Desaguliers' Code

[Tamrin]

Asherah and the God of the Early Israelites

[Excerpt - Paper by Professor Johanna H. Stuckey, York University - Linked Above]

Though all three ancient Levantine great goddesses appear in the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Old Testament, Asherah occurs most often: forty times in nine books. The biblical texts are hostile witnesses, for they either vilify the goddess or, more often, obliterate her grammatically, for instance, by referring to her in the masculine plural as "the asherahs." Until the Ugaritic tablets were deciphered beginning in the 1930s, most scholars did not even speculate that "the asherahs" might be obscuring a goddess(Hadley 2000:4). They interpreted "the asherahs" as either wooden poles, cult objects from Baal worship, or groves of trees. Only a brave few claimed that "the asherahs" referred to a goddess citing such passages as I Kings 18, in which "prophets of Asherah"(1) served Queen Jezebel(Binger 1997:111; Yamashita 1963:126). The first detailed study of Asherah in the Hebrew Bible after the Ugaritic discoveries concluded that "the asherah" represented both a wooden cult object and a goddess (Reed 1949:37, 53), a position some scholars still hold today.

Unquestionably, "the asherahs" were usually wooden; they stood upright, often beside altars, along with stone pillars. However, in at least eight instances, they are described as carved(Pettey 1990:45). Thus, far from being merely wooden "cult poles," they were probably quite large carved images. As was the case with cult statues in other areas of the Eastern Mediterranean, "the asherahs" almost certainly would have been "animated" ritually (Walker and Dick 1999:57). Thus they did not just represent the goddess, but actually were worshipped as Asherah herself. Further, according to the Bible, a statue of Asherah stood in the Solomonic temple in Jerusalem for about two-thirds of its existence (Patai 1990:50). Asherah "must, then, have been a legitimate part of the cult of Yahweh" (Olyan 1988:13).

The Hebrew Scriptures regularly pair Asherah's name, especially "the asherahs," with Baal's, so that some scholars have wondered whether Asherah had ousted Astarte as Baal's consort. In 1963 Yamashita noted that most of the references to Asherah in the Hebrew Bible, including those pairing Asherah with Baal, were associated with only one source (1963:123-137). Later, Olyan argued very convincingly that the biblical attacks on Asherah were "restricted to the Deuteronomistic History"(2) and to texts exhibiting Deuteronomistic influence. For instance, the numerous pairings of Baal with Asherah's "cult symbol," called "the asherah," are part of a reformist, monotheistic "anti-asherah polemic" aimed at discrediting "the asherah" by associating it with Baal and Astarte (Olyan 1988: 1, 3, 13-14). This polemic was necessary because Asherah "had some role in the cult of Yahweh … not only in popular Yahwism, but in the official cult as well" (Olyan 1988:74).

In addition to the testimony of the Hebrew Bible, there is also considerable archaeological evidence that may throw light on the role of Asherah in the religion of the early Israelites. First, a considerable number of small, clay, female statuettes, which archaeologists usually call "pillar figurines," have been unearthed all over Israel. Dating to the eighth and early seventh centuries, that is, to the height of the Israelite monarchy, they occur in almost every excavation of the period (Kletter 1996: 4, 40-41).(3) So many pillar figurines have been excavated in the heartland of Judah that they are often regarded as "a characteristic expression of Judahite piety" (Keel and Uehlinger 1998:327; Kletter 1996:45).

[Tamrin]

The "Holy One"

[Excerpt - Article by by Johanna Stuckey, Matrifocus - Linked Above]

Qedesh[et], lady of heaven, mistress of all the gods, eye of
Ra, without her equal
(Egyptian inscription, quoted by Cornelius 2004: 83)

A nude goddess, often standing on a lion and holding snakes, plants, or both, is a very familiar figure to archaeologists working on Late Bronze Age sites (ca.1500-ca.1200 BCE) throughout the Levant. Plaques, pendants, and figurines of this goddess abound, but it is by no means clear who she was (Cornelius 2004: Plates 5.19-5.62; Keel and Uelinger 1998: 66-68; Patai 1990: 58-60). A few scholars have identified her with Anat, more think she was Astarte, and some argue for Asherah.

Anat. Those who opt for Anat normally start from the assumption that the beautiful, young female warrior was also a sex / fertility goddess, and they usually base this view on a probable misinterpretation of at least one of the mythic texts from Ugarit, an ancient city on the coast of Syria (Wyatt 2002: 156-160; Patai 1990: 61; Coogan 1978: 108). In addition, they take the figure's nudity to signal sexuality and fertility (Stuckey 2005: 37; Cornelius 2004: 100).

