It was this initial harmonization of Israelite and Canaanite religious thought that lead to Yahweh gradually absorbing several characteristics from Canaanite deities, in turn strengthening his own position as an all-powerful “One.” Even still, monotheism in the region of ancient Israel and Judah did not take hold overnight, and during the intermediate stages most people are believed to have remained henotheistic. Henotheistic worship was not uncommon in the Ancient Near East, many Iron Age nation states worshipped an elevated national god which was nonetheless only part of a wider pantheon; examples include Chemosh in Moab, Qos in Edom, Milkom in Ammon, and Ashur in Assyria. The religion of the Israelites of Iron Age I, like the Ancient Canaanite religion from which it evolved and other religions of the ancient Near East, was based on a cult of ancestors and worship of family gods (the “gods of the fathers”). Prophecy was widespread in the Ancient Near East, as shown by records from Assyria and Mari.

There is a general consensus among scholars that the first formative event in the emergence of the distinctive religion described in the Bible was triggered by the destruction of Israel by Assyria in c. They serve as diviners, and because of their special relationship with Yahweh, they are also said to possess miraculous powers: the Bible records instances of prophets curing the sick, raising the dead, multiplying bread and oil, and bringing rain after a drought. The process also cools the remaining liquid, as hotter, faster-moving molecules are the most likely to escape into the air. However due to this reason, some of the pupils are not able to see the process of production of the company which is important. There are different ways to go about this. Many scholars believe that before monotheism in ancient Israel, there came a transitional period; in this transitional period many followers of the Israelite religion worshiped the god Yahweh, but did not deny the existence of other deities accepted throughout the region. As such many different areas worshiped different gods, due to social isolation. During this intermediate period of henotheism many families worshiped different gods.

In Assyria, the patron god was Ashur, and in ancient Israel, it was Yahweh; however, both Israelite and Assyrian cultures recognized each other’s deities during this period. The major deities were not numerous – El, Asherah, and Yahweh, with Baal as a fourth god, and perhaps Shamash (the sun) in the early period. Henotheism is the act of worshipping a single god, without denying the existence of other deities. This quote does not deny the existence of other gods; it merely states that Jews and Christians should consider Yahweh or God the supreme god, incomparable to other supernatural beings. Each culture embraced their patron god but did not deny the existence of other cultures’ patron gods. Using Canaanite religion as a base was natural due to the fact that the Canaanite culture inhabited the same region prior to the emergence of Israelite culture. Religion was very much centered around the family, as opposed to the community. Earlier influences from Mesopotamia and Canaan were important in creating the foundation of Israelite religion consistent with the Kingdoms of ancient Israel and Judah, and have left lasting impacts on some of the biggest and most widespread religions in our world today. Instead of completely getting rid of the concept of other supernatural beings, these religions changed former deities into angels and demons.

Some scholars attribute the concept of angels and demons found in Judaism and Christianity to the tradition of henotheism. Yahweh became the supreme god governing angels, demons and humans, with angels and demons considered more powerful than the average human. 722 BCE. Refugees from the northern kingdom fled to Judah, bringing with them laws and a prophetic tradition of Yahweh. This tradition of believing in multiple forms of supernatural beings is attributed by many to the traditions of ancient Mesopotamia and Canaan and their pantheons of gods. Canaanite religion syncretized elements from neighboring cultures, largely from Mesopotamian religious traditions. Israelite religion was no exception, as during the transitional period, Yahweh and El were syncretized in the Israelite pantheon. With the emergence of the monarchy at the beginning of Iron Age II the kings promoted their family god, Yahweh, as the god of the kingdom, but beyond the royal court, religion continued to be both polytheistic and family-centered. Further details of this are contained in the Iron Age Yahwism section below.