Yahweh

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This article is about the character and history of the Hebrew deity, whose name is often transliterated as Yahweh, as depicted in the primary literary and other sources. See God in Judaism and God in Abrahamic religions for monotheistic conceptions of God.

For the term "YHWH", see Tetragrammaton.

Tetragrammaton in Phoenician (1100 BC to 300 CE), Aramaic (10th Century BC to 0) and modern Hebrew scripts.

The Bible describes Yahweh as the one true God who delivered Israel from Egypt and gave the Ten Commandments^{[citation needed]}: "Then God spoke all these words. He said, ‘I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you lived as slaves.^{[citation needed]} You shall have no other gods to rival me.’”^[1] Yahweh revealed himself to Israel as a God who would not permit his people to make idols or follow gods of other nations^[2] or worship gods known by other names, "I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to idols."^[3] Yahweh demanded the role of the one true God in the hearts and minds of Israel, "Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one: and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."^[4]
Modern biblical scholars have used source criticism to interpret different character attributes of Yahweh. The documentary hypothesis employs source criticism to interpret different character attributes as originating in four distinct source documents of the Torah.^[5] For example, anthropomorphic descriptions, visits from Yahweh and use of the personal name prior to Exodus 3 are attributed to the Jahwist source.^[6] Use of the generic title, Elohim, and descriptions of Yahweh of a more impersonal nature (for example, speaking through dreams and angels rather than personal appearances) are attributed to the Elohist source.^[7] Descriptions of Yahweh as particularly concerned with whether Judah’s kings were good or bad and with centralized temple worship are attributed to the Deuteronomist source.^[8] Passages that portray Yahweh as acting through the Aaronid priesthood and temple-based sacrificial system are described as originating with the Priestly source.^[9]
Historians of the ancient near east describe worship of Yahweh as originating in pre-Israelite peoples of the Levant rather than in a divine revelation to Moses.^[10] Theophoric names, names of local gods similar to Yahweh, and archaeological evidence are used along with the Biblical source texts to describe pre-Israel origins of Yahweh worship, the relationship of Yahweh with local gods, and the manner in which Yahweh worship evolved into Jewish monotheism. In contrast, scholars who employ methods allowing for supernaturalism and divine inspiration continue to interpret the Biblical portrayal of Yahweh in a manner consistent with faith-based views.^[11] Worship of Yahweh alone is a central idea of historical Judaism.^[12] Much of Christianity views Jesus as the human incarnation of Yahweh.^[13] The importance of the divine name and the character of the “one true God” revealed as Yahweh are often contrasted with the significantly different character of rival deities known by different names in the traditional polytheistic religions.^[14] Some scholars, including William G. Dever, have asserted that the Asherah was worshipped as a consort of Yahweh, until the 6th century BCE, when strict monolatry of Yahweh became prevalent in the wake of the destruction of the temple.^[15][16] However, the consort hypothesis has been subject to debate with numerous scholars publishing disagreement.^[17]