Oh, I meant when the concept was first developed - by Paul's time I'm sure it was well in place.
I have a dead interesting article here somewhere, which I'm going to write a little entry on, which suggests how the Hebrews solved a pressing problem which goes:
1. Yahweh pwns all. 2. The Assyrians kicked our ass. 3. WTF
The article suggests that their solution was that the Assyrians' war god, Aššur, was working for Yahweh - that this mega powerful foreign deity was still nothing more than Yahweh's agent, punishing His wayward people.
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I have a dead interesting article here somewhere, which I'm going to write a little entry on, which suggests how the Hebrews solved a pressing problem which goes:
1. Yahweh pwns all.
2. The Assyrians kicked our ass.
3. WTF
The article suggests that their solution was that the Assyrians' war god, Aššur, was working for Yahweh - that this mega powerful foreign deity was still nothing more than Yahweh's agent, punishing His wayward people.