as not essentially
different from the religious conceptions of the people with which we
have become better acquainted through modern exploration and
excavation.[11]

Another and very different conception appears from the time of the
exodus on. The most striking feature of this new conception is that
the Israelites now worship one God, whom they consider their own
peculiar Deity, while they look upon themselves as his own peculiar
people. True, the earlier conceptions did not disappear entirely or
immediately; but for the religious leaders there was but one God who
had a right to demand Israel's loyalty. Jehovah, or Yahweh, was the
name of this God, and the religious watchword was, "Jehovah, the God of
Israel; Israel the people {172} of Jehovah." Now archeology has shown
the name "Yahweh" to have been used as a divine name long before the
time of the exodus; but archaeology has also shown that the conception
of the nature and character of Yahweh held by the religious leaders of
the Hebrews from the time of Moses on is peculiar to them. Says R. W.
Rogers, "There can, therefore, be no escape from the conclusion that
the divine name 'Yahweh' is not a peculiar possession of the
Hebrews."[12] Then he continues: "At first sight this may seem like a
startling robbery of Israel, this taking away from her the divine name
'Yahweh' as an exclusive possession, but it is not so. Yahweh himself
is not taken away: he remains the priceless possession, the chief glory
of Israel. It is only the name that is shown to be widespread. And
the name matters little. The great question is, What does this name
convey? What is its theological content? The name came to Israel from
the outside; but into that vessel a long line of prophets from Moses
onward poured such a flood of attributes as never a priest in all
western Asia from Babylonia to the sea ever dreamed of in his highest
moments of spiritual insight. In this name and through Israel's
history God chose to reveal himself to Israel, and by Israel to the
world. Therein lies the supreme and lonesome superiority of Israel
over Babylonia."[13]

{173}

Archaeology has revealed the pantheon of Babylonia and Assyria; the
inscriptions have also set in a clear light the nature and character of
the gods as conceived by their worshipers. For example, the gods are
looked upon as a part of the process of creation, as may be seen from
the opening lines of the story of Creation:[14]