was asherah gods wife

Asherah was a major northwest Canaanite mother goddess. She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods. It is believed, though not accepted by Judeo-Christian belief, that Asherah may have been the wife of God.

Full Answer

Is Asherah Yahweh’s wife?

Most of the ancient inscriptions and texts ask for the blessing of Yahweh and Asherah together, which further strengthens the belief that Asherah is indeed the wife of God. Apart from archaeological pieces of evidence and temple remains, the Bible also offers clues regarding the worship of Asherah alongside Yahweh.

Who is Asherah in the Old Testament?

In Ugaritic, “Asherah” is written as “Athirat” and is said to have been a goddess and consort to El, the patron God of all gods in the polytheistic Canaanite religion, possibly including the god Ba’al, who would himself later supplant El as the chief deity among the later Canaanites.

What is Ashera the goddess of?

Ashera, along with most other prehistoric Goddesses, was linked to cannabis, or the tree of Knowlege, which awakens Kundalini, or the 'worm' of the bible. Originally the mother, then wife of God, Ashera was banished entirely in 630 bc when her statues and sacrament were banished from the temples.

Did the Judeo-Christian God once have a wife named Asherah?

Did The Judeo-Christian God Once Have A Wife Named Asherah? Was Asherah The Wife Of God That Time Forgot? Some biblical archaeologists believe that a slew of ancient female figurines could very well represent an early Judeo-Christian Goddess named Asherah, the wife of God.

Who is Asherah God's wife?

Asherah is identified as the consort of the Sumerian god Anu, and Ugaritic ʾElʾElʼĒl (also 'Il, Ugaritic: 𐎛𐎍 ʾīlu; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤋 ʾīl; Hebrew: אֵל ʾēl; Syriac: ܐܺܝܠ ʾīyl; Arabic: إيل ʾīl or إله ʾilāh; cognate to Akkadian: 𒀭, romanized: ilu) is a Northwest Semitic word meaning "god" or "deity", or referring (as a proper name) to any one of multiple major ancient Near Eastern deities.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › El_(deity)El (deity) - Wikipedia, the oldest deities of their respective pantheons. This role gave her a similarly high rank in the Ugaritic pantheon. Deuteronomy 12 has Yahweh commanding the destruction of her shrines so as to maintain purity of his worship.

What is God's wife called?

Heavenly Mother, the wife and feminine counterpart of God the Father in some religions. Mother goddess, the feminine counterpart of gods in some religions.

Who is Asherah according to the Bible?

From the Israel Museum via Wikimedia Commons. Asherah, along with AstarteAstarteAstarte is the Greek form of the name Ashtart, who, along with Asherah and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. Astarte is well known as a goddess of sexual love and fertility but also has associations with war.https://jwa.org › encyclopedia › article › astarte-bibleAstarte: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. Canaanites associated Asherah with sacred trees, an association also found in the Israelite tradition.

Did Yahweh divorce Asherah?

The present article responds to Whitt's ingenious proposal that Hosea dramatizes, in the speech recorded in Hos 2, the divorce which ends the marriage between Yahweh, the god of Israel, and the goddess Asherah, of Canaanite fame.

What happened to God's wife Asherah?

Asherah as a tree symbol was even said to have been "chopped down and burned outside the Temple in acts of certain rulers who were trying to 'purify' the cult, and focus on the worship of a single male god, Yahweh," he added.

What religion believes in God's wife?

A programme on BBC2 has made news for presenting scholar Francesca Stavrakopoulou's theory that "God had a wife". The reactions from the religious and academic world were varied, but for Mormons, it can best be summed up as, "Yeah.

What does the name Asherah mean?

she who treads on the seaThe name Asherah is girl's name meaning "she who treads on the sea". Asherah is probably one of the most ancient of mother goddess symbols, recorded in the pantheons of several civilisations from the tenth century BCE.

Are Asherah and Ishtar the same?

Astarte/Ishtar differs from the Ugaritic Asherah, in that Ishtar shares none of Asherah's primary roles as consort of the chief god, mother of the major lesser deities, and goddess of the sea. Asherah is also called Elat (the feminine form of El) and Qodesh or 'Holiness'.

Who is the oldest goddess?

Goddess InannaThe Enduring Goddess Inanna is among the oldest deities whose names are recorded in ancient Sumer. She is listed among the earliest seven divine powers: Anu, Enlil, Enki, Ninhursag, Nanna, Utu, and Inanna.

