Chapter Nine - Integrative Yahwism

Summary

The Exodus–Conquest ideology was probably introduced in early Israel by southern newcomers identified as the Ephraimites. However, an alternative theology in early Israel appears here through an analysis of the Song of Deborah, the plot exposed in the Book of Exodus, and the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. Here defined as Integrative Yahwism, this alternative combines the approach of YHWH as a distant deity (super-god) with his closeness to the Israelites and his public acknowledgement. Conflicts between these two trends are visible in the Bible, especially concerning the question of the divine intervention in history. The parallels between the Elohist source and Integrative Yahwism, as well as the Yahwist source and Exodus–Conquest ideology, acknowledge the perpetuation of this theological duality for centuries in ancient Israel.