This is a landmark work in the fields of comparative religion and religious history. The unique importance of the people of Israel, equal to that of Greece and Rome in the history of humanity, is due to its religion, the mother of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In order to fully understand the development of this religion, it is necessary to start with the origins that are described in this classic work, which is concerned with the cultures of pre-Israelite Canaan and of the ancient Hebrews, in whose clash and fusion the wellsprings of the religion of Israel are to be found. Drawing on archaeology, epigraphy, literary sources, folklore and religious histories, Professor Lods focuses on the pre-monotheistic period in order to study the ancient ideas, beliefs and institutions which have persisted to a great extent even in Judaism, and also to find early signs of what would emerge as a unique faith.