You dont think the god was cruel? Almost everything to him was to the death, well not only to the death, but to the curse of four or five generations if you misbehave and there are pleanty of stupid reasons one can misbehave with. Thats loving and caring right?
Further god wiped villages just for the sake of it, just to show his power, and boy you are out of luck if you arent from the chosen tribe of his because then you almost have no rights whatsoever, unless if you are a slave to them, then you have some rights.
God slaughtered whole tribes, just to prove his power to his people, what about the ones he slaughtered? Thats got to show he is loving right?
And even if you are a Jew, his chosen one you still are walking a thin line, you misbehave - you are dead. No he is just a perfect explanation of caring and loving guy .
And In the New testament such a change in his character, his personality, like it was a different god? You will say its because of Jesus. Well if there is such a big change dont you think its like admiting you were wrong and trying to correct things?
At that time almost if not all of the gods in Europe were this cruel, so a change in philosophy really did gave Jesus or whatever did this a boost. Everybody were tired of being pushed down like that, so here came a loving, forgiving, caring god. And everbody fell in love with this wishful philosophy.
Religion is the oldest lie there is. And manipulation at its finest.