If I implied that modern Jews were anything other than monotheistic, it was unintentional. Clearly they are.**

I also acknowledge that the "scriptures" didn't pop out of someone's head fully formed.

I will take your word for the time frames involved, as they aren't really crucial to my point. Though I quibble about "Canaanite" since the latest scholarship says that the Jews and Canaanites are one and the same people. Again, not really germane to my point.

I'm sure modern Jews would take exception to Exodus 21, and probably Deuteronomy 15. But it's still there, and when they wrote it there is every reason to believe they meant it. The traditional Decalogue (there are actually a few variants, and usually more than 10 are enumerated) states what it states because, in all probability, they meant it at the time.

I looked it up because it's been a long time since I've read Moonglade's missives on the subject. But I was pretty close, and what you wrote generally agrees as well:

Early Israelite religion was largely monolatrous, meaning they worshipped Yahweh as their primary national god while acknowledging the existence of other deities in the region (such as Baal and Asherah).

Yahweh likely originated among the Midianites. As I said earlier, he quickly(?) became the chief deity, but not the only deity. At least not when the scriptures were written down and became doctrine. Traditional Jews say it was actually dictated by god (Yahweh?) around the 15th century BCE, but modern scholarship places it more in line with your dates (700 BCE). Regardless, there is little reason to believe that what was written was not taken as truth at the time. Whether it be slavery (EX 21), or deities like Baal (part of the Decalogue).

As for "interpretation", the Jews are not alone. At the minimum, all the Abrahamic traditions interpret liberally. Some for the better (kinder/gentler), and some for the worse (god hates homosexuals, women are chattel, kill the unbelievers). I think it's the only way one could take seriously anything written by ignorant goat herders who didn't get one scientific claim correct. You have to "interpret". The fundamentalists/literalists are generally regarded as crazy and/or hateful. I can't speak for other religions like Hinduism, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of interpreting goes on with their scriptures, too.



**Religious Jews, as distinct from non-religious Jews whom are still culturally Jewish people.