Origins of the Judeo-Christian god and religion

i find it highly ironic and amusing when a book sets out to prove its point, sticks to its guns, but accidently proves the other guy's point in the process to any reader with a brain. this only seems to happen in religious debates and apologistics -- when fact doesn't matter; only belief.

and the earlier revelations, being told in terms the crude polytheists could understand, are less accurate then?

but honestly, it does not sound like a pure academic work, it sounds like a book written to further an agenda.

Finegan, Myth & Mystery writes:The mythology concerning Baal is found in some eight large tablets and a number of fragments. Because of damage there are gaps in the narrative, and the sequence of events is not beyond question. Nevertheless three major episodes are recognizable: the conflict of Baal with the god Yamm (Sea); the building of a palace for Baal; and the conflict of Baal with the god Mot (Death).In the first episode, Yamm, son of El, whose name, like the related word in Hebrew, means Sea* and who is called by the parallel titles 'Prince Sea' and 'Judge River,' demands of the assembly of the gods that Baal and his powers be delivered over to him, and El agrees that Baal shall be the servant of Yamm. Kotha wa-Khasis, however, the craftsman of the gods, whose name means something like 'skilful and clever,' provides Baal with two clubs and promises that Baal will be able to smite his enemy and take his own 'eternal kingdom' and 'everlasting dominion.' Thereupon Baal does battle with Yamm and is vicotrious. Henceforward Yamm is evidently confined to his proper realm, the seas, while Baal is indeed the lord of the earth. In other words the forces of chaos typified by the ocean have been brought under control and order established in the world.The goddess Ashtoreth is mentioned in the account, but the text is so fragmentary that it is not possible to know what role she played. Although named frequently in Old Testament references to Canaanite religion, Ashtoreth appears only a few times in the Ugaritic texts, in contrast with the numerous appearances of Asherah, which gives some support to the theory that Ashtoreth and Asherah are one and the same.On one hand, the victory of Baal over Yamm is reminiscent of th victory of Marduk over Tiamat as the unruly primeval ocean in Mesopotamian myth. On the other hand there is something of the same theme of the restriction of the might of the sea in biblical language: the Lord 'by his power . . . stilled the sea' (Job 26:12); he prescribed bounds for the sea, saying 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed (Job 38:10-11).'

would you trust someone to tell you all about the entire history of christianity and judaism in one chapter of one book written to explain why islam is superior?

Good observation. (post-hoc).(The name of the fallacy for readers)

No. As far as I can see no-one has relied exclusively on a post-hoc relationship. As Arach has been constantly demonstrating, there is some linguistic and cultural evidence. This evidence is (at the very least) no less strong than that which you argued supported Allah's early incarnation as a moon god!