What is Hebrew monotheism?

Judaism
is a monotheistic religion in that it worships one God. It's important to recognize just how
novel this was when the religion was first established. Most faiths at the time were
polytheistic, meaning that they worshipped many gods (indeed, so did many Israelites). Even some
authors of the books of the Hebrew bible appear to have believed in multiple deities.
Archaeological evidence further complicates the picture, suggesting that monotheism was
initially held by only a minority of Israelites and that the worship of the goddess Asherah was
widespread.

Critical to the development of Hebrew monotheism was the sacking
of Jerusalem in 587 BCE and the subsequent Babylonian captivity. During the sacking, the temple
of Yahweh was completely destroyed. This meant that there was no longer any way for the Hebrew
exiles to...