If there is consensus for one direction versus another, what is the evidence?
I was informed that there are some Israelite Exceptionalists who claim that Israelites were just very different from surrounding cultures, and thus began with monotheism that was corrupted into a pantheon.
However, I am more interested in non-exceptionalist views for either direction.
My impressions are that there was a tension between monotheists and the pantheon (these aren't the words that I would select, they don't convey well the god cosmology of the time) within Isrealite thought. I.e. Asherah and Baal as well as El- or just El.
It's important to note that in that time and place, gods were associated with places and nations(and other things as well). So Isreal had El, Babylon had Marduk, Tiamat (and others). And it would be totally normal to believe that, and a "monotheist" would worship El, because that was geographically appropriate, but also believe that over in the next region Dagon was the god for those people and that place.
With respect to how this played out over time, I recollect, but can't remember the cite, the idea that the El-onlyists dominated over time, based upon the literary devices in the OT.
Primarily sourced from: