gods prototype

[High Spy]

I find myself puzzling over what the prototype for God would be.

My guess is the first prototypes involved safe weather and bountiful harvests. Only much later in God-development would you find things like the Tapir-headed God of Alternative Translations.

If Elon Musk owned three media platforms he could combine them into Triple X.

Elon Musk only launches one at a time … now Children Everwhere can say “We Launch Four.”

Or “We Launch Four”.

[huckelberry]

I am still puzzling about (and may be stuck with puzzling only)how Israel moved from divine council family of Gods to monotheism. I find at least a list of possible prototypes which could influence the change.

I first think of natural order as prototype. Then of course governmental authority for order, (royal families) Then heroic power, (that might be more individual) then perhaps natural disorder and conflict. Last there would be death ghosts and visions ( I guess that includes the elves mentioned in this thread)

I can see the point of physics guys comments about the value of kings. I can see that awareness might suggest a value for monotheism. Physics guy mentions natural order as suggesting one God as well.

I was going to add to my list of prototype ideas for God the simple matter of cultural practice, perhaps specifically sacrifice which helps people feel connected and participating in the larger social and natural sphere. Those may not be the earliest ideas. The earliest ideas would have formed well before kings and such rulers developed in society.

I am thinking that several of the ideas for gods actually fit monotheism better than divine councils. Perhaps heros , trouble makers and ghosts fit polytheism better. But divine council? Perhaps my question is why would the idea of divine council have the staying power that recent scholarship sees in the history of Israel? Though it is long habit to see monotheism in all of the Old Testament it is clear the actual history is decidedly more complicated.

Mormon apalogetics have sometimes seized upon these observation to blunt the ev use of say Isaiah for strict monotheism. Many scholars such as Dan McClellan do not see monotheism in those passages and suspect it takes shape later, maybe only becoming normative in the common era.

I suppose cultural inertia may explain persistence of the divine council and multiply competing gods as normative understanding.

Ok , I have not been completely convinced to give up my old fashioned view that the divine council in the Old Testament is useful poetic imagery no longer literally believed. .