Israel and Humanity - Israelite Idolatry

 Share 

II.

Idolatry of the Israelites.

Another argument of opponents of biblical inspiration cons Mosaic monotheism is that the Jews have repeatedly made note of idolatry, and they are to establish texts so many indeed they are spoiled for choice.

But the Bible says it explicitly that it was not foreign deities worshiped and Israel, as opposed to one who was the one true God of the Hebrews, which suggests that Israelite monotheism existed? Without doubt the Scriptures themselves, the book of Joshua, for example, reveal that the ancestors of Israel were idolaters. But there is a big difference between the statements of the sacred writers and conjectures of modern critics, given that the monotheistic idea, though already very clear since the days of Abraham, has always been, after the Bible became clearer and more generalized in Israel, contrary to what was happening in other nations where belief in the true God, who had kept a long time, became increasingly scarce, more and more obscure.

In addition, the prophets of the eighth century, according to the same criticisms would have been the creators and not just the apostles of Mosaic, we are undoubtedly very old as the religion and call for the restoration in its original purity. Could they make such a speech generation not only polytheistic in general, but we are told, would not have any recollection of a religion similar to that which he preached the prophets?

It should be noted that nowhere in the Pentateuch is there any mention of Baal, Aschera or Astarte, as we should expect, if we had was a document subsequent to Isaiah. Professor Kuenen, which assigns to Deuteronomy less than a century writings of this prophet is compelled to admit: "It (Astarte) is mentioned nowhere in the Pentateuch. The goddess was known as yet of great antiquity on the coast of Syria and Jordan to the east of where the city Asteroth karnaim (Astarte with two horns).

Let us add that this is the height of ignorance or the lightness of writing as the same author goes on: "What the blessings of the moon still reciting the Israelites of 7 to 16 each new moon, the evening when the sun rises at night, except a remnant of the old cult naturalist? They say three times: whether it is a good sign for us and a good omen for us and for all Israel, By sending this prayer at the new moon, Israel rushes to meet her and says, eyes still fixed on the celestial crescent: "As I rush towards you and can not reach you, thus my enemies can not hurt me to hurt me! "If the blessings that are not addressed to the moon, but to God about the moon were still a persistent idolatry as the author imagines, he would say as much sun and stars, sea and mountains, lightning and thunder, flowers and fruits, all monsters and beautiful creature, since for all that is required to tell the Israelite God a special blessing . But the truth is precisely the opposite of what Mr. Kuenen, it is forbidden to watch the Morning Star in pronouncing the blessing that we address to God about it, such as bending the knees during the prayer, to prevent the later appearance of idolatry.

There is also a great mistake by seeking evidence of polytheism in Israel has made actual borrowing at different times, to paganism and even in the formal acts of idolatry that it can rightly be blamed, and we'll see Indeed, continuing our study, if the foreign rites that the Mosaic Jews have sometimes adopted were reprehensible, they do still worship in monotheistic least inside.

We must first address an objection to Mosaic monotheism, which is apparently far more serious than previous ones. We refer to the strange ritual of the scapegoat in which opponents of biblical inspiration are firmly opposed to a deity Avaya. We will have the satisfaction that this charge leads, ultimately, was to demonstrate the legitimacy and necessity of theology Kabbalah. Those who persist in effect pushing the explanation of Kabbalah should we provide another solution to the problem, which is simply impossible, or resign themselves to seeing that in the Mosaic still imperfect form of monotheism which persisted more or less vaguely, the old dualistic and polytheistic tendencies.