Where in the Bible is Asherah mentioned?

Deuteronomy 16:21 commands: You shall not plant any tree as a sacred pole [asherah] beside the altar that you make for the Lord your God… And 1 Kings 14:23 states: For they also built for themselves high places, pillars, and sacred poles [asherim] on every high hill and under every green tree…

Who created God?

We ask, "If all things have a creator, then who created God?" Actually, only created things have a creator, so it's improper to lump God with his creation. God has revealed himself to us in the Bible as having always existed. Atheists counter that there is no reason to assume the universe was created.

Who was Tammuz mother?

goddess DutturAs shown by his most common epithet, Sipad (Shepherd), TammuzTammuzDumuzi-Amaushumgalana, in Mesopotamian religion, Sumerian deity especially popular in the southern orchard regions and later in the central steppe area. He was the young bridegroom of the goddess Inanna (Akkadian: Ishtar), a fertility figure sometimes called the Lady of the Date Clusters.https://www.britannica.com › topic › Dumuzi-AmaushumgalanaDumuzi-Amaushumgalana | Sumerian deity - Encyclopedia Britannica was essentially a pastoral deity. His father, Enki, is rarely mentioned, and his mother, the goddess Duttur, was a personification of the ewe.

Who is Lucifer's mother?

Lucifer's mother Aurora is cognate to the Vedic goddess Ushas, Lithuanian goddess Aušrinė, and Greek Eos, all three of whom are also goddesses of the dawn.

Who is God's sister in the Bible?

In the biblical narrative of The Exodus, MiriamMiriamMaryam or Mariam is the Aramaic form of the biblical name Miriam (the name of the prophetess Miriam, the sister of Moses). It is notably the name of Mary the mother of Jesus.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Maryam_(name)Maryam (name) - Wikipedia is described as a "prophetess" when she leads the Israelites in the Song of the Sea after Pharaoh's army is destroyed at the Sea of Reeds.

Is the Holy Spirit female?

There are biblical translations where the pronoun used for the Holy Spirit is masculine, in contrast to the gender of the noun used for spirit in Hebrew and Aramaic. In Aramaic also, the language generally considered to have been spoken by Jesus, the word is feminine. However, in Greek the word (pneuma) is neuter.

Does God have a gender?

Though Church teaching, in line with its Doctors, holds that God has no literal sex because they possess no body (a prerequisite of sex), classical and scriptural understanding states that God should be referred to (in most contexts) as masculine by analogy.

What does Asherah mean?

What Asherah Would Mean For Monotheistic Traditions. Before strict monotheism became the rule in Israel, an older tradition of polytheism practiced by the Canaanites held that there was one patron deity who was but the most powerful of many gods throughout the Hebrew-speaking region.

Why do we place an asherah next to the altar?

Traditional Biblical scholarship explains that placing an asherah next to an altar of the God of Israel was intended as a sort of extra sign of devotion and was fairly commonplace. Indeed, some scholars interpret these dual idols at a place of worship as corresponding to Yahweh/El and Asherah together.

When did the Asherah go out of fashion?

Eventually, then, the use of an asherah in the Temple of Jerusalem or the worship of Asherah, would have gone out of fashion perhaps around the 600s B.C., coinciding with the end of the production of female clay figurines.

When did Asherah become an icon?

But the idea that an asherah — or a clay female figurine — might actually be an icon for a Goddess named Asherah didn’t really start to gain traction until the 1960s and 70s and especially based upon the discoveries and analysis by Dever.

How many times is the word "Asherah" mentioned in the Bible?

The word “Asherah” appears in the Hebrew Bible 40 times in various contexts.

When was the Asherah altar?

Wikimedia Commons This terra cotta altar in the shape of a city gate is adorned with an image of a tree and female figures thought to be Asherah, ca. 1000-800 B.C. Researchers identify this and other objects found at the archaeological site including many, mostly female figurines, as devotional, but the specific religion practiced is unclear.

Is the Asherah a violation of religious law?

Doing this, however, eventually became a violation of religious law, as it insinuated polytheism — even if the asherah was meant to honor Yahweh and no one else.

An Ancient Truth?

The claim that God had a wife and she was worshipped by people in the Middle East has surfaced from time to time. Such claims are not new, and there has been much independent research into the presence of other gods and goddesses apart from the super-entity of God, as portrayed in the Old Testament.

