I understand from the Bible, from the Wikipedia articles Yahweh and Yahwism and from lectures of various scholars that polytheism was practiced by at least some religious leaders, priests, kings and laymen of the allegedly-Canaanite kingdom of Israel and the allegedly-Canaanite Kingdom of Judah:
One opinion is that Yahweh was a war or storm god worshiped by at least one (probably Midianite, probably aniconic) group, and that this group later migrated northern and absorbed into ancient Israeli-Judean society and introduced Yahweh whom was adopted as the national god of the two kingdoms but not necessarily in an aniconic way and often presented with Asherah as his consort.
Yigal Ben Nun who wrote the book "קיצור תולדות יהוה" (no English name yet) often claims that the first Israelite temple included a statue of Yahweh and possibly of Asherah and that probably was a statue of any other god in its temple ("house") per wider Canaanite pantheon and that there are numerous clues for that in the Hebrew bible itself;
Besides that, some allege that a monotheistic aninconic "yahwistic" sect was slowly developing primarily in Judean society, and adopted by aristocracy gradually to remove elements of polytheism until finally consolidated as the sole form of Israelite religion in Babylonian captivity.
Many archaeologists and Bible researchers opinionated about a merging of Yahweh, El and Asherah into Yahweh itself in Israel and Judah by that sect:
- El (a named
[Canaanite][supreme]
god) →→→ el ("god"[single]
) or eloah ("god"[single]
) or elohim ("god"[plural]
)- el's/eloah's/elohim's name →→→ Yahweh
Asherah (El's consort) →→→ Yahweh's consort and later Shekhinah ("presence" or "effect" of god) and/or Menorah (as a religious item) which are feminine terms in Hebrew, adjusted to the fertility of Asherah as a fertility goddess or as being symbolized by a tree fertile with branches ("Menorah branches"), respectively
These Asherah ideas might be supported from findings at Kuntillet Ajrud.Ashdat →→→ X
The bible is allegedly cluing that Yahweh first "appeared" or worshiped in areas named:
Sinai, Horeb Teman, Paran, Seir and Edom
These names might describe an area stretching primarily from western Sinai peninsula to the mountains of Edom, while:
- Teman might be a general term for that southern area (including further south until Tayma)
- Paran might be the slopes along Edom mountain(s)
- Seir as the mountain (or mountain range) named Edom mountain(s)
- Edom as an inclusion of Paran and Seir
- Horeb might be a specific area within Sinai
Deuteronomy 33:2 (KJV)
דברים פרק לג פסוק ב
וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִימִינ֕וֹ אֵ֥שׁדָּ֖ת אֵ֥שׁ דָּ֖ת לָֽמוֹ
Which I would translate as:
And he said: Yahweh came from Sinai and shined from Seir for them ; (he) appeared from Paran mountain(s?) ; and with him from(among?) tens of thousands of holy ones ; Ashdat from his right ; Ash Dat (?) for them.
Note: Ashdat part isn't included in KJV but is included here.
Judges 5:4 (KJV)
שופטים פרק ה פסוק ד
יְהוָה בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ מִשְּׂדֵה אֱדוֹם אֶרֶץ רָעָשָׁה גַּם שָׁמַיִם נָטָפוּ גַּם עָבִים נָטְפוּ מָיִם.
Which I would translate as:
Yahweh, in your exit from Seir, in your marching from Edom field ; (the) land was noised, also skies fell, also clouds felled water.
Habakkuk 3:3 (KJV)
חבקוק פרק ג פסוק ג
אֱלוֹהַ מִתֵּימָן יָבוֹא וְקָדוֹשׁ מֵהַר פָּארָן סֶלָה כִּסָּה שָׁמַיִם הוֹדוֹ וּתְהִלָּתוֹ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ.
Which I would translate as:
Eloah from Teman would come and a holy one from Paran mountain(s?) ; selāh ; his beauty covered the sky and his glory (was) filled (in) the land.
My problem
All of this might clue that Yahweh was not only worshiped in a pantheon of at least some Ancient Israelis and at least some ancient Judeans, but maybe also by ancient Edomites ; Edomites had the national god Qos and maybe were the closest kingdom in culture and language to Israel and Judea → some researchers consider Edomite language as a dialect of Hebrew.
My question
Was Yahweh a god in a possible Edomite Pantheon?
You shall not hate the Edomite because he is your brother
;דברים כג ח
. I think scripture is inevitable here anyway.