Yahweh YHWH

Names

• YHWH (Hebrew)
• Yahweh (Latin)
• Jehovah (English)
• Yaho
• ehyeh ašer ehyeh – I am that I am
• Yahô or ‘Yahû
• YeHūàH or YaHūàH
• Yahwi-
• The Powerfull one, The destructor
• Tetragrammaton
• Enlil?
• Baal?

A dessert pagan god

“Jehovah saw that the wickedness of the ADaM was great in the earth”; and “it repented Jehovah that he had formed the ADaM,” and “Jehovah said, I will destroy the ADaM whom I have created,”

Yaldabaoth raped Eve.
She bore two sons. 

[Elohim was the name of the first.
Yahweh was the name of the second.
            Elohim has a bear’s face.
            Yahweh has a cat’s face.
                        One is righteous;
                        One is not.
                                    Yahweh is righteous;
                                    Elohim is not.
Yahweh would command fire and wind
Elohim would command water and earth.] 

Yaldabaoth deceptively named the two: Cain and Abel. 

Secret Book of John

YHWH Actions

1. Cursed the ground – This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which Elohim YHWH hath cursed (Gen 5:29). 
2. The Great Flood – Yahweh floods the Earth, killing nearly all living beings (Genesis 6-8).
3. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – Yahweh destroys these cities with fire and brimstone due to their sins (Genesis 19).
4. The Plagues of Egypt – Yahweh sends ten plagues on Egypt to force Pharaoh to release the Israelites, culminating in the death of the firstborn (Exodus 7-12).
5. Drowning the Egyptian Army – Yahweh parts the Red Sea for the Israelites and then drowns the pursuing Egyptian army (Exodus 14).
6. Command to Kill the Amalekites – Yahweh commands Saul to annihilate the Amalekites, including women, children, and animals (1 Samuel 15).
7. Destruction of Jericho – Yahweh commands the Israelites to destroy Jericho and kill all its inhabitants (Joshua 6).
8. Punishment of David’s Census – Yahweh sends a plague that kills 70,000 Israelites as punishment for David taking a census (2 Samuel 24).
9. The Destruction of the Northern Kingdom – Yahweh allows the Assyrians to conquer Israel and deport its people because of their idolatry (2 Kings 17).
10. The Destruction of the Southern Kingdom – Yahweh allows the Babylonians to conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and exile its people (2 Kings 25).
11. Severe Laws and Punishments – The Mosaic Law includes severe punishments for various offenses, including death for blasphemy, adultery, and working on the Sabbath (Leviticus 20, Numbers 15, Deuteronomy 22).
12. Struck with a severe plague – But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Elohim YHWH burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. (Numbers 11:33)

YHWH’s portion was the Desert

“The Elyown Took the Earth * YHWH’s portion was the Desert

Elyown -This term is likely derived from the Hebrew word “Elyon,” meaning “Most High.” In ancient texts, “Elyon” is a title used for God, often referring to the supreme deity or the highest god in a pantheon.
Took the Earth: This suggests that Elyown, the Most High, claimed dominion over the entire earth or was allotted the earth.
“YHWH’s portion was the Desert”:

Portion was the Desert: This indicates that the specific territory or domain assigned to YHWH was the desert, a place often associated with divine encounters and significant events in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., the Exodus, Moses’ wanderings).

The phrase might reflect a concept from ancient Near Eastern religious traditions where different gods were believed to have dominion over specific regions or aspects of nature. Here, Elyown (the Most High) has authority over the earth, while YHWH is specifically associated with the desert.

Biblical References:
Deuteronomy 32:8-9: This passage speaks of the division of nations by the Most High (Elyon) and mentions that YHWH’s portion is His people, Jacob, but earlier traditions might have influenced this allocation of regions or roles to deities.
Psalms 78:40 and Psalms 106:14: These refer to the Israelites’ experiences in the desert and their relationship with YHWH during that time.

Yahweh Worshippers

Ancient Israelites

• Worshiped Yahweh from the late Bronze Age onward.
• Reference: Exodus 6:2-3 (Yahweh reveals himself to Moses).

Jews (Post-Exilic Period to Present)

• Continued worship of Yahweh after the Babylonian Exile, with a focus on the Temple and later the synagogue.
• Reference: Ezra 1:1-4 (Cyrus’ decree to rebuild the Temple).

Samaritans

• Worship Yahweh at Mount Gerizim, with their own version of the Torah.
• Reference: John 4:20-21 (Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman).

Early Christians

• Initially worshiped Yahweh within a Jewish context, later viewing Jesus as the incarnation of God.
• Reference: Acts 2:36 (Peter’s declaration of Jesus as Lord and Messiah).

National god of the Israelite

Yahweh was an ancient Levantine deity, and national god of the Israelite kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Though no consensus exists regarding the deity’s origins, scholars generally contend that Yahweh emerged as a “divine warrior” associated first with Seir, Edom, Paran and Teman, and later with Canaan.

The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age, if not somewhat earlier.

The god’s name was written in paleo-Hebrew as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (יהוה‎ in block script), transliterated as YHWH; modern scholarship has reached consensus to transcribe this as “Yahweh”.

