Abraham, Early West-Semitic Religion, and the Emergence of Abrahamic Monotheism: A Historical, Theological, and Ethnographic Inquiry

This study examines the gradual transformation of early West-Semitic religious conceptions into what later became known as Abrahamic monotheism. Rather than approaching monotheism as a fully formed and static theological doctrine, the article analyzes its historical crystallization within specific social, political, and cultural environments of the ancient Near East. Focusing on Abraham as a transitional and foundational figure, the study situates him within the polytheistic milieu of early second-millennium BCE Mesopotamia and the Levant. It explores how the biblical narrative presents Abraham not as the sudden inventor of monotheism, but as a personality emerging from a West-Semitic religious landscape shaped by the worship of El and related divine titles. Within this environment, the gradual consolidation of exclusive devotion to one deity may be understood as a process of theological differentiation and reinterpretation. Drawing upon canonical texts, rabbinic midrash, Qur’anic tradition, and selected ethnographic materials collected by Larysa Karaliova during documented field research in Israel, the article examines how Abraham’s image evolved across traditions. These living narratives, while not canonical, illuminate the continuing reinterpretation of Abraham as a symbol of divine unity. Special attention is given to the relationship between the West-Semitic high god El, titles such as El Elyon and El Shaddai, and the later consolidation of YHWH-centered monotheism. The study argues that the emergence of Abrahamic monotheism reflects not abrupt rupture but gradual theological crystallization within inherited religious language. Through historical, theological, and ethnographic analysis, this inquiry contributes to understanding how divine unity became articulated within the Abrahamic traditions and how Abraham’s figure continues to function as a site of interpretative negotiation across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.