Asherah – the Queen of Heaven, who is Astarte and Ishtar Two terrible lounge singers get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel but somehow become pawns in an international power play between the C.I.A., the Emir of Ishtar, and the rebels trying to overthrow his regime.Ishtar
Is Asherah the same as Ashtoreth?
As a result, the Mosaic Law spoke specifically against Asherah worship (Deuteronomy 16:21). Despite warnings from the Lord, many Israelite leaders worshiped Asherah. Several of Solomon's wives drew the king from the true God to "Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians" (1 Kings 11:5)—most likely the same as Asherah.
Is Ishtar related to Easter?
It’s connection to anything relating to early Christianity seems to be purely mythical. One will also notice that the many stories of Ishtar paint a picture of her that seems to be completely unrelated to anything having to do with Easter or its customs. Where did all this confusion about Ishtar even begin?
How did Asherah get her name?
Upon entering the region, the ancient Israelites soon adopted her and gave her the Hebrew equivalent name of Asherah. The Ugarit excavation of 1928 put Asherah, the goddess, on the map again, after having lost her place for thousands of years.
Is Asherah a Ugaritic god?
Asherah is generally considered identical with the Ugaritic goddess ʾAṯiratu. Asherah is identified as the consort of the Sumerian god Anu, and Ugaritic ʾEl, the oldest deities of their respective pantheons, .This role gave her a similarly high rank in the Ugaritic pantheon.
Is Asherah the same as Inanna?
Queen of Heaven was a title given to a number of ancient sky goddesses worshipped throughout the ancient Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. Goddesses known to have been referred to by the title include Inanna, Anat, Isis, Nut, Astarte, and possibly Asherah (by the prophet Jeremiah).
Who was the goddess Asherah?
Asherah, along with Astarte 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.
Is Ishtar the queen of heaven?
Ishtar, called the Queen of Heaven by the people of ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), was the most important female deity in their pantheon.
What was God's wife's name?
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. God had a wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshipped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel, according to an Oxford scholar.
What does the Bible say about Asherah?
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…
What does Asherah mean in the Bible?
Definition of Asherah : a sacred wooden post, pole, or pillar that stood near the altar in various Canaanite high places and that symbolized the goddess Asherah.
What happened to 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.
Where can Asherah be found in the Bible?
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).
Is Ishtar a demon?
According to some, Ishtar might just be an avatar for the demon Astaroth, though to others she is his ancestor. Her counterparts are the goddesses Asherah, Astarte, Freya, Anat, Aphrodite, Isis, Venus and many others. She is the personification of the planet Venus.
Who was Jesus's daughter?
Some wish the ceremony that celebrated the beginning of the alleged marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene to be viewed as a "holy wedding"; and Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and their alleged daughter, Sarah, to be viewed as a "holy family", in order to question traditional gender roles and family values.
Who is Satan's wife?
LilithLilith is a powerful sorceress in the Madō Monogatari series, where she was the wife of Satan until she lost her physical body when using the artifact known as Seraphim Orb to create the Madou World, of which she is now the guardian. She is also very similar to the protagonist Arle.
Who was Jesus wife in the Bible?
Mary Magdalene as Jesus's wife One of these texts, known as the Gospel of Philip, referred to Mary Magdalene as Jesus's companion and claimed that Jesus loved her more than the other disciples.
Who is Ishtar in the Bible?
Ishtar, otherwise known as Asherah in the Bible, plays a huge role in pagan pantheons and also ends up swaying Israel to follow after pagan practices during the time of the kings. Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about her.
What is the significance of Ishtar?
Ishtar: A Semitic pagan goddess, who had a particular influence over the Babylonians as well as other foreign nations. She gave “birth” to Baal, another stumbling block for Israel, and represented love, war, and fertility. Easter: A holiday on the Christian calendar celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
What is the meaning of Eostre?
Eostre is where we get the Easter bunny. She existed in Anglo-Saxon lore but may have some ties to Ishtar.
What did the Israelites serve before the time of the kings?
Even before the time of the kings, the Israelites serve Baal and Ishtar. A frequent motif in the Old Testament happens where they forget the Lord, worship foreign gods, and reap the consequences (often getting taken captive or taken over by a foreign nation).
Who did Israel sacrifice to?
Israel often offered sacrifices to Baal, and a prophet had a showdown with the prophets of Baal in the above passage. Judges 2:13: “They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.”. Even before the time of the kings, the Israelites serve Baal and Ishtar.
Does Easter have eggs?
According to CARM, although Easter and Ishtar share name similarities, and symbols of fertility, the roots of Easter’s name more likely to stem from Eostre. However, we do have to consider that Easter does often have Easter eggs. And many sculptures of Ishtar, from archeological excavations, have shown the goddess to be covered in eggs, ...
What was the worship of Asherah?