The shortened forms “Yeho-“, “Yahu-” and “Yo-” appear in personal names and in phrases such as “Hallelujah!”

The sacrality of the name, as well as the Commandment against “taking the name ‘in vain'”, led to increasingly strict prohibitions on speaking or writing the term. Rabbinic sources suggest that, by the Second Temple period, the name of God was pronounced only once a year, by the high priest, on the Day of Atonement.

After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the original pronunciation of the name was forgotten entirely.

YHWH

Regarding the name yhwꜣ, Michael Astour observed that the “hieroglyphic rendering corresponds very precisely to the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH, or Yahweh, and antedates the hitherto oldest occurrence of that divine name – on the Moabite Stone – by over five hundred years.” 

K. Van Der Toorn concludes: “By the 14th century BC, before the cult of Yahweh had reached Israel, groups of Edomites and Midianites worshipped Yahweh as their god.”

When a man sleeps, the body tells to the soul (neshamah) what it has done during the day; the soul then reports it to the spirit (nefesh), the spirit to the angel, the angel to the cherub, and the cherub to the seraph, who then brings it before God”

The video you shared is a talk by Paul Wallis, who challenges the traditional Christian view of Yahweh, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, and contrasts it with the portrayal of God by Jesus in the New Testament. Here is a summary of the key points he makes:

Differences Between Yahweh and the God of Jesus

Character of Yahweh vs. Jesus’ God:

Wallis argues that the character of Yahweh, as depicted in the Old Testament, is markedly different from the character of God that Jesus portrays in the New Testament. Yahweh is often shown as a violent and jealous deity, commanding the extermination of entire populations, such as in the story of Saul and the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15.

In contrast, Jesus describes God as loving, forgiving, and patient. Jesus emphasizes love and kindness, qualities not typically attributed to Yahweh in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Yahweh’s Violent Commands:

Wallis cites examples from the Old Testament where Yahweh commands brutal actions, such as genocide and the slaughter of enemies, including women and children.

He contrasts this with the teachings of Jesus, who preached love, forgiveness, and turning the other cheek.

Jesus’ Rejection of Yahweh’s Laws:

According to Wallis, Jesus did not endorse Yahweh’s laws. Instead, Jesus offered a new understanding of God that moved away from the legalistic and violent aspects of Yahweh’s character.

Wallis points out that Jesus and his followers, including the early church leaders, ultimately rejected the strict adherence to Yahweh’s laws, as seen in the decisions made at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).

Jesus’ Disparaging Remarks About Yahweh:

Wallis interprets certain passages in the New Testament, such as John 8, where Jesus seems to distance himself from the Jewish leaders’ understanding of God. Jesus criticizes their theology and implies that their father is the devil, rather than the loving God he teaches about.

Historical Context of Yahweh:

Wallis suggests that Yahweh was originally seen as a tribal god or even a colonizing entity that was later adopted as the supreme deity by the Israelites.

He highlights the transformation of Jewish worship practices over time, particularly under kings like Hezekiah and Josiah, who centralized worship and eliminated other deities.

Early Church’s View on Yahweh:

Early Christian thinkers like Justin Martyr and others saw Jesus’ teachings as a fulfillment and completion of what was only a preparation in the Jewish scriptures. They often regarded Greek philosophy, particularly Plato, as more aligned with Jesus’ teachings than the Old Testament laws.

Wallis argues that the Bible as we have it, with the Old and New Testaments combined, creates a misleading continuity between the violent Yahweh and the loving God Jesus describes.

Atlantis

Adonai, Shaddai, Jehovah, and Elohim:

“There are four names by which God was known of old:

1. Adonai, Lord or Possessor;
2. Shaddai, Almighty;
3. Jehovah, the self-existing one;
4. Elohim, God, the Covenant-keeper, and Lord of the Universe” .

Jehovah:

“I understand that the origin of the word ‘Javeh’ or Jehovah appears to be lost in mystery, but apparently indicates One who is Eternal, and true to his covenant” .

“The countenance of Jehovah is turned from His servants and darkness falls upon their hearts” .

• “Out of thy sweet lips speaks the Lord Jehovah to his old” .
• “and Azod contained many mighty men, great warriors and skilled in war. Also that Azco, notwithstanding that he was a son of Sumar, was more friendly to himself. In silence I watched the game of those two mortals. Tekthah’s face betrayed nought, but in his eyes I read as in a book, hatred, outraged pride, sudden perception of friendlessness and deadly peril, and fear. Ay, fear. That great, strong heart that had marched to the throne of Atlantis through tears and blood saw itself alone and deserted. Jehovah forgotten, the lazily-accepted dreams of Zul too vague and unsatisfactory now that they had to be faced, and all around the hungry eyes of men and women who coveted his place” .

Elohim:

• “Bear Thou witness now, O Elohim, who knows and understands all, and perceives how the torment of the spirit forces foolishness from the lips, that to none is showed the hidden things nor the accomplishment of those great affairs that I revealed to such as lived then” .
• “Look, Elohi, upon the Earth, lying upon the fleecy clouds, bride of the Elements, and say why is sin within her, O Sinless Creator!”​​.