My headcanon is that the Old Testament was a god specifically of the Jews and some upstart god took over (possibly after murdering him) in the New Testament days and then proceeded to spread his influence to non-jewish people while aggressively eliminating any opposition. Wherease in the old days people believed in various gods, this one started of campaign of montheism, depriving the rest of them of faith and eliminating them one by one. Nowadays he’s kicking and screaming because the rise of atheism in many parts of the world which used to be his strongold is depriving him of energy and thus he finally faces annihilation.
Indeed. The headcanon part is the whole hijacking part.
Truth be told, it makes perfect sense for religions as a whole following some type of evolutionary path and that a religion that actively tries to eliminate other faith would be one to eventually gain dominance. I’m more surprised that it seems to have happened fairly late and perhaps just once? There’s probably others similar to the judeo-christian tradition that ended up falling short of their conquest, but still.
That’s not headcanon, that’s canon canon. The first bit anyway.
If I was to describe Abrahamic religions to pre-Abrahamic polytheist societies, I’d tell about a powerful, jealous god from the desert that murdered the other gods and took command of most of the world.
My headcanon is that the Old Testament was a god specifically of the Jews and some upstart god took over (possibly after murdering him) in the New Testament days and then proceeded to spread his influence to non-jewish people while aggressively eliminating any opposition. Wherease in the old days people believed in various gods, this one started of campaign of montheism, depriving the rest of them of faith and eliminating them one by one. Nowadays he’s kicking and screaming because the rise of atheism in many parts of the world which used to be his strongold is depriving him of energy and thus he finally faces annihilation.
Oh there is no question that Yaweh was originally just a local god. Jews would have recognized other gods too, just not as their one true god.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh
Indeed. The headcanon part is the whole hijacking part.
Truth be told, it makes perfect sense for religions as a whole following some type of evolutionary path and that a religion that actively tries to eliminate other faith would be one to eventually gain dominance. I’m more surprised that it seems to have happened fairly late and perhaps just once? There’s probably others similar to the judeo-christian tradition that ended up falling short of their conquest, but still.
The Old Testament doesn’t even get to proper Jews until Genesis 32:22-31 when Jacob wrestles an angel to win God’s eternal blessing for his offspring.
That’s not headcanon, that’s canon canon. The first bit anyway.
If I was to describe Abrahamic religions to pre-Abrahamic polytheist societies, I’d tell about a powerful, jealous god from the desert that murdered the other gods and took command of most of the world.
You headcanon sounds like gnosticism