Where Have All The Old Gods Gone?

Christians take great delight about informing anyone who'll listen that their god is the only god, "The One True God" always has been and always will be. However, as so often happens in Christianity, the bible contradicts their beliefs and even a cursory look through the Christian bible reveals that there are many gods and goddesses mentioned therein.

If the Christians are correct when they say that thier god created everything and that the bible is true and the "Word of God" it does raise some questions.

• Why did He create other gods in the first place? Did He need help in the Creation? If you look at His first attempt at creating a family it does show all the hallmarks of being designed by a badly run committee:
  • Adam and Eve were created with no sense of right or wrong so when they were told not to eat the fruit they didn't know it was wrong to disobey.
  • One of the children killed the other, thus wiping out a quarter of the world's population.
  • Having committed the first murder the killer was not punished but protected by one of the committee members.
  • The only way to increase the population was for Cain to marry either his mother or an unnamed sister. Very bad planning.
• What happened to the other gods? Exodus 34:14 ". . . thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" tells us He had a jealous streak so perhaps He killed the gods He created in much the same way as He killed all but eight people when He realized that He'd screwed up on humanity.
• Can gods swim?

Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . ."

Genesis 3:22 "And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil . . ."

Genesis 11:7 "Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

1 Corinthians 8:5 "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords)."

When he was first invented Yahwah was just another local deity because it was an accepted and standard practice for the different nations and kingdoms to have their own gods. People of other kingdoms would regard Yahweh as just another local God and merely one amonst many.

The fact that the Jews also recognized other rival gods can be seen from the following passages:

• 11 Kings 18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
• Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
• 18:35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
• Deuteronomy 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
  
  6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
  
• 11 Kings 18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
  18:34
  Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
  
• Zephaniah 2:11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
  
• Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Even Paul believed that there were many gods and lords in existence in either heaven or on earth.

• 1 Corinthians 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

• Adrammelech god of the Sepharvite.
• Anammelech god of the Sepharvite .
• Nibhaz god of the Avites.
• Tartak god of the Avites.

  Kings 17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 17:33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

• Asherah This was the name of a sensual Canaanitish goddess Astarte, the feminine of the Assyrian Ishtar. Her symbol was the stem of a tree. Such religious symbols ("groves") are frequently alluded to in scriptures Exodus. 34:13; Judges. 6:25; 2 Kings 23:6; 1 Kings 16:33, etc. These images were also sometimes made of silver or of carved stone 2 Kings 21:7; "the graven image of Asherah," (R.V.). Originally Asherah, which means "Tree of Life", was worshipped in ancient Israel and Judah, on hill tops and under trees. Asherah was symbolized as a terebinth tree and her shrines were later destroyed, and their priests and priestesses killed, at the behest of the patriarchal prophets. Though Asherah was also worshipped in the Temple of Jerusalem for two-thirds of the time the Temple stood, She was ultimately ousted from the Temple by the patriarchal prophets, who considered Her a foreign deity.

  Judges 6:25 It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, Take your father's bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; And it came to pass the same night, that HaShem said unto him: 'Take thy father's bullock, and the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; SHOFTIM (Book of Judges) Chapter 6

• Ashima Samaritan Moon Goddess.
• Succothbenoth Babylonian fertility Goddess, aka Zarpanitu/Zerpanitum.
• Nergal Cuth/Assyrian/Babylonian war and underworld God, also called Meshlamthea.

11 kings 17:30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

• Baal (Baalim) / Baalzebub / Beelzebub. Baal wasn't so much a name as a title Son of El, and an old god as such things go meaning he was invented a very long time ago, he was mainly responsible for fertility and married to Astarte, though he later became associated with the sun; he was also the centre for a cult of fertility / death / resurrection, similar to Tammuz.

  1 Kings 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

• Baalberith A regional variation/aspect of Baal.

  Judges 8:33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

• Baalpeor Moabite regional variation of Baal.

  Numbers 25:3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
  25:4
  
  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

• Baalzebub Philistine/Ekronian regional variation/aspect of Baal.

  Luke 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
  
  11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

• Baalim Canaanite Gods ("Lords"), a collective name of the different aspects of Baa.

  1 Kings 18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

• Bel Assyrian/Babylonian/Sumerian God and said to be the most wise and clever of the gods.

  Isaiah 46:1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

• Belial Not so much a god as a mischievious spirit whose followers opposed law; later compared to Satan. In the Old Testament, references to him suggest his name was used to indicate a 'bad' person (e.g., "son of Belial"), wheras in the New Testament he was combined with others into the personification of the devil.

