 Origins of Judaism

The origins of Judaism according to the current historical view, in contradistinction to the religious account as described in the text of the Hebrew Bible, lie in the Bronze Age amidst polytheistic ancient Semitic religions, specifically evolving out of Ancient Canaanite polytheism, then co-existing with Babylonian religion, and syncretizing elements of Babylonian belief into the worship of Yahweh as reflected in the early prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible.During the Iron Age I, the Israelite religion became distinct from the Canaanite polytheism out of which it evolved.