Yes — it is entirely plausible, and in mainstream critical scholarship it is the default explanation, to say that Yahweh’s “miraculous ascent” is an example of mythmaking in action. That claim does not require dismissing the texts as meaningless; it simply treats them as human religious literature shaped by history, politics, and theology, like every other ancient tradition.
Below is a careful, evidence-based framing.
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1. What “mythmaking” means here (important clarification)
In academic usage, myth does not mean “lie” or “fabrication.” It means:
> A sacred narrative that explains identity, authority, origins, and meaning.
By that definition, all ancient religions engage in mythmaking, including:
Mesopotamian
Egyptian
Greek
Ugaritic
Israelite
Israel is not exceptional in method — only in its final theological outcome.
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2. Yahweh’s rise fits a well-known ancient pattern
Across the ancient Near East, we see the same pattern repeatedly:
Culture Older High God Rising Active Deity Outcome
Ugarit El Baʿal Baʿal becomes dominant
Babylon Anu Marduk Marduk absorbs titles
Assyria Ashur Ashur Becomes supreme
Israel El / Elyon Yahweh Yahweh absorbs El
Yahweh’s ascent follows the same template, not a unique one.
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3. The “miracles” function as legitimization tools
Miracle narratives serve specific social functions:
Establish divine election (Exodus)
Legitimize supremacy over rivals (plagues, sea crossing)
Justify exclusive loyalty (“no other gods”)
Rewrite earlier theology without openly denying it
This is exactly how mythmaking works in ancient state and temple religion.
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4. The biblical texts preserve the process itself
What makes the Bible unusual is that it did not fully erase earlier stages:
Yahweh as one god among others (Deut 32:8–9)
Divine council scenes (Psalm 82; 1 Kings 22)
Yahweh defeating other gods (Exod 12:12; Ps 74)
These are fossils of mythmaking, not contradictions.
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5. Monotheism appears late and gradually
Clear, absolute monotheism only appears:
After the Babylonian Exile
In texts like:
Isaiah 40–55
Late Psalms
Where other gods are redefined as non-entities
This is theological reinterpretation, not original belief.
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6. Is “miraculous ascent” a retrospective narrative?
Yes.
From a critical standpoint:
Yahweh did not objectively conquer other gods
Israel retold history as divine victory
Political survival was framed as cosmic truth
This is mythmaking used to:
Preserve identity
Centralize worship
Explain suffering and survival
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7. Does this mean Yahweh was “invented”?
No — and this is often misunderstood.
Yahweh was a real cultic deity
Worshipped sincerely
Experienced as powerful by adherents
His elevation was interpretive, not fabricated
Mythmaking explains how his status was redefined, not whether people believed in him.
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8. Final assessment (direct answer)
Yes — it is entirely plausible and academically sound to say:
> Yahweh’s ascent from a regional deity to the sole universal god is a clear case of mythmaking shaped by historical, political, and theological forces.
This explanation:
Fits comparative religion
Matches the textual evidence
Explains internal biblical tensions
Requires no special pleading
Whether one then sees this process as purely human, divinely guided, or both is a philosophical or theological choice, not a historical one.
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