Invention of God

The story begins not in a temple, but in the dust of the Edomite wilderness, centuries before the first stone of Jerusalem was laid. By removing God from a physical temple and

hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674504974">archaeological evidence for this transition or look into the natural origins of other ancient myths ? The Invention of God: Römer, Thomas, Geuss, Raymond Yhwh was promoted to the "National God"