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One God: Israel's monotheism
Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4); firmly held by the exile· Teaching or doctrine· Church, doctrine & the world
Debated by scholarsHistorians and scholars disagree.
Monotheism is the belief that only one God exists, which Israel came to hold firmly and passed on to Christianity and Islam.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
The Shema, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one' (Deuteronomy 6:4), is Judaism's central prayer; Jesus called it the first commandment (Mark 12:29). Earlier texts often sound like monolatry, worshiping one god among many: 'Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?' (Exodus 15:11). By the exile, Isaiah 44:6 is explicit: 'besides me there is no god.' Christianity kept it, confessing one God in three persons.
Why it matters
It is the Bible's foundation. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, together about half of humanity, all trace their one God to Israel's.
Sources and history
Inscriptions at Kuntillet Ajrud (c. 800 BC) bless people by 'Yahweh and his Asherah', and many goddess figurines are found in Judah, so popular religion was not yet strictly monotheistic.
Questions and debates
When Israel moved from many gods to one, gradually or through reformers like Josiah and the shock of exile, is debated; believers see revelation from the start.
Connections (2)
▸Elijah the prophet challenged Baal's prophets for One God: Israel's monotheismFaith & scripture
The connection
Ahab's queen Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, promoted Baal. On Mount Carmel Elijah forces a choice: 'How long will you go limping between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him' (1 Kings 18:21). His demand of exclusive loyalty to Israel's God was a key step toward belief in only one God.
When and where
Mount Carmel, near today's Haifa, during a drought in Ahab's reign, about 860–850 BC.
How do we know?
Baal worship is well attested: texts from Ugarit (c. 1300 BC) praise Baal as the storm god, whom the contest of rain and fire mocks. Elijah's role is known only from Kings.
Questions and debates
Scholars debate whether Elijah taught that no other gods exist, or only that Israel must worship Yahweh alone. His name means 'My God is Yahweh'.
▸Babylonian exile hardened Israel's commitment to One God: Israel's monotheismDebated by scholars
The connection
Losing land, king and Temple could have meant Israel's God was beaten by Babylon's Marduk. Instead, prophets like Second Isaiah argued the reverse: Babylon's idols are mere wood, and there is no other god (Isaiah 44:9–20; 45:5). Exiles kept their identity through Sabbath, circumcision and scripture rather than local shrines.
When and where
Babylonia, 586–538 BC; voiced chiefly in Isaiah 40–55 and Ezekiel, written among the exiles.
How do we know?
Most scholars see Isaiah 40–55 as the Bible's first explicit monotheism. After the exile, goddess figurines largely vanish from Judean archaeology.
Questions and debates
Some scholars think monotheism developed earlier, under King Josiah; believers see it rooted in Moses. How far the exile caused it is debated.