In "The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel," Mark S. Smith argues that early Israelite religion was deeply rooted in Canaanite culture, transitioning from polytheism to monotheism through processes of convergence and differentiation. The text outlines how Yahweh absorbed traits from deities such as El, Baal, and Asherah before monotheism fully emerged following the Babylonian exile. For a detailed overview, visit Wikipedia .