Worship of Asherah was noted for its sensuality and involved ritual prostitution. The priests and priestesses of Asherah also practiced divination and fortune-telling. The Lord God, through Moses, forbade the worship of Asherah.
What is the meaning of the carved Asherah pole?
Another translation of “carved Asherah pole” is “graven image of the grove” (KJV). Considered the moon-goddess, Asherah was often presented as a consort of Baal, the sun-god ( Judges 3:7, 6:28, 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4, 12:10 ). Asherah was also worshiped as the goddess of love and war and was sometimes linked with Anath, another Canaanite goddess.
Why are Asherah groves called groves?
Because of the association with carved trees, the places of Asherah worship were commonly called “groves,” and the Hebrew word “asherah” (plural, “asherim”) could refer either to the goddess or to a grove of trees.
What is the name of the goddess that was worshiped in ancient Syria?
Asherah, or Ashtoreth, was the name of the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar, and the Philistines had a temple of Asherah ( 1 Samuel 31:10 ). Because of Israel’s incomplete conquest of the land of Canaan, ...
Who was the god of the Sidonians?
Later, Jezebel made Asherah -worship even more prevalent, with 400 prophets of Asherah on the royal payroll ( 1 Kings 18:19 ).
Who was Asherah to the ancient Israelites?
But who was Asherah to the ancient Israelites? And why is she often found paired with Yahweh, the Hebrew god? Historians and archaeologists have pieced together Asherah’s narrative and found large chunks of it interwoven in the artifacts from the region and in the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible itself. Evidence suggests that Asherah was observed in ancient Israel and Judah as early as the 12th century BC, to a few decades before the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah (587-588 BC), a time known as the pre-exilic period.
Where is Asherah found?
How do we know? Asherah figures prominently as the wife of El—the supreme god—in a treasure trove of cuneiform texts found in the second millennium port city of Ugarit (in today’s Northern Syria).
What is the inscription on the Yahweh's asherah?
The inscription reads: “I have blessed you by Yahweh....and his Asherah.”.
What is Ashera linked to?
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.
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.
Who was the goddess of fertility before Abraham?
For perhaps hundreds of years before Abraham migrated to what would become known as Israel, Asherah was revered as Athirat, Earth Mother and Fertility Goddess. Upon entering the region, the ancient Israelites soon adopted her and gave her the Hebrew equivalent name of Asherah.
When were Asherah's pillars popular?
But the most abundant of these are her pillar figurines which were popular from the 10th through the 7th centuries BC. The term “images of Asherah” is often used in the Hebrew Bible and it is thought that these pillar figurines are what the writers of the bible had in mind.
Who was the goddess of Asherah?
Who was the goddess Asherah/Ashtoreth? Asherah (also Ashtoreth or Astarte, though there may have been a distinction) was the primary goddess worshiped by the ancient Canaanites and neighboring peoples, including the Philistines ( 1 Samuel 31:10 ). The Israelites also worshiped Asherah from as early as the time immediately following the death ...
What was Asherah worship?
Worship to her included sexual immorality, prostitution, divination, and fortune telling . As a result, the Mosaic Law spoke specifically against Asherah worship ( Deuteronomy 16:21 ).
Where did Asherah worship take place?
Asherah was often associated with carved trees. Therefore, Asherah worship often took place in forested areas, under a tree, or in an area marked by a carved "Asherah pole," such as the one made by the evil King Manasseh ( 2 Kings 21:7 ). Asherah was also identified as the moon goddess who belonged to the family of gods associated with Baal ...
Who stood strong against Asherah worship?
In contrast, some of God's followers stood strong against Asherah worship. One important example was Gideon. In Judges 6:25-26 God commanded him, "Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to ...
Who was the goddess of the Sidonians?
Several of Solomon's w ives drew the king from the true God to "Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians" ( 1 Kings 11:5 )—most likely the same as Asherah. Queen Jezebel also worshiped Asherah and supported 400 Asherah prophets ( 1 Kings 18:19 ). In contrast, some of God's followers stood strong against Asherah worship.
What did Josiah's efforts to end pagan worship reveal?
Josiah's efforts to end pagan worship reveal a serious commitment to worship the Lord only. His noble desire is reflected in the Christian faith in which Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life ( John 14:6 ). Return to: Truth about Everything Else.
What is the name of the epic that features the older name for Ishtar?
Inanna’ s Descent to the Underworld [c. 2000 BCE] (ANET 52) An ancient Sumerian epic which features the older name for Ishtar (Inanna). Texts featuring Inanna are usually older than the ones featuring Ishtar. There are a number of ancient symbols associated with Inanna that come from this story.
Who is the king in the dialogue between Assurbanipal and Nabu?
Dialogue Between Assurbanipal and Nabu [c. 668 BC to 627 BC] (COS 1.145) This dialog is mythical in nature. It is between King Ashurbanipal of Assyria and Nabu, who was an ancient god of wisdom. In the dialog, the king is said to have been suckled by the 4 teens is Ishtar.
