So, the part of that section with decent support is:

Quote: evidence includes, for example, an 8th century combination of iconography and inscriptions discovered at Kuntillet Ajrud in the northern Sinai desert[10] where a storage jar shows ... an inscription that refers to "Yahweh … and his Asherah".[11][12] Further evidence includes the many female figurines unearthed in ancient Israel, ...

There are two inscriptions found in one place, and the entry specifically on that find says it's questionable what the figures are. Female figurines have been found in ancient Israel.

It's not very impressive when the unsupported commentary is stripped away.

(February 8, 2013 at 1:28 pm)John V Wrote: It's not very impressive when the unsupported commentary is stripped away.

This is why it's up to everyone to make their own minds up.

My interest is comparative religion, mythology and the history of religion. This leads me to suspect that a monotheistic deity cult developed from earlier cults in the Canaan area when the worship of other deities was suppressed.

Akenaten tried to establish the monotheistic Aten religion in Egypt but it only lasted for a few years before everyone went back to their old deities. Roman Catholicism has a monotheistic deity in theory but in practise there's his son, Jesus, the Virgin Mary who got turned into God's Mother plus umpteen saints and all those angels. This indicates that many humans prefer more than one supernatural being in a religion.

A Christian or Jew wouldn't agree that the Abrahmic faith has it's roots in ancient Bronze Age polytheism they're going to claim it has it's roots in the one true God, seeing as they believe that God exists. So this is going to depend on your point view.

(February 8, 2013 at 1:50 pm)Confused Ape Wrote: This indicates that many humans prefer more than one supernatural being in a religion.

All religions believe in multiple supernatural beings, even Islam which has the purest form of monotheism has it's share of angels and djinn.

(February 9, 2013 at 4:48 am)Zone Wrote: A Christian or Jew wouldn't agree that the Abrahmic faith has it's roots in ancient Bronze Age polytheism they're going to claim it has it's roots in the one true God,

Incorrect. clearly Abrahamic faiths borrow from pre existing religious ideas.

(February 8, 2013 at 8:49 am)RichardP Wrote: Old Judaism taught those archaic boring tiresome Ten Commandments that modern day Christians are loathe to learn.

Orly?!

(February 8, 2013 at 8:49 am)RichardP Wrote: You are lucky if you were taught Christianity and have a chance at eternal life. People born in the wrong part of the world are unlucky.

The Bible has a get out clause for this. You obviously missed the memo

(February 9, 2013 at 6:29 am)fr0d0 Wrote: Incorrect. clearly Abrahamic faiths borrow from pre existing religious ideas.

If you believe religion is man made cultural construction without supernatural revelation then we're going to agree.

(February 9, 2013 at 6:41 am)Zone Wrote: If you believe religion is man made cultural construction without supernatural revelation then we're going to agree.

If you had a great body I might be tempted

Religion wouldn't exist if wasn't man made.

(February 9, 2013 at 6:47 am)fr0d0 Wrote: Religion wouldn't exist if it weren't man made.

So it's made up then?

(February 9, 2013 at 6:48 am)Zone Wrote: So it's made up then?

Fabricated: no. Literal: yes. In the way most people assume: no.

(February 9, 2013 at 6:52 am)fr0d0 Wrote: Fabricated: no. Literal: yes. In the way most people assume: no.

Does religion have a basis in a real God who directly inspired it through supernatural intervention in the real physical world or is it based purely on the human imagination in an entirely naturally explainable universe?

(February 9, 2013 at 7:05 am)Zone Wrote: Does religion have a basis in a real God who directly inspired it through supernatural intervention in the real physical world or is it based purely on the human imagination in an entirely naturally explainable universe?

Yes & no.