The First Temple of Solomon
- Richard Kretz
- Sep 12, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Prior to their exodus, the Israelites were kept in captivity in Egypt for roughly 430 years. During that captivity the Israelites were immersed in Egyptian culture, religious customs, practices, and deities as part of their subjugation. Yes, they venerated the vague unnamed god of Abraham, but they were not yet monotheistic. They were moving in that direction but were still polytheistic. They incorporated veneration of other deities, inclusive of Mesopotamian and Egyptian gods and practices. Even after Moses was introduced to Yahweh by Jethro in Midian and his encounter with the one, unnamed, God on Mount Sinai, the Israelites, as exemplified by the golden calf incident, remained polytheistic and worshipped multiple deities up until the reforms of Josiah that enforced monotheism. So, while the First Temple of Solomon may have been dedicated to Yahweh, other deities were worshipped there as well.

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