Assmann, The Price of Monotheism

• Using Edge AI to read

• According to the web page and search results, there was a distinction between polytheistic and monotheistic religions before the book of Deuteronomy. However, this distinction was not as clear and sharp as the one introduced by Deuteronomy. The web page suggests that the Hebrew Bible reflects two different types of religious experiences: one that is polytheistic and connected to the world, associated with priestly writings; and another that is monotheistic and detached from the world, associated with prophetic and Deuteronomic writings. The web results indicate that polytheism was the dominant form of religion in the ancient world and that monotheism gradually emerged in different cultures. The web results also suggest that the book of Deuteronomy played a significant role in the development of biblical monotheism. It emphasized the exclusive worship of the One God and the rejection of all other gods as idols 123. Therefore, the book of Deuteronomy marked a significant shift from the earlier polytheistic religion of Israel to the later monotheistic religion of Judaism.

  • I see, so it seems like the book of Deuteronomy had a major influence.
    • As a result, did it lead to the division between monotheism and polytheism?