I agree with Margaret Barker that a lot of the old Israelite polytheism survived into New Testament times. This belief system rejected the strict monotheism of the priestly caste and considered Yahweh the "second god" who was the son of Elyon (The God Most High). Also Yahweh's consort Asherah in this belief system was the personified wisdom.
I would also agree with Margaret Barker that this belief system influenced profoundly Hellenistic Judaism, Gnosticism and Christianity. Actually it is not a big stretch seeing this belief system evolve into the concept of the trinity.
Therefore I would believe to people who started Christianity, Jesus was a personification of Yahweh, who was the son of the God most high (Elyon). My reading of the Gospel of John and the Pauline Epistles shows that the writers subscribed to that belief system in some form, I have described above.
However the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke have a different christology, which considered Jesus either was a righteous man who was adopted as god's son or a demigod like Hercules.
I would also agree with Margaret Barker that this belief system influenced profoundly Hellenistic Judaism, Gnosticism and Christianity. Actually it is not a big stretch seeing this belief system evolve into the concept of the trinity.
Therefore I would believe to people who started Christianity, Jesus was a personification of Yahweh, who was the son of the God most high (Elyon). My reading of the Gospel of John and the Pauline Epistles shows that the writers subscribed to that belief system in some form, I have described above.
However the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke have a different christology, which considered Jesus either was a righteous man who was adopted as god's son or a demigod like Hercules.
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