Just cracked
God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism by Jonathan Kirsch. So far, so good...
How many were aware that before the "One God" advent of the Abrahamic religions, that there were no wars of religion, no exterminations of those who chose to believe in whatever god or gods they had a notion to?...to worship whomever or whatever they damn well pleased without fear of retribution by those professing belief in the one and only true God? Judaism -- now here's a surprise
-- was the first monotheist religion to initiate the mass genocide of non-believers (though contrary to what we've been indoctrinated to believe, not
the first monotheist religion to take root). Gee, how unlike "God's Chosen People"; the "Benefactors of Mankind"; the "Light Unto the Nations"... my, my...