Astarte. The proponents of Astarte's candidacy call one form of the images "Astarte plaques" (Keel and Uelinger 1998: 100-108; Patai 1990: 59). They explain this identification in large part by Astarte's popularity in the first millennium BCE as the Phoenician lover of the god Adonis and so as deity of love and sexuality, of the evening star (Aphrodite/Venus), and of war.

Asherah. The case for the images representing Asherah derives partly from the assertion that, in the Ugaritic texts, Asherah was called "Lion Lady" (Wiggins 1991). Primarily, however, some scholars think that some of the Ugaritic texts referred to Asherah as the "Holy One," Qadesh(ah) (Binger 1997: 54; Pettey 1990: 29; Cross 1973:33). And they use as additional evidence a group of Egyptianized images usually called Qudshu plaques.

The close resemblance of the Egyptian goddess to the obviously very popular Levantine goddess (Anat / Astarte / Asherah) is extremely striking. What is more, several of these Egyptianized plaques bear inscriptions giving the goddess a name: Qudshu or Qodshu, also Qedeshet and Qetesh, the "Holy or Sacred One." Clearly, the Egyptians of the Late Bronze Age (ca.1550-ca.1200 BCE) worshipped this goddess both at home and abroad. As we shall see, she probably originated in the Syro-Canaanite part of the Egyptian empire and seemingly was adopted into Egyptian religion during the Ramesside Age (1300-1200 BCE).

For many centuries before any of the Levant was incorporated into the their empire, the Egyptians had contact with West Asia, usually for trade. For instance, in historic times, Egypt maintained close relations with Byblos, now in Lebanon, mainly for the valuable cedar wood that city could provide. They identified the "Lady of Byblos" (Astarte?) with Egyptian goddess Hathor, and the pharaohs regularly sent offering gifts to her temple. In the third millennium BCE, Egyptian art began to depict conquered Asiatics as rough, bearded, and often half-naked. Later texts also mentioned them, often in derogatory terms; for example, "the vile Asiatic."

[Tamrin]

Text for the Day:
Europe: Old Midsummer's Day
Babylon: Rites of Ishtar and Tammuz (Day two of two day festival):
Syria, Judea and Greece: Rites of Astarte / Baal, Asherah / Yahweh , Aphrodite / Adonis
Rosicrucian: Feast Day of Rosa Mundi, (Rose of the World, Great Mother)
Establishment of the Premier Grand Lodge, London, 1717

Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which
was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz

&

And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold,
at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were
about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord,
and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east

Ezekiel 8:14 & 16

[Tamrin]

Kebra Nagast

QUEEN OF SHEBA (960 B.C.) Although most of Black history is suppressed, distorted or ignored by an ungrateful modern world, some African traditions are so persistent that all of the power and deception of the Western academic establishment have failed to stamp them out. One such story is that of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of Israel. Black women of antiquity were legendary for their beauty, power and lover affairs. Especially great were the Queens of Ethiopia; Queen of Sheba (960 B.C.), Candace of Meroe and her defeat of Alexander the Great (332 B.C.), Amanirenas, Amanishakhete, Nawidemak, Amanitore (Acts 8:26-40), Shanakdakh, and Malegereabar. Ethiopia was also known as Nubia, Kush, Aksum, Abyssinia and Sheba. One thousand years before Christ, Ethiopia was ruled by a line of virgin queens. The one whose story has survived into our time was known as Makeda, "the Queen of Sheba." Her remarkable tradition was recorded in the Kebra Nagast, or the Book of the Glory of the Kings [of Ethiopia], has been held in the highest esteem and honour throughout the length and breadth of Abyssinia for a thousand years at least, and even to-day it is believed by every educated man in that country to contain the true history of the origin of the Solomonic line of kings in Ethiopia, and is regarded as the final authority on the history of the conversion of the Ethiopians from the worship of the sun, moon, and stars to that of the Lord God of Israel. The Bible tells us that, during his reign, King Solomon of Israel decided to build a magnificent temple. To announce this endeavor, the king sent forth messengers to various foreign countries to invite merchants from abroad to come to Jerusalem with their caravans so that they might engage in trade there. At this time, Ethiopia was second only to Egypt in power and fame. Hence, King Solomon was enthralled by Ethiopia's beautiful people, rich history, deep spiritual tradition and wealth. He was especially interested in engaging in commerce with one of Queen Makeda's subjects, an important merchant by the name of Tamrin. Solomon sent for Tamrin who "packed up stores of valuables including ebony, sapphires and red gold, which he took to Jerusalem to sell to the king." It turns out that Tamrin's visit was momentous. Although accustomed to the grandeur and luxury of Egypt and Ethiopia, Tamrin was still impressed by King Solomon and his young nation. During a prolonged stay in Israel, Tamrin observed the magnificent buildings and was intrigued by the Jewish people and their culture. But above all else, he was deeply moved by Solomon's wisdom and compassion for his subjects. Upon returning to his country, Tamrin poured forth elaborate details about his trip to Queen Makeda. She was so impressed by the exciting story that the great queen decided to visit King Solomon herself.

