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The concept of God and his historical development is an extraordinarily complex topic and it is not easily addressed in ten books. Some works These books seek attempt to provide explain a complex but also more easily explained set of ideas story on how the concept of God, or single devine divine being, developed in different cultures, places, and across time. The history of the idea of God is long and has its roots from prehistoric to early historic periods in the ancient Near East. Later cultures developed concepts that derive from ancient Iran, Greece, Egypt, and perhaps other regions. In a period over several hundred years, in the late first millennium BC and during the first centuries AD, several faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism emerged that took the idea of God to levels that influence us today. While no easy task, here are the ten best books that try to make sense of this complex history. ==Top Ten Book List==Armstrong, Karen. 1999. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345384563/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0345384563&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c5f79436e48ccd70fe128e130224ab49 A History of God]</i>. London: Vintage.: The book is somewhat more narrow that later books, looking mainly at Judaism, Christianity and Islam, along with Buddhism and Hinduism, as examples of different religions that emerged. The evolution of the idea of God is investigated in the ancient Near East, where the book looks at how the idea of God developed up to the modern day.

Smith, Mark S. 2002. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080283972X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=080283972X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=e18df244ebafba6c3c09b25951123f7d The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel]</i>. 2nd ed. The Biblical Resource Series. Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.: This book provides a detailed analysis on the early history of Judaism as it developed in ancient Judah and Israel. The book discusses the surrounding cultures and states that developed along these two states, explaining how cultural influence and regional politics begin to shape the idea of God as it emerged.[[File:Tissot Solomon Dedicates the Temple at JerusalemA_History_of_God.jpg|thumbnail|Depiction 250px|left|<i>A History of an Israelite worshiping YahwehGod</i> by Karen Armstrong]]Bowker, John Westerdale. 2002. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521194164/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521194164&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=452915a4512a8241fda1a27c417e5a53 God: A Brief History]</i>. 1st American ed. London ; New York: DK Pub.: The book looks at the origins of the Israelites, who becomes their development of the foundation and name ideas of God , and then later influences that come on the Near East, in particular Greek influences that integrate new philosophies in the Near East. However, the book looks more at later views of god from other cultures and does not so much focus on the ancient Jewish faithoriginal ideas and how they evolved.]]

Winston, Robert M. L. 2006. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553817434/ref=as_li_tl?ie=Top Ten Book ListUTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553817434&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=4c47a8a74694ef71e10bee2e20813274 The Story of God]</i>. London: Bantam Books. This book looks at the development of the concept of God from prehistory to the historical development in ancient Judaism and Christianity. It looks then how the concept developed in Islam and how modern ideas of God are shaped by the modern world. The book looks at how science has affect modern understanding of God. Mitchell, Stephen, and Peter van Nuffelen, eds. 2010. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521194164/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521194164&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f8f436f6b39349db5dfa1df35f82440c One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire]</i>. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press.: Unlike some of the other books, this one focuses on how polytheistic faiths in the Roman Empire may have influenced early Christian and monotheistic developments. Cults around individuals gods or a "higher god" developed during the Roman Empire and these are seen as influential, in some circles, in developing concepts of monotheism that began to mature in the period of the early Roman Empire. Ludwig, Theodore M. 2006. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/013153906X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=013153906X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=53f2f05e5a59e8242bb8e70b2b0aeb7e The Sacred Paths of the West]</i>. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.: This book looks at the development of Western theology in ancient periods. The development of Western religion has multiple roots, from its polytheistic origins to influences from the east, including Persia and the Zoroastrian religion.[[File:One_God.jpg|thumbnail|250px|<i>One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire</i>]]Porter, Barbara N., ed. 2000. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/096742500X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=096742500X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=12309b624e9ea34fb80b864572efd890 One God or Many?: Concepts of Divinity in the Ancient World]</i>. Transactions of the Casco Bay Assyriological Institute 1. Chebeague, ME: Casco Bay Assyriological Institute.: This book looks at the polytheistic faiths in the ancient Near East and the concept of gods and god that developed in the region. The way in which an idea of a singular god develops is discussed in the volume. Streeter, Jarvis. 2016 <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1498236782/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1498236782&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=c1772155304d5a7a191645c1b1fb72f8 God and the History of the Universe]</i>. 2016. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications.: This volume looks at the development and ideas revolving around God as well as the scientific developments that occurred in more modern times to understand the concepts of the cosmos. It argues for the Christian God using scientific discoveries made mostly in the last century.

