I just recently read an interesting piece on the Internet about the findings of an archeologist who was digging in the Holy Land. He found thousands of statues and shrines dedicated to gods who were considered to be in the same pantheon as "El", or Yahweh. El was the father god of the pantheon, and was eventually elevated by elite priests in Jerusalem as the ONLY god to be worshipped by the Jewish people. I don't have the full facts on the story, but I ordered the book which shows his findings and I will be posting them here in a paraphrased form soon. Check back for details.