[Tamrin]

Tamrin:

How did Sheba learn of the wisdom of King Solomon? The leader of her trade caravans, Tamrin, owned 73 ships and 787 camels, mules and asses, with which he journeyed as far as India. Having also traded with Israel, he brought gold, ebony and sapphires to Solomon, for use by his 700 carpenters and 800 masons who were building the great temple of Jerusalem. Tamrin told Sheba about the temple, and how Solomon administered just judgement, and how he spake with authority, and how he decided rightly in all matters which he enquired into, and how he returned soft and gracious answers, and how there was nothing false about him. Each morning, Tamrin related to the Queen about all the wisdom of Solomon, how he administered judgement and how he made feasts, and how he taught wisdom, and how he directed his servants and all his affairs and how no man defrauded another—"for in his wisdom he knew those who had done wrong, and he chastised them, and made them afraid, and they did not repeat their evil deeds, but they lived in a state of peace." And the Queen was struck dumb with wonder at the things that she heard, and she thought in her heart that she would go to him.

Tamrin Reports to the Queen of Sheba

[Tamrin]

Jul 14, 2008 7:06:10 GMT 10 Tamrin said:

Ancient Brethren Meeting on High Hills and in Low Vales
(Sectional Lectures)

A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing
their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are
now silent, their songs never cease. Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every
fiber thrilling like harp strings, while incense is ever flowing from the balsam bells and leaves.
No wonder the hills and groves were God's first temples, and the more they are cut down
and hewn into cathedrals and churches, the farther off and dimmer seems the Lord himself


John Muir
(Died this day 1914)

[Tamrin]

For the earliest period of the history of Israel, all that precedes the building of
the temple, not a trace can be found of any sanctuary of exclusive legitimacy


Jeremiah has to lament that there are as many altars as towns in Judah


Until the building of Solomon's temple the unity of worship according to it had
properly speaking, never had any existence; and, moreover, it is easy to read between
the lines that even after that date it was more a pious wish than a practical demand


The representation of the tabernacle arose out of the temple of Solomon as
its root, in dependence on the sacred ark, for which there is early testimony,
and which in the time of David, and also before it, was sheltered by a tent


The revision of the books of Judges, Samuel, and Kings, undertaken
towards the end of the Babylonian exile, a revision much more thorough
than is commonly assumed, condemns as heretical the whole age of the Kings


It is only in the case of the Priestly Code that opinions differ widely; for it tries hard to
imitate the costume of the Mosaic period, and, with whatever success, to disguise its own


And finally, it was Deuteronomy that brought about
the historical result of Josiah's reformation


Julius Wellhausen
German biblical scholar and orientalist
(Born this day 1844)



As we learn from the New Testament, the Jews and the Samaritans in the days of
Jesus were not agreed on the question which was the proper place of worship, but
that there could be only one was taken to be as certain as the unity of God Himself

[Tamrin]

Sex is literally potent. As such theologians are obsessed with it, usually in a disparaging sense — This was not always the case.

Sex was once widely considered to be sacramental. However, looking with modern eyes at those religions in which sex was revered requires considerable open-mindedness. The practice of sacred "prostitution" raises modern pejorative notions, conflating too easily with notions of commercial and exploitative prostitution. Thus, I urge a considered open-mindfulness when reading this article (linked below):

Sacred Prostitution in the Story of Judah and Tamar? Edward Lipiński on the influence of Canaanite Ashtoreth worship in ancient Israel, Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR):

Sacred prostitution was common throughout the ancient world and was particularly associated with Ashtoreth worship, one of the chief Canaanite goddesses. While many scholars have assumed sacred prostitution was practiced in ancient Israel, too, the recent BAR article “Cult Prostitution in Ancient Israel?” by Edward Lipiński reveals that neither the Bible nor archaeology provides any clear evidence that Israelite religion incorporated the sexual rites of Ashtoreth worship.

Qedeshah likely originally referred to “consecrated maidens” who were employed in Canaanite and later Phoenician temples devoted to Ashtoreth worship. As such, the Biblical writers came to associate the fertility rites of Ashtoreth worship with sacred prostitution, and the word qedeshah, therefore, came to be used as a pejorative term for “prostitute.”

[Tamrin]

This video clip is of interest in light of the previous post:

Sex Mountain in Indonesia attracts thousands of Muslim pilgrims, who believe having sex out of wedlock at this holy site will bring them wealth and good fortune. Dateline follows them as they take part in this unusual ritual.