The development of monotheism can be traced to the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton whose efforts to suppress polytheism and replace it with monotheism (the Sun god) met with far less success than occurred later in Rome.
There are even theories that Akhenaton IS Moses, leader of the monotheistic cult of Hebrews who left Egypt to live in Israel. He received the Ten Commandments around 1313BC, just twenty years after the death of Akhenaten and the reinstatement of the old Egyptian gods by young Tutankhamen.
The existence of Moses is in historical doubt and there was no evidence in Egyptian records of the Exodus, the sojourn in the desert or any 'descent from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments' making dating the event impossible.
That said, I feel sure the Biblical account has some roots in actual events and as the existence of the Israelites as a separate people before they emerged from Egypt has not been established I'd suggest they might have been members of a monotheistic 'sun-worshipping' Egyptian sect which left Egypt for 'religious freedom' after Akhenaten's death and polytheism was reintroduced.
Lots of rituals, myths and stories are transferable between Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and many have their roots steeped in the far older Egyptian stories, not forgetting the myths of Greece, Rome and Persia.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
The development of monotheism can be traced to the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton whose efforts to suppress polytheism and replace it with monotheism (the Sun god) met with far less success than occurred later in Rome.
There are even theories that Akhenaton IS Moses, leader of the monotheistic cult of Hebrews who left Egypt to live in Israel. He received the Ten Commandments around 1313BC, just twenty years after the death of Akhenaten and the reinstatement of the old Egyptian gods by young Tutankhamen.
The existence of Moses is in historical doubt and there was no evidence in Egyptian records of the Exodus, the sojourn in the desert or any 'descent from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments' making dating the event impossible.
That said, I feel sure the Biblical account has some roots in actual events and as the existence of the Israelites as a separate people before they emerged from Egypt has not been established I'd suggest they might have been members of a monotheistic 'sun-worshipping' Egyptian sect which left Egypt for 'religious freedom' after Akhenaten's death and polytheism was reintroduced.
Lots of rituals, myths and stories are transferable between Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and many have their roots steeped in the far older Egyptian stories, not forgetting the myths of Greece, Rome and Persia.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."