Most of us should know by now that the ancient Hebrews were pagans, and borrowed their concept of Yahweh from older gods like the Babylonian Marduk and the Sumerian El.
While the mythology of the Babylonians account for most of the worldview of the Hebrews, it is the Sumerian god El from which Yahweh (or YHWH) comes from. Briefly, El was Father of the Gods, Creator of Created Things, The Kindly, Kodesh. El wears bull horns on his helmet and resides at "the Source of Two Rivers" upon Mt. Lel.
El also had a wife named Asherah, who was considered the Queen of Heaven.
In the Bible, we see that Yahweh (the Hebrew's adaptation of El or Elohim) actually had a wife named Asherah. I'm pretty sure that much of the Hebrew's earlier history was lost or forbidden after the reforms of King Hezekiah and King Josiah.
But there are still parts of the Bible that allude to Asherah, especially in complaints from reformist "prophets" like the author of Jeremiah or in the historical accounts of 2 Kings. For instance, the "high places" or "groves" were places where Asherah was specifically worshipped, and she is referred to as the "Queen of Heaven".Check out these Bible verses: Jer. 7:17-18Jer. 44:17Deut. 16:212 Kings 18:4 .
It's strange to think of Yahweh being married. Isn't it?
We can also see how later reforms actually eliminated one earlier concept of god and replaced it with another. First it was the Sumerians and Babylonians, then it was the Hebrews, then it was the reforms of the kings Hezekiah and Josiah, later the various sects that formed out of Judaism, Christianity and its myriad of sects, and finally Islam.
People create and mold the concept of God to suit their needs, political or otherwise, and so religion is forever changing.
3 comments:
I see that you used an image theme associated with ancient Egypt,but
made no mentions of ancient Egypt where cultural or religious influence on the Hebrews is concern.
Just a suggestion
There is some speculation by some theologians about that theory, specifically Francesca Stavrakopoulou. (http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/125891/20110323/asherah-asherah-edited-bible-asherah-edited-from-bible-fertility-asherah-god-s-wife-god-s-wife-asher.htm)
In the Bible is evident the singleness of God as one God (1Tim.2.5, Deut.6.4).
In the Bible is as well clear the Israelite worship of Asherah as they started being influenced by the people in the promised land, specially the Canaanites.
Asherah was the former Fertility Goddess of the Canaanites. The Israelites, disobeying Adonai´s Commandment against worshipping other gods ("Adonai es the respectful name of the Hebrew God), refuge in other gods as Molek and Ashera. Therefore, is easy to find anthropological evidence of israelite worship of those two gods. Nevertheless, a fallible theory would be that Ashera or Molek were related with Adonai as wife or brother, respectively.
It is possible to prove that Asherah´s statue was adored in Adonai´s temple. The biblical accounts on Jugdes, 1Kings and 2Kings show an evident Hebrew mixture of dieties and worship. Despite Adonai´s desire for unique and jealous worship, the hebrew people adopted idolatrous practices, as well as other dieties.
It is improbable and a weak argument to affirm a marital relationship between Adonai and Asherah. It is easier to argue that the Hebrew people aposated from their unique faith in Adonai to go after other dieties, mixing faiths, imagaes, temples, practices and sacrifices, and rituals.
I hope this information adds some new insight in the article writer.
Post a Comment