The Power of the Five Books of Moses

The more closely I read the Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Hebrew Bible, or Five Books of Moses), the more clearly I see the power agenda behind it. (Let's remember that these books are the foundation of the three Abrahamic religions.) Without this perspective, it is hard to understand what these books are really about; the catalog of stories, divine punishments, and commandments simply makes no sense. Why would a perfect, all-powerful, and benevolent deity do such horrible things while making such unreasonable demands on a group of "chosen" people? In fact, why is there a chosen people at all? Why is the message, whatever it is, not intended for a universal audience?

We can arrive at a better answer if we think of the Israelites as a cult in which most people are subservient and from which a minority, an elite or priestly class, benefits. Cults are always vulnerable to defection and disintegration as members of the subservient majority, especially in a rising generation, begin to question the status quo and wonder if things must remain as they have "always" been. Codification of accumulating folklore serves to keep the cult together -- and, not incidentally, the priests in power.

The cultishness can be seen throughout the books. Countless passages seem to indicate that Yahweh is not the only god in the neighborhood. But he's Israel's God, the one who -- as he incessantly reminds everyone -- led his chosen nation out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Worshipping other gods would be a sin for the Israelites not because those gods don't actually exist, but because it would demonstrate a lack of gratitude for all that Yahweh has done for the Hebrews. True, Genesis has only a single creator of the universe, but that theme seems to fall away in short order. What we apparently end up with is many peoples, each of which has its own god or gods. Yahweh, the self-described jealous god, is to be Israel's exclusive god, and to think otherwise is a grievous sin that could be punishable by death. (Yahweh killed two of Aaron's priestly sons just for making an incense not to Yahweh's liking, and he threatened to kill any commoner who entered the holy place of worship. That's psychopathic. Read about it in Leviticus and Numbers.)

Everything else in the books makes more sense in light of this power perspective. The commandments and rules are meant to maintain group solidarity -- national identity -- and, not incidentally, priestly affluence. I guarantee that Yahweh was not consuming all the meat, vegetable, fruit, and grain that the Israelites were obligated to sacrifice at the  Temple and before that in wilderness. Did he really need incense and the smoke from burning animal flesh to feel appreciated? Maybe. But priests who do not grow food or work for money need to eat. So it all works out for everyone. The majority keeps in the good graces of Yahweh, who alone dictates whether the crops will grow and the livestock and women will be fertile, and the priests keep their bellies full. 

Still, the younger set may wonder if it's all an exploitative scam in need of change. Hence the need for capital punishment to keep apostates in line.