Ethnicity and religion were closely linked in Ancient Israel: to explore the formation of Israelite ethnicity requires grasping its religious ecology. The three main gods in Canaanite myths, EL, Ashera and Baal, are all in different ways sources for the monotheistic worship of Yahweh. The reworked narratives of god-kings which came in the wake of agricultural revolution provide historical information on how the early Hebrews gave up a nomadic life for settled farming. Over time and space, and in response to the needs of the different tribes, YHWH and the various gods gradually became the one, most high God, but up until the Babylonian captivity, the image of YHWH retained characteristics of the Canaanite pantheon. If we trace backwards, the Israelites disappear into the Canaanites or Egyptian peoples just as YHWH disappears into the worship of EL or Baal. The struggle between YHWH and Baal and the latter's eventual victory reflects the demand for ethnic groups to rebuild their identity through religion.