Evidence in the Archaeology

Figurines discovered in Kuntillet Ajrud, an archaeological site in the east of the Sinai Peninsula dating back to the 8th century BC, speak of “Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah” and “Yahweh of Teman and his Asherah.” Samaria refers to the central region of Israel, and Teman to the neighboring Edomites, confirming this as a reference to the God of the Israelites..

Biblical References to Asherah

According to the Bible, Asherah was worshipped in the temple of Jerusalem alongside God, as His consort and divine equal. According to the Book of Kings, the goddess was housed in the temple complex, and rituals were regularly conducted in her worship.

Not Just a Minor Goddess

According to some older passages in the Bible, almost half of the ancient population of Israel believed in other gods and goddesses like Asherah. The people would also build temples and altars for their worship.

Who is Asherah in Deuteronomy 12?

Deuteronomy 12 has Yahweh (Jehovah) commanding the destruction of her shrines so as to maintain purity of his worship.

How many times is Asherah mentioned in the Bible?

The name Asherah appears forty times in the Hebrew Bible, but it is much reduced in English translations. The word ʾăšērâ is translated in Greek as Greek: ἄλσος ( grove; plural: ἄλση) in every instance apart from Isaiah 17:8; 27:9 and 2 Chronicles 15:16; 24:18, with Greek: δένδρα (trees) being used for the former, and, peculiarly, Ἀστάρτη ( Astarte) for the latter. The Vulgate in Latin provided lucus or nemus, a grove or a wood. From the Vulgate, the King James translation of the Bible uses grove or groves instead of Asherah's name. Non-scholarly English language readers of the Bible would not have read her name for more than 400 years afterward. The association of Asherah with trees in the Hebrew Bible is very strong. For example, she is found under trees (1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 17:10) and is made of wood by human beings (1 Kings 14:15, 2 Kings 16:3–4). Trees described as being an asherah or part of an asherah include grapevines, pomegranates, walnuts, myrtles, and willows.

What is the origin of the name Athirat?

A suggestion in 2010 by a scholar is that the name Athirat might be derived from a passive participle form, referring to the "one followed by (the gods)", that is, "pro-genitress or originatress", which would correspond to Asherah's image as the 'mother of the gods' in Ugaritic literature.

What is the prohibition on asherah poles?

Asherah poles were prohibited by the Deuteronomic Code that commanded "You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God". The prohibition, as Dever notes, is also a testament to the practice of putting up Asherah poles beside Yahweh's altars (cf. 2 Kings 21:7) amongst Israelites.

What is the gender imbalance in the Bible?

Episodes in the Hebrew Bible show a gender imbalance in Hebrew religion. Asherah was patronized by female royals such as the Queen Mother Maacah (1 Kings 15:13). But more commonly, perhaps, Asherah was worshiped within the household and her offerings were performed by family matriarchs. As the women of Jerusalem attested, "When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?” (Jeremiah 44:19). This passage corroborates a number of archaeological excavations showing altar spaces in Hebrew homes. The "household idols" variously referred to in the Bible may also be linked to the hundreds of female pillar-base figurines that have been discovered.

What is the meaning of Athirat's name?

Alternative translations of her title have been tendered that follow this suggested etymology, such as "she who treads on the sea dragon", or "she who treads on Tyre " - the former of which appears to be an attempt to grant the Ugaritic texts a type of Chaoskampf (struggle against Chaos). A more recent analysis of this epithet has resulted in the proposition of a radically different translation, namely "Lady Asherah of the day", or, more simply, "Lady Day". The common Semitic root ywm (for reconstructed Proto-Semitic * yawm- ), from which derives ( Hebrew: יוֹם ‎), meaning 'day', appears in several instances in the Masoretic Texts with the second-root letter ( - w -) having been dropped, and in a select few cases, replaced with an A-class vowel of the Niqqud, resulting in the word becoming y (a)m. Such occurrences, as well as the fact that the plural, 'days', can be read as both yomîm and yāmîm ( Hebrew: יָמִים ‎), gives credence to this alternate translation.

When did polytheism begin in Israel?

Between the tenth century BC and the beginning of their exile in 586 BC, polytheism was normal throughout Israel. Worship solely of Yahweh became established only after the exile, and possibly, only as late as the time of the Maccabees (2nd century BC). That is when monotheism became universal among the Jews. Some biblical scholars believe that Asherah at one time was worshipped as the consort of Yahweh, the national God of Israel.

