Schisms within early "Judaism"

Karen Armstrong’s Chapter 3 and 4 in Jerusalem: one city, three faiths shows how religions try to define themselves. What some people of Judah may find to be heretical, may be surprised to find their teachings, psalms, and ideas are echoes of previous religions (Armstrong 60). Jebusites who were there before had their own beliefs in Baal and Ugarit have similar stories that coincide with stories of Yahweh. Just as Baal was enthroned on Mount Zaphon and restored fertility, so did Yahweh (63). I would argue that in some ways, other religions, like belief in Baal, may be more similar to Jerusalem ‘cult’. Reformed Deuteronomists differed in that they found it appealing that Yahweh dwelled in a temple; a divide in Canaanite mythology and what I would call a bit of secularism (71). But there exists some central beliefs such as believing and worshipping Yahweh only. There is some recognition in the existence of other gods, but they are not to be followed because Yahweh is believed to be the highest of the gods (73). To me this is where the religion can be defined in a mythological sense. There is a god for everything, but a god who is most high which is named Yahweh. Throughout history there existed different leaders and either through being conquered or conquering, beliefs have molded to the circumstance. At some point we have a conflict in belief of how Yahweh, for lack of better words, operates. Some believed Yahweh to be the destroyer or be the savior of Jerusalem (76).