The Abrahamic Religions - How And Why They Emerged
The Abrahamic religions; Judaism, Christianity and islam, all originated in the Middle- and Near-East and cite Abraham as the first prophet. So as most know, Judaism emerged first, followed by Christianity, then Islam. Each successive Abrahamic sect claimed its prophet as the last and greatest prophet of god.
When the ancient Israelite religion began, in approximately 2,000 BCE, their god, Yahweh (YHWH) was worshiped as chief deity among others. The Middle Eastern tribes were generally polytheistic at the time. The gods of these polytheistic religions were often tied to specific cities, places (like mountains), or nations. The Greek and Roman pantheons of gods come to mind for example. It was not uncommon for regional tribes to worship or offer sacrifices to multiple gods (Henotheism is the act of worshipping a single god, without denying the existence of other deities) to ensure security, bountiful crops, and fertility. In their ignorance, they simply didn’t know better.
The earliest known Israelite place of worship is a 12th-century BCE open-air altar in the hills of Samaria featuring a bronze bull reminiscent of the Canaanite El-bull.
The constant tribal and ethnic conflict that plagued the region during ancient times, with cities sacked and nations plundered, led people to question polytheism and seek a more universal, all-powerful deity. If a minor god couldn’t protect a city’s inhabitants from being slaughtered for plunder, then perhaps a single, more powerful god was the answer. So, the Israelite tribes gradually moved toward monotheism, it wasn’t an overnight event, but rather a progression of religious thought that went something like this…
The Problem of Local Gods: In a polytheistic world, a people's god was tied to their specific place, tribe, or city (for example, the god of Babylon, or the god of the storm). When a small, marginalized, or nomadic group like the early Israelites faced multiple, larger neighboring empires, their local god was perpetually at risk of being defeated by the gods of the dominant power. The frequent defeat and exile of the Israelites led to a profound theological crisis: Why did our god lose to the gods of our enemies?
The Solution: An Absolute God: The genius of the emerging Abrahamic concept was to invent a God (Yahweh) who was not merely one god among many, but the only real God, whose power transcended all geographical boundaries and earthly armies.
So who should be that god? Well, the Canaanites already had a single deity, EL, that they worshiped which is thought by many to be the precursor god to the Israelite’s Yahweh.
El, the Canaanite creator deity who may have been the precursor to the Israelite god Yahweh.
By declaring Yahweh the universal sovereign, the scattered and oppressed Israelites gained a singular, portable identity that could unite them across different lands and under various empires. Monotheism became the ultimate ideological adhesive, binding disparate family groups into a unified "chosen people" with a unique and non-negotiable legal code.
As the Israelites moved toward monotheism, the gods of other places and nations faded away and the tribe coalesced around the shared belief that YHWH was a unique and powerful god that had spoken directly to their ancestors (Abraham & Moses) and made a covenant with the ‘chosen’ people - renewed by a succession of prophets.
The belief that the Israelite tribe was special, chosen by god, who effectively bestowed ‘divine’ power and rights on the tribe, consolidated the community, and gave the ancient Israelites an elevated status in the region. At least in their own minds.
In reality, because of the constant tribal and internecine conflict, religion became a necessary and convenient tool for population compliance and control, peace keeping, law enforcement and the imposition of a moral and ethical code. In fact, it was about the only force or presence around at the time that COULD tame the tribes.
The central role in early tribal religions of the Middle East was played by the prophets. The primary role of a prophet was to receive and deliver divine messages. This "revelation" was not just new information, but the very word of God. It often included laws, moral codes, and commands that formed the foundation of the faith.
As the deity evolved into a universal, transcendent entity (too grand to be seen or heard by ordinary people), a communication gap opened. This gap was filled by the prophets.
A prophet is a person claiming to speak for a divine being
The prophets were not mystical soothsayers; they were, in essence, radical political activists and social critics whose authority was irrefutable because they claimed to speak directly for the omnipotent God.
Prophets typically arose from the fringes to challenge corrupt kings, priests, and wealthy landowners who had strayed from the communal covenant. So the prophet acted as an indispensable check on temporal power.
The succession of prophets provided a necessary mechanism for religious evolution and adaptation. As historical circumstances changed—from settled life to exile, from tribal rule to imperial subjecthood—new prophets emerged to reinterpret the core covenant and provide new guidance, allowing the religion to be flexible without abandoning its core principles. The dude abides, and so does the religion.
At the time, humans were still figuring out what would kill them and what would enable them to thrive. Eating tainted meat (there were no refrigerators) or toxic seafood could and did kill unsuspecting individuals; just like a lack of cleanliness created unsanitary conditions. Whereas your neighbor telling you to clean up and ditch the shellfish might cause trouble, when god made the same demands through his prophet proclaiming dietary restrictions and making cleanliness admonitions, you listened and obeyed.
Dietary laws (like kashrut or halal) regarding the prohibition of pork or specific preparation methods were, in part, ancient forms of public health measures. In a hot, unhygienic climate, these rules likely reduced the incidence of food-borne illness, thereby increasing the survival rate of the community that followed them.
Imposing a moral code, like not killing or stealing your neighbor’s wife, takes overwhelming authority and weight. The kind of authority only a deity can wield. As tribal leaders recognized this fact, they came to understand that religion could accomplish feats that they alone could not - so they enthusiastically embraced the new order. Thus Abrahamic faiths arose as incredibly effective tools for survival, governance, and identity construction in a turbulent world.
In reality, monotheism became a Tool for Tribal Consolidation and Power in ancient Israel. The move toward monolatry (worship of one god) and eventually monotheism (belief in only one god) was a powerful political and social strategy. Religion in general remains politically and socially powerful to this day, a testimony to the staying power of powerful mythologies and the profound human need to believe in a greater power.
In a society prone to internal conflict, inequality, and tribal feuds, a strong moral code was necessary for survival. The prophets delivered commandments on justice, charity, and ethical behavior not as human opinion, but as divine law. This imposition of universal ethics was crucial for transforming a collection of tribes into a functioning, stable nation.
So it turns out that the practical mandates of Abrahamic religions—laws regarding cleanliness, diet, and ritual—were not arbitrary tests of faith but highly effective, observable means of social engineering and community health.
Additionally, these practices created a visible, high-commitment barrier that defined who belonged and who did not which was crucial to preserving tribal identity and continuity of community.
Cleanliness and Ritual Purity Laws distinguished the "clean" community from the "unclean" outside world. These rituals provided daily, concrete reminders of the covenant to all members of the tribe. “We’re different, we’re god’s chosen people.”
Religion's laws and mandates also served to cement the tribe’s unique Identity and to enhance tribal resilience. For example, when a people are scattered (as in the Babylonian Exile), adherence to unique dietary and ritual laws ensures that they remain a distinct, cohesive, and recognizable group. Religion, in this sense, became portable law and a national marker, ensuring the tribe’s survival as an entity even without a physical kingdom.
It is clear that the evolution of monotheism, the emergence of prophets, and the imposition of religion in the ancient Middle East were not miracles of faith but rather social, political, and historical necessities driven by the harsh realities of the region. Because, you know, miracles and magic don’t really exist - that’s all mythology.
My personal conclusion is that the development of the Abrahamic faiths in the ancient Middle East was a logical, pragmatic, and immensely successful human response to existential problems. Monotheism provided identity and power; the prophets provided moral enforcement and adaptability; and the Law provided cohesion, health, and distinction. The resulting religious system was simply the most historically and socially successful governing framework to emerge from that crucible of empires and conflict.
What religion has become however… is another matter entirely. A subject for another essay.
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