What if ancient Israel didn't start out believing in one God? In this groundbreaking episode, Oxford Professor Emeritus Dr. John Day reveals how archaeological evidence and biblical texts themselves show that early Israelites worshipped multiple deities from the Canaanite pantheon. With over 40 years of scholarship and doctorates from both Cambridge and Oxford, Dr. Day takes us on a fascinating journey through the religious landscape of ancient Canaan, where Yahweh was originally just one god among many, including El, Baal, and even goddesses like Asherah who was worshipped alongside Yahweh in the Jerusalem temple.

Dr. Day traces the revolutionary transformation from polytheism to monotheism, showing how Yahweh absorbed attributes from other gods like El (becoming equated with him) while rejecting others like Baal. We explore how mythological creatures like Leviathan were borrowed from Canaanite sources, why "Israel" contains the name El rather than Yahweh, and how true monotheism didn't emerge until the Babylonian exile with Second Isaiah's radical declaration: "I am Yahweh, and there is no other." This conversation will challenge and deepen your understanding of how the biblical faith developed over centuries.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why Deuteronomy 32:8-9 suggests Yahweh received Israel as his portion among 70 gods
• How El and Yahweh were originally separate deities who later merged into one
• The shocking evidence that some Israelites worshipped Asherah as Yahweh's wife
• Why Baal was rejected while El was embraced in Israelite religion
• How the seven-headed Leviathan from Canaanite mythology became part of Yahweh's identity
• The difference between monolatry ("worship only one god") and monotheism ("only one god exists")
• King Josiah's radical 621 BC reformation that centralized worship in Jerusalem
• Why the Babylonian exile was the catalyst for absolute monotheism
• How these Canaanite connections appear in the New Testament (Beelzebub, Revelation's seven-headed dragon)
• Why understanding this evolution enriches rather than threatens faith

Guest's Work:

Get Dr. Day's groundbreaking book "Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan": https://a.co/d/h6gCyuG

Also check out his extensive work on Genesis: "From Creation to Babel" and "From Creation to Abraham"

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#BiblicalArchaeology #AncientNearEast #Monotheism #Canaanite #Yahweh #BiblicalStudies #ChristianHistory #OldTestament #HebrewBible #AncientIsrael #BiblicalScholarship #ChurchHistory #Theology #ReligiousStudies #DigInPodcast

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How does the Old Testament connect to the New Testament? What’s been fulfilled in Christ, and what timeless truths still shape our lives today?

In this episode of The Dig In Podcast, Pastor Johnny Ova sits down with Dr. Geoff Harper, Lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew at Sydney Missionary & Bible College. Together they explore the richness of the Hebrew Bible, the importance of intertextuality, and how themes from Leviticus, covenant, and sacrifice come alive when viewed through the lens of Christ.

This conversation will challenge the way you read Scripture and encourage you to engage the Old Testament with fresh eyes.

📖 Dr. Harper’s Book: Teaching Leviticus

📘 Also check out Johnny Ova’s book The Revelation Reset

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnnyova

#OldTestament #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalTheology #TheDigInPodcast

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Pastor Brian Zahnd joins Johnny Ova to unpack what he calls the kaleidoscopic cross, a bold, multi-layered view of the crucifixion that challenges everything you thought you knew.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Why the cross can’t be reduced to one meaning
• The problem with penal substitution and transactional theology
• How art, poetry, and ancient voices unlock new angles of the cross
• Why Christian nationalism distorts the gospel
• How the cross shapes the way we live, not just what we believe

This is a powerful conversation that connects theology, justice, beauty, and mystery, all through the lens of the crucifixion.

📖 Grab Brian Zahnd’s book: The Wood Between the Worlds

📕 Get Johnny’s book: The Revelation Reset

🎧 Listen to the full podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you tune in.

📺 Subscribe to @johnnyova for more deep conversations like this.

Visit Pastor Johnny's Long Island Church, Sound of Heaven

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