What is the name of the myth that follows the descent of Inanna to the Underworld?
This popular myth/epic, is a later Akkadian version of a Sumerian epic that is referred to as “The Descent of Inanna to the Underworld”. This later Akkadian version was the best known version to those who lived at the time the Old Testament was written. It’s ending is a bit different than the Sumerian version.
What does ANET stand for in the Bible?
The sources, however, are abbreviated to save space. The abbreviation ANET stands for Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, by James Pritchard. The COS abbreviation is referring to the 3 volume (now 4 volumes, 2019) set known as The Context of Scripture, by William W. Hallo and K. Lawson Younger.
Does Ishtar have bunnies?
Of all the extant texts and references of Ishtar or her various other names, none of them have anything to do with bunnies, eggs, or spring. The best connection that exists is Ishtar’s role as a fertility goddess, but the symbols associated with her fertility cult are usually x-rated. There are no bunnies or eggs.
Is Ishtar a goddess?
Ishtar was a goddess of love and war, not springtime. Her cult practiced sacred prostitution in ancient Sumer but was on the brink of extinction by the time the Persians conquered the Levant. Even then, there were no springtime festivals for her, as the month dedicated to Ishtar was in the fall, September/October in the Gregorian calendar. She is never pictured with eggs or bunnies or any traditional Easter iconography.
Does Ishtar have anything to do with Easter?
By now, many people are aware that Ishtar has nothing to do with Easter. However, there are still a number of Bible teachers, such as Chick.com and LastTrumpetMinistries who preach that Easter is derived from the cult of Ishtar.
Overview
In Eastern Semitic texts
Ugarit sources from before 1200 BC almost always credit Athirat with her full title rbt ʾaṯrt ym (or rbt ʾaṯrt). The phrase occurs 12 times in the Baʿal Epic alone. The title rbt is most often vocalised as rabītu, although rabat and rabīti are sometimes used by scholars. Apparently of Akkadian origin, rabītu means "(great) lady". She appears to champion her son, Yam, god of the sea, in his struggle against Baʾal. Yam's ascription as 'god of' the sea in the English translation is somewha…
Significance and roles
Asherah is identified as the consort of the Sumerian god Anu, and Ugaritic ʾEl, 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. The name Dione, which like ʾElat means 'goddess', is clearly associated with Asherah in the Phoenician History of Sanchuniathon, because the same common epithet (ʾElat) …
In Egyptian sources
Beginning during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, a Semitic goddess named Qetesh ("holiness", sometimes reconstructed as Qudshu) appears prominently. That dynasty follows expulsion of occupying foreigners from an intermediary period. Some think this deity is Athirat/Ashratu under her Ugaritic name. This Qetesh seems not to be either ʿAshtart or ʿAnat as both those goddesses appe…
In Israel and Judah
Between the tenth century BC and the beginning of their Babylonian 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.
Worship and suppression
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 w…
Iconography
Some scholars have found an early link between Asherah and Eve, based upon the coincidence of their common title as "the mother of all living" in the Book of Genesis 3:20 through the identification with the Hurrian mother goddess Hebat. There is further speculation that the Shekhinah as a feminine aspect of Yahweh, may be a cultural memory or devolution of Asherah.
In Christian scripture, the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove—a ubiquitous symbol of goddess re…
In Arabia
As 'Athirat', she was attested in pre-Islamic south Arabia as the consort of the moon-god 'Amm.
A stele, now located at the Louvre, discovered by Charles Huber in 1883 in the ancient oasis of Tema, northwestern Arabia, and believed to date to the time of Nabonidus's retirement there in 549 BC, bears an inscription in Aramaic that mentions Ṣalm of Maḥram, Shingala, and Ashira as the deities of Tema.
Who Was Ishtar in The Bible?
Is Easter Named After Ishtar?
- In short, no. The names do share a similar resemblance, but not overly so. Where we run into an issue is with Eostre, but we’ll explore that in the next section. According to CARM, although Easter and Ishtar share name similarities, and symbols of fertility, the roots of Easter’s name more likely to stem from Eostre. However, we do have to consider that Easter does often have Easter eggs. …
What Is The Difference Between Ishtar, Easter, and Eostre?
- Now that we’ve established the differences between Easter and Ishtar, we need to unmask the third similar word (and deity), Eostre. Let’s establish some definitions of these three and go from there. Ishtar: A Semitic pagan goddess, who had a particular influence over the Babylonians as well as other foreign nations. She gave “birth” to Baal, another stumbling block for Israel, and rep…
Is Easter A Pagan Holiday?
- Yes and no. It depends on which historian you ask. The church often has a confusing history of scheduling holidays around the same time as other pagan holidays as a sort of seeker-friendly outreach program into the pagan community (examples: Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Halloween). And because these changes happened so many millennia ago, with very little documentation, w…