Originally Posted by Jedi Mind Trick

But, what does it really prove? I know that Yahweh evolved from polytheism. In fact Yahweh is just a collection of near eastern deities' attributes into one deity. But Yahweh always claimed that he was the Israelites' gods (plural). I think they knowingly made Yahweh the true holder of the many attributes of all the surrounding gods, even to borrowing their hymns and titles. Does this mean that the actual being behind these qualities doesn't exist?

Originally Posted by Ktotwf

If one were to prove completely that Paul and others in the early Christian movement believed in a purely spiritual Christ, and that Jesus of Nazareth was a literary invention, would it disprove the possibility that Christ actually is a heavenly savior who died for the sins of mankind in Platonic Heaven? No.

Would it puncture the establishment serving "standard" version of history? Of course.

The same thing with knowledge on the development of Yahweh from one among many to a monotheistic cosmic Lord.