Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Stephen Knapp <sknapp AT megsinet.net>]

George Athas wrote:
> 
> But what about those parts of biblical literature which do not take a 
> monotheistic
> view of things? A lot of the literature seems to be henotheistic or 
> monolatrous rather
> than monotheist.

With all due respect to you George, this is way too open ended [and I
think you know it, eh?]  A little baiting maybe? :-)

Is there a pattern to the parts you have in mind?

Please clarify, are you dubious that we can speak of Yahwistic
monotheism as early as the exilic period?  Do you think that Jeremiah
was given acceptance during the Persian period?  How late?

Can a monotheist use the language of a henotheist and nuance it to the
narrower view without making that explicit every time?  Would a redactor
with a monotheistic view have been more likely to alter an earlier
henotheistic tradition or simply nuance it?  

I'm groping for a way to get a concise handle on which part of the
problem you are raising here.

-- 
Stephen A. Knapp, sknapp AT megsinet.net
PhD candidate, Old Testament Biblical Studies
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Part time faculty: Department of Theology
Valparaiso University (Indiana)