>>4509411 lb
Most people are in "parrot mode" - they are repeating what they hear as established 'fact' and this is not necessarily a held, impassioned belief.
>>4509373 lb
Indeed. Jerusalem as one of three sister cities.
Although I think the truth has been a little muddled. A great amount of effort was invested by the Church in destroying ancient records pertaining to religious beliefs and orders. Ancient deity worship was more complex than we often give it credit for.
A deity represented certain aspects of life - a mantle signifying the essence of certain ideologies. Many people held these mantles in esteem - it would be like referencing a famous scientist, comedian, or movie/comic character.
The pharisees, interestingly enough, are a cult of Zeus - or the respective concept. Control and authority. If you look at how the views of the Church were subverted between the teachings of Jesus to the spread of Catholicism - it's rather apparent that the god portrayed by the church is one in the likeness of Zeus.
"Even the angels have not seen the face of God." What Jesus taught was far more in line with the hermetic beliefs similar to Taoism or Buddhism - that God was far more than a mere mantle, but a logic and method of creation transcending the human experience. The pantheon are small fry next to a true God, yet by that very same stroke, a true God defies explanation and can't be assigned a figure or character.