3 Bumps

Wouldn't a divorce have been more appropriate? adult content

Asherah--Hebrew: אֲשֵׁרָה‎, in Semitic mythology, is a mother goddess, who appears in a number of ancient sources including Akkadian writings by various names. The Book of Jeremiah written circa 628 BC possibly refers to Asherah when it uses the title "Queen of Heaven" (Hebrew: לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם‎) in Jer 7:18 and Jer 44:17–19, 25.[5]  ( I can hear the catholics roaring in protest already!)

In Israel and Judah

Scholars have claimed that Asherah was edited out of the Bible and that most Israelites worshiped multiple gods, including Asherah, before 586 B.C. [8] The majority of biblical scholars the world over now accept that Asherah at one time was worshiped as the consort of Yahweh (the national god of Israel).[9] The evidence includes, for example, an 8th century combination of iconography and inscriptions discovered at Kuntillet Ajrud in the northern Sinai desert[10] where a storage jar shows three anthropomorphic figures and an inscription that refers to "Yahweh … and his Asherah".[11][12] Further evidence includes the many female figurines unearthed in ancient Israel, supporting the view that Asherah functioned as a goddess and consort of Yahweh and was worshiped as the Queen of Heaven.[11] Then Yahweh decides that he wants to be the only god in the pantheon and sets about erasing his "queen of heaven"--and other co-deities--from sight.

1. Judges 3:7 [ Othniel ] So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.

2. 1 Kings 15:13 Also he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron.

3. 1 Kings 18:19 Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

4. 2 Kings 21:7 He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;  (apparently a no-no to Yahweh, but he didn't seem to have the power to stop this "blasphemy" from happening). 

5. 2 Kings 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.

6. 2 Kings 23:7 And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah (pole).

Let's see if we can stir things up a bit.  All other gods in mythology had wives, as well as children.  Was it Yahweh who denied his wife?  Or was it the jealous, male-centric writers of the torah/bible who threw her out of Jewish mythology?  Only the blue lettering is my work.  Credits include Wikipedia, biblegateway.com, and Patti Wigington's pagan newsletter.

 

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witchqueen

Asked by witchqueen at 7:47 PM on Aug. 22, 2012 in Religious Debate

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Answers (28)
  • Since I believe that man created gods and religion, it would have to have been a patriarchal society and the men who ruled it that decided to erase any mention of female deities, and men who decided to remove any images or references in their "holy" book that challenged the notion of a single, male deity.

    jsbenkert

    Answer by jsbenkert at 8:55 AM on Aug. 23, 2012

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  • It could have also been just the progression from polytheism to monolatry to outright monotheism, especially as the Jewish people entered into diaspora and the common tribal elements (like monolatry - where each tribe had their own god/gods) weren't really as effective anymore...
    bandgeek521

    Answer by bandgeek521 at 9:03 PM on Aug. 22, 2012

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  • if i look at it clearly from a historical/sociological viewpoint it makes total sense. most men have been trying to keep women in places of submission since the dawn of time...why wouldnt men flock to a religion that has only a male God? i dont think this says anything about God, rather the men who thought they were writing for God and society in general.
    okmanders

    Answer by okmanders at 11:59 AM on Aug. 23, 2012

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  • Ashera in Hebrew is a tree that was planted next to Pagan idols. Therefore, the OT forbids planting an asherah near the Temple. But it's by no means a goddess or anything of the sort. It never was.

    Sharon
    momto2boys973

    Answer by momto2boys973 at 8:56 AM on Aug. 23, 2012

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  • Short answer. .idk. but if I get a chance to ask when I see him, I'll find out for ya. :)
    dullscissors

    Answer by dullscissors at 8:26 PM on Aug. 22, 2012

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  • "Then you didn't read all of my post.  You say no.  Your artifacts say yes."

    Just because an artifact is found in Israel it doesn't mean it's Jewish...

    And well, in my Artscroll Tanakh, all your verses are translated as "Asherah trees", there's never a suggestion that Asherah was a goddess worshipped by the Hebrews but rather by the Pagans they came in contact with... And all verses are a prohibition against idol worship.
    And finally, in order for your theory to hold water, the Jewish G-d would be male... And Hashem is not male or female. He has characteristics of both, but since he has no physical image, he's genderless. So a godly war of the sexes is actually a laughable concept in Judaism because we value both equally.
    And Jewish societies throughout history and even today are matriarchal.

    Sharon
    momto2boys973

    Answer by momto2boys973 at 7:06 PM on Aug. 23, 2012

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  • As far as Judaism goes:

    Things have never been 'all or nothing' in Judaism. Rather, we are accountable for our actions in life and as such take note of mistakes. It is evident that there were many cases of people messing up in the Torah, but this is part of what Oral Law is for: To define and explain such mishaps in conjunction with the Written Law. To read text so literally, actually takes away from the stories themselves and serves only to define things with a very Christian perspective and outlook.

    We analyze our books the way one interprets a poem, story or piece of art. Each with insights that we can glean and observe or learn from.

    You don't have to accept it, nor do we ask you, or anyone who isn't Jewish to.
    collectivecow

    Answer by collectivecow at 5:56 AM on Aug. 25, 2012

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  • Your actually not asking a question, your proposing two different ideas and then asking us to chose between one of your two hypothesis? What is the question you mean to ask? Is it why is there no female deity in Judaism?
    beasleycorner

    Answer by beasleycorner at 7:17 PM on Aug. 23, 2012

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  • Again, doesn't prove anything except Ancient Hebrews having contact with Pagan civilizations that used the Ashera tree for their rituals. And no one's really denying that- if it's a direct prohibition, it means that it was known. It doesn't mean it was a Jewish tradition until mysoginist rabbis decided it's a no-no. You've only managed to prove that the Hebrews had knowledge of the Pagan cult of Ashera, everything else, you're simply speculating.

    Sharon
    momto2boys973

    Answer by momto2boys973 at 4:01 PM on Aug. 24, 2012

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  • You don't give a fuck... LOL

    And yet she so clearly gave you one in the reply right above yours. Unlike some people who promise you a medal and fail to deliver. But that's all water under the bridge.

    My apologies WQ I have no answer to this question. I do not study the Jewish faith so I can't really give an opinion. I suppose any goddesses would have been taken out by the men who wrote the bible. Women didn't seem to matter much back then.
    2autisticsmom

    Answer by 2autisticsmom at 7:51 PM on Aug. 24, 2012

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