What did religion look like in Arabia before the rise of Islam? According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad cleansed the Kaaba in Mecca of 360 idols. This corresponds with the historical and archaeological record which shows that the dominant practice was Arab polytheism, including the veneration of Hubal (god of divination, rain, and war), al-ʻUzzá (goddess of protection), al-Manāt (goddess of fate and death), and al-Lat (whose name is the feminine counter part of Allah). From at least the 4th century onward heterodox versions of both Christianity and Judaism made inroads into Arabia, converting individuals and tribes. John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place will look at what can be known about the region’s religious diversity as the context for the later development of Islam.