cdowis Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 God, also known as Yahweh, had a wife named Asherah, according to a British theologian.- Amulets, figurines, inscriptions and ancient texts, including the Bible, reveal Asherah's once prominent standing.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. The theory has gained new prominence due to the research of Francesca Stavrakopoulou, who began her work at Oxford and is now a senior lecturer in the department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter.Information presented in Stavrakopoulou's books, lectures and journal papers has become the basis of a three-part documentary series, now airing in Europe, where she discusses the Yahweh-Asherah connection."You might know him as Yahweh, Allah or God. But on this fact, Jews, Muslims and Christians, the people of the great Abrahamic religions, are agreed: There is only one of Him," writes Stavrakopoulou in a statement released to the British media. "He is a solitary figure, a single, universal creator, not one God among many … or so we like to believe." "After years of research specializing in the history and religion of Israel, however, I have come to a colorful and what could seem, to some, uncomfortable conclusion that God had a wife," she added.Stavrakopoulou bases her theory on ancient texts, amulets and figurines unearthed primarily in the ancient Canaanite coastal city called Ugarit, now modern-day Syria. 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. "Crucially, the inscription asks for a blessing from 'Yahweh and his Asherah.' Here was evidence that presented Yahweh and Asherah as a divine pair. And now a handful of similar inscriptions have since been found, all of which help to strengthen the case that the God of the Bible once had a wife."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."http://news.discovery.com/history/religion/god-wife-yahweh-asherah-110318.htm
maklelan Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 Francesca is far from the first to arrive at this conclusion (see here, for instance), but she is a pretty staunch atheist and a phenomenal scholar of ancient Israelite religion, and has a much, much different idea in mind than what Latter-day Saints do. 2
cdowis Posted January 2, 2014 Author Posted January 2, 2014 Let me make it clear that this has nothing to do with LDS theology. Just one of those interesting things that I ran across.
maklelan Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 In that vein, then, you should check this out (although it appears to be a fake, despite what is claimed at the link).
cdowis Posted January 2, 2014 Author Posted January 2, 2014 I think it is reasonable to believe that Jesus was married (to Mary). As I remember, JS identified one of His descendants.
Palerider Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 I think it is reasonable to believe that Jesus was married (to Mary). As I remember, JS identified one of His descendants. Joseph Smith was quite wrong on that account. This subject has been discussed ad naseum on this site. You might do a search to see the different sides.
Robert F. Smith Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 Francesca is far from the first to arrive at this conclusion (see here, for instance), but she is a pretty staunch atheist and a phenomenal scholar of ancient Israelite religion, and has a much, much different idea in mind than what Latter-day Saints do.Last Oct 23, the Academy for Temple Studies and the Religious Studies program at USU (Logan) held their 2013 Conference on "The Lady of the Temple: Examining the Divine Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition," and the papers presented there by Bill Dever, Margaret Barker, John Thompson, Alyson Von Feldt, and Valerie Hudson, and the panel discussion, will be published this year. Those who have questions about how all that relates to LDS theology will have plenty to chew on. By the way, Bill Dever is currently completing his magnum opus (his words) on Iron Age Israel. It was great to see him after all these years -- he was the one who signed me up for my first dig, at Tell Gezer in 1970. 4
BCSpace Posted January 2, 2014 Posted January 2, 2014 Makes perfect sense that God would be married: Marriage..."is good practice for life as a god."Clement of Alexandria in Wagner, After The Apostles, 180Clement insists that marriage and procreation are an intrinsic and positive part of God's plan for the human race. He frequently cites Genesis 1:28 ("Increase and multiply") and regards human procreation as an act of co-creation with God: "In this way the human