In addressing “oneness” (yi 一) in the Daodejing there are two distinct but overlapping challenges. The first is semantic and the second is hermeneutic. These must be resolved together when approaching “oneness” in the Daodejing. Given its evolving historical nature, the text contains no single, correct set of meanings invoking “oneness.” There are, however, concrete historical situations in which different meanings of “oneness” were actually interpreted and mobilized for specific philosophical purposes. Variants in terminology and editorial structure in recently unearthed versions of the text provide insights into the various situations in which such meanings were understood. Specifically, Chapter 22 of the Mawangdui version shows evidence of being modified for a purpose, and through the analysis of its variants I hope to reconstruct a specific historical reading. Relying on relevant archeological finds for support, this reading will be developed in both cosmogonic and cosmological terms. It will be show that phrases such as “embracing the one” (baoyi 抱一), “dao produces one” (daoshengyi 道生一), and “attaining oneness” (deyi 得一) in the Daodejing, along with the term “great continuum” (taiyi 太一) which does not appear in the received text, can be understood within a single interpretative framework with supporting textual evidence.