He argued that monotheism and polytheism are so radically distinct that one could not possibly have evolved from the other.

他认为一神论和多神论是截然不同的,不可能是一个由另一个进化而来。

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It might be darkness. It might be spirit. Or in ancient Greek religion, a more sort of philosophical polytheism, it might be fate.

它可以是黑暗，也可以是一种精神，在古希腊的一个，偏向于哲学上多神论的宗教中，它可以是命运。

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Polytheism is what we're talking about.

多神论是我们探讨的对象

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So a third way has emerged in the last 20 years, or 15 years or so, and it's one that seeks to avoid this dichotomy between polytheism and monotheism.

因此出现了第三种解释，在过去20年或15年间，它试图避免,将多神论和一神论一分为二。

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But in all likelihood Hebrews of an older time, the patriarchal period, the second millennium BCE--they probably weren't markedly different from many of their polytheistic neighbors. Archaeology would suggest that.

但很有可能更早的，西元前2000年族长统治时期的希伯来人，他们可能和其他信仰多神论的异邦人,没有什么太大的不同，这一点考古学会帮我们证明。

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So, which is it, which is part of the question that came from over here, You have on the one hand the claim that Israelite religion is essentially continuous with Ancient Near Eastern polytheism.

刚才那个男生问的是什么问题？,一方面，有人说以色列宗教从本质上,和古近东的多神论是一脉相承的。

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Polytheism was understood as clearly inferior and primitive.

多神论被普遍认为是落后原始的。

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Well, so far we've had two models that have been thrown out to you: From polytheism's worship of many gods there's a natural evolution to henotheism's elevation of one god to a supreme position.

目前，我已经给你们提出了两种模型：,从崇拜众多神灵的多神论,自然进化到一神论,唯一的至高无上的神。

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