Where was Asherah worshiped in the Bible?

Also significant, Stavrakopoulou believes, "is the Bible's admission that the goddess Asherah was worshiped in Yahweh's Temple in Jerusalem. In the Book of Kings, we're told that a statue of Asherah was housed in the temple and that female temple personnel wove ritual textiles for her."

Who is the president of the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies?

J. Edward Wright, president of The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies and The Albright Institute for Archaeological Research, backs Stavrakopoulou's findings, saying several Hebrew inscriptions mention "Yahweh and his Asherah."

Where was Asherah the goddess?

Turning to the archaeological evidence, experts conclude that ancient inscriptions and artifacts discovered in Judah and Israel, indicate “Asherah as a goddess and as a religious object was venerated in the coastal area of Palestine from Tyre to the Philistine Pentapolis, and even in Egypt.”.

Who was Yahweh's wife?

Biblical and archaeological data indicate Asherah was Yahweh’s primary wife. Although a blasphemous and disturbing notion to some, the historical evidence indicates that: “Not only does Yahweh have a consort, but he’s got. one in every town.”. The Goddess in the Hebrew Bible.

Who is the goddess in the Bible?

one in every town.”. The Goddess in the Hebrew Bible. ——————. The Bible states upon arrival, the ancient Israelites began worship of the goddess Asherah (Judges 2:13; 10:6). Asherah worship was widespread through the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7:3-4; 12:10) and was royally sanctioned by King Solomon (1 Kings 11:5; 2 Kings 23:13).

Who did the Israelites worship?

The Bible states upon arrival, the ancient Israelites began worship of the goddess Asherah( Judges 2:13; 10:6).

Is there any doubt about Asherah?

There is no longer any doubt - archaeology and history confirm the extensive worship of the Mother Goddess Asherah!!

Did Asherah die in the Bible?

In particular, we now know that the old Mother Goddess Asherah -virtually expunged from the texts of the Hebrew Bible, and all but forgotten by rabbinical times -. never died out, but enjoyed a vigorous life throughout the Monarchy.”.

Who is Asherah in the Bible?

Asherah (Astarte, Ishtar, Inanna) was the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess of sex, fertility, getting laid, fighting over it, war, carnage and ultra-violence. She is one of the representations on what Lloyd deMause calls murderous mother-goddess (compare Kali, Tiamat, Cihuacoatl etc).

Who was the Asherah?

The Asherah within the Ugaritic and Sumerian religions was a female consort of ancient and highly placed in their pantheon. Often times the consort of the high God. There seem to be many similar (related or synchronistic) goddesses throughout the ancient world from Canaan to Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia.

How many references are there to the Canaanite fertility deity?

He says: It is well known that the Hebrew Bible contains some 40 veiled references to the cult of the old Canaanite fertility deity Asherah, consort of El at Ugarit.

What are the things the Israelites did in the Bible?

Judges 3:7. [ Othniel ] The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

What does the Bible say about Asherah?

The Bible talks plenty about Asherah. For example 2 King 21:6-7 , "Also he [King Manasseh] made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord

Did the Jews worship Asherah?

It is no revelation to anyone who studies the Bible that the Jews worshipped Asherah and other false gods. Manasseh even put a statue of Asherah in God's temple next to the altar to God and worshipped her there. This is clearly and repeatedly condemned in the Bible.

Who was Yahweh's wife?

The question remained open whether only the Israelites regarded Asherah as Yahweh’s wife, or whether this was a belief also shared by the Jews. Tomb inscriptions found at Khirbet el-Qom inside Judah, indicate that the people of Judah held similar beliefs to those apparently held in Israel. Mark Johansen.

Where was Asherah worshiped?

Also significant, Stavrakopoulou believes, "is the Bible's admission that the goddess Asherah was worshiped in Yahweh's Temple in Jerusalem. In the Book of Kings, we're told that a statue of Asherah was housed in the temple and that female temple personnel wove ritual textiles for her.".

What is Asherah known for?

Asherah -- known across the ancient Near East by various other names, such as Astarte and Istar -- was "an important deity, one who was both mighty and nurturing," Wright continued. "Many English translations prefer to translate 'Asherah' as 'Sacred Tree,'" Wright said.

