What would the advantage have been for early Israelites to create and follow a monotheistic, messianic, law-based tradition rather than one of the other religions practiced in the region at the time? Frame your answer in terms of a response to the conditions of the times. Be specific.

The Canaanites were the civilization that pre-dated the early Israelites in the area that is now Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. The Canaanites were a polytheistic people who worshipped many gods, among them Ba'al and the goddess Astarte. Commerce developed in the area, and cedar was exported from the area around Mount Lebanon. Tyre was another industrial center in Canaan that produced clothes dyed purple with the shell of the Murex, and Sidon was a center of trade and scholarship. Around 1250 BCE, Canaan experienced the wide scale destruction of its cities, and scholars believe that the culture was affected by a series of catastrophes that led to its decline. These events may or may not have been the incursion of the early Israelites or other nomadic groups.
Following a monotheistic, messianic, and law-based tradition would have offered benefits at this time because the older society was upended and was in chaos. A belief in the power of the Hebrew God and the people's covenant with this God, Yahweh, would have provided faith during a time of upheaval. In addition, the messianic aspect of the religion promised adherents that a savior was coming to bring about better days. The promise of the messiah would have brought solace to people living during chaotic and unsettling times that likely involved warfare between different groups. In addition, the Israelites' legal system would have promised the establishment of a new, more orderly, law-abiding system and a return to cultural advancement.