ArmstrongDimont, KarenMax I, and Ethel Dimont. 19992004. <i>[https://www.amazon.co.ukcom/gp/product/0451529405/Historyref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0451529405&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=7f9374daf8b0d29ce409ff1e9d4c6ce7 Jews, God-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0099273675 A , and History of God]</i>. LondonNew York: VintageNew American Library.: The This book is somewhat more narrow that later books, looking mainly looks at Judaism, Christianity and Islam, along with Buddhism and Hinduism, as examples the history of different religions that emergedthe Jews from ancient to more modern periods. The evolution history and struggle of the idea of Jews has also shaped their views on God is investigated in the ancient Near East, where and this has had an influence on the book looks at how the idea theologies of God developed up to not only the modern dayJews but also other monotheistic faiths.

SmithWright, Mark SEric and Miles Braun. 20022010. <i>[https://www.amazonbol.co.ukcom/nl/p/Earlygod-specific-conceptions-Historyfrom-Godarchitect-Biblicalto-Resourcezoroastrianism/dp1001004011374488/080283972X The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient IsraelSpecific Conceptions From Architect to Zoroastrianism]</i>. 2nd ed. The Biblical Resource Series. Grand Rapids, MichCharleston: William B. Eerdmans Pub. CoBiblioBazaar.: This The book provides a detailed analysis on investigates major conceptions that develop in relation to God, dealing with the early history concepts of Judaism as it creator, devil, lord, father, supreme being, Trinity, salvation, resurrection, and other concepts that have developed in ancient Judah and Israeldifferent faiths. The book discusses the surrounding cultures and states that developed along looks at these two states, explaining how cultural influence concepts and regional politics begin their relationships to shape the idea of God as it emergedeach other.

Bowker, John Westerdale. 2002. <i>[https[Category:Booklists]] [[Category://www.amazon.com/God-Brief-Religious History-John-Bowker/dp/0789480506 God]] [[Category: A Brief HistoryBooklists]]</i>. 1st American ed. London ; New York[[Category: DK Pub.: The book looks at the origins of the Israelites, their development of the ideas of God, and then later influences that come on the Near East, in particular Greek influences that integrate new philosophies in the Near East. However, the book looks more at later views of god from other cultures and does not so much focus on the original ideas and how they evolved.Expert Booklists]]

Winston, Robert M. L. 2006. <idiv class="portal" style="width:85%;">==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==*[[How did Monotheism Develop?]]*[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Professor-Lord-Robert-Winston/dp/0553817434 The Story How did the concept of Godparadise develop?]]</i>. London: Bantam Books. This book looks at *[[How did the development of Sharia Law develop?]]*[[Why was the concept worship of Mithra so popular?]]*[[How Did God from prehistory to the historical development in ancient Judaism and Christianity. It looks then how Influence the concept developed Wounded in Islam and how modern ideas of God are shaped by the modern world. The book looks at how science has affect modern understanding of God.American Civil War?]]</div>

Mitchell, Stephen, and Peter van Nuffelen, eds. 2010. <i>[https{{Mediawiki://www.amazon.co.uk/One-God-Pagan-Monotheism-Empire/dp/0521194164 One God: Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire]</i>. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press.: Unlike some of the other books, this one focuses on how polytheistic faiths in the Roman Empire may have influenced early Christian and monotheistic developments. Cults around individuals gods or a "higher god" developed during the Roman Empire and these are seen as influential, in some circles, in developing concepts of monotheism that began to mature in the period of the early Roman Empire.Religious History}}