What is the connection between Asherah and Yahweh?

All of these artifacts reveal that Asherah was a powerful fertility goddess. Asherah's connection to Yahweh, according to Stavrakopoulou, is spelled out in both the Bible and an 8th century B.C. inscription on pottery found in the Sinai desert at a site called Kuntillet Ajrud. "The inscription is a petition for a blessing," she shares.

Where is Asherah's connection to Yahweh?

Asherah's connection to Yahweh, according to Stavrakopoulou, is spelled out in both the Bible and an 8th century B.C. inscription on pottery found in the Sinai desert at a site called Kuntillet Ajrud. The 2013 papal election is the 75th conclave in the history of the Catholic church since 1295. At that time, Pope Boniface VIII ruled ...

Who was God's wife?

God had a wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshiped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel, according to an Oxford scholar. In 1967, Raphael Patai was the first historian to mention that the ancient Israelites worshiped both Yahweh and Asherah.

Is Asherah in the Old Testament?

"Mentions of the goddess Asherah in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) are rare and have been heavily edited by the ancient authors who gathered the texts together," Aaron Brody, director of the Bade Museum and an associate professor of Bible and archaeology at the Pacific School of Religion, said.

Was the ancient Israelites a polytheist?

The ancient Israelites were polytheists, Brody told Discovery News, "with only a small minority worshiping Yahweh alone before the historic events of 586 B.C.". In that year, an elite community within Judea was exiled to Babylon and the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. This, Brody said, led to "a more universal vision ...

Who is Asherah the mother of?

Asherah was a major northwest Canaanite mother goddess. She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods.

What is Asherah's ability?

Reality Warping: Asherah is able to control and bend reality to her whims, capable of altering something as tangible as physics and the universe to something inconceivable like logic. Because of this immense ability, many younger gods are often led to believing her to possess complete "omnipotence power".

What is Asherah's ability to manipulate?

Divine & Pure Elements Manipulation: As a primordial of the earth, sea, fertility and moon, Asherah can create, mold and manipulate sacred elements that are highly effective against the supernatural, such as demons, fallen angels and/or even other primordial gods. She would be able to do all sorts of sacred things with her unique type of element, which in question could range from trapping and/or immobilizing to banishing or killing supernatural threats.

Why are trees associated with Asherah?

The ruling elite propagandized against goddess worship by integrating the story of the fall of mankind to the tree which was clearly associated with Asherah.

What color hair did the Moon Goddess have?

She sometimes appeared slightly different, with black and purple hair at the ends, with a few "stars" in her hair, representing the "moon goddess" surrounded by her various children (the gods ).

How is the Queen of the Gods worshiped?

The only way she is worshiped now is by Satanism, she can only get power from desperate cults which, if anything, probably taint her name further. What was once a very respected goddess in the Canaanite pantheon and even queen of the gods is now at best referenced as a demon who tries to seduce humanity into sinning and falling, despite never doing anything of the sort.

Where is the engraving of Yahweh found?

Not only was this engraving found in the 9th-8th century BC Israelite caravanserai, Kuntillet Ajrud, the same text was found in a number of sites thought to be Yahweh sanctuaries, such as in Samaria, Jerusalem, Teman, and in the Biblical kingdom of Judah, at the ancient burial site of Khirbet el-Qom, dating to 750 BC.

An Ancient Truth?

Evidence in The Archaeology

Biblical References to Asherah

• According to the Bible, Asherah was worshipped in the temple of Jerusalem alongside God, as His consort and divine equal. According to the Book of Kings, the goddess was housed in the templecomplex, and rituals were regularly conducted in her worship. Many Biblical scholars have concluded that a concerted effort was made by the priests who compiled...

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Not Just A Minor Goddess

References

Overview

General sources

• Ahlström, Gösta W. (1963), Engnell, Ivan; Furumark, Arne; Nordström, Carl-Otto (eds.), Aspects of Syncretism in Israelite Religion, Horae Soederblominae 5, translated by Sharpe, Eric J., Lund, SE: C.W.K. Gleerup, p. 68.
• Albright, W. F. (1968), Yahweh and the gods of Canaan: a historical analysis of two contrasting faiths, London: University of London, Athlone Press, pp. 105–106, ISBN 9780931464010.

Significance and roles

In Eastern Semitic texts

In Egyptian sources

In Israel and Judah

Worship and suppression

Iconography