  Deuteronomy 13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

• Chemosh God of war and the Moabites, equivalent to Shamash.
  
• Molech Ammonite god who had children sacrificed to him; possibly identified with the Babylonian god Nergal. Also called Moloch or Milcom.

  1 kings 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

• Dagon Philistine/Ekronian/Babylonian God of agriculture, vegetation and crops, and another very old deity; superseded by Baal. Yehwah took exception to Dagon's followers when they made off with the arc of God. He killed them all then smote them all with hemorrhoids.
  
  Dagon, also known as Oannes, was half-fish and half man.
  
  The worship of Dagon, as Oannes, was the origin of the pope's mitre, or fish-cap. Dagon was connected with the worship of Janus, who was sometimes depicted wearing the same mitre.
  
  Dagon, as Oannes, was also the origin of the modern fish symbol, commonly in use by Christians. Early Christians generally used fish in pairs, to signify the age of Piscis, and sometimes also with an anchor, representing the hope of the age of Piscis.

  1 Samuel 5:3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
  
  5:4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

• Diana of the Ephesians. Moon and nature Goddess, Diana was known to the Greeks as Artemis. Some bible translations call her "Diana of the Ephesians" while others use "Artemis of the Ephesians." AKA "Divine/Brilliant".

  Acts 19:24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
  
  19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
  
  19:27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
  
  19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
  
  19:35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

• Isis. Also called "the Queen of heaven".

  Jeremiah 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

  Isis is the archetype of the divine mother. It is from Isis that the Christian devised the story of the Virgin Mary. This is admitted as much by implication:

  2 Peter 1:16, "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

  Significant elements of the Christian mass are derived from the Isis tradition.

• Lucifer "Light-Bearer" or "Morning Star"
  Satan and Lucifer, both of whom are combined to create one Devil with two names. There are two references to Satan and in only one single verse is the name "Lucifer" mentioned in the Old Testament.

  Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

• Mercurius - the Hermes (i.e., "the speaker") of the Greeks represented as the constant attendant of Jupiter, and the god of eloquence. The inhabitants of Lystra took Paul for this god because he was the "chief speaker." Otherwise known as the Roman God Mercury, God of communication and travel, and messenger of the Gods.

  Acts 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

• Milcom god of the Ammonites whose cult Solomon introduced in Jerusalem. In the Book of Judges the name is replaced (probably by mistake) by Chemosh. Milcom may be identifiable with Molech.

  1 Kings 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

• Nebo Assyrian/Babylonian/Chaldean God of wisdom and writing, also calle Nabu.
  

  Isaiah 46:1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

• Nisroch An Assyrian god, represented with the head of an eagle. Sennacherib was killed in his temple. (2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38).

  11 Kings 19:37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

• Rimmon / Hadad. The Babylonian storm-god; also identified with Adad. Babylonian/Syrian storm God involved (as Ramman) with the Deluge, according to Hebrew texts; also known as Ramman/Rammon.

  11 Kings 5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

• Tammuz - Assyrian/Babylonian God
  
  Tammuz was an ancient nature deity worshipped in Babylonia. A god of agriculture and flocks, he personified the creative powers of spring. The ancient Sumerian deity Tammuz, or Dumuzi, a possible source for the Christian belief of "the savior god worshipped in Jerusalem".
  
  Supposedly, the son of Nimrod, the mighty hunter of Genesis, a Babylonian sun-god. His mother, Semiramis, claimed Tammuz to have been sired by Nimrod from the grave, by virtue of their love for each other. Tammuz, like his mother, was blond haired and pail skinned.

  Ezekial 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

• Yahweh / El(ohim) / Jehovah
  Originally a god of the sky, in common with older myths of crops and vegetation gave grain and wine to man. He was also reputed to be prone to anger and jealousy and made various threats against people who believed in any of the other gods listed above, even though he's just another manifestation of the nasty side of Ea / Enki / El.
  
  As names were believed to have power over things, believers were too afraid to mention his actual name lest they invoke or annoy him so substituted the word Adonai ('Lord') beneath the vowel-less name of 'Yhwh', which formed 'Yehova' / 'Jehovah'.

So, what has become of the likes of these gods? After all, they were gods of the highest importance, often mentioned with fear and reverence in the Old Testament and were seen as relevent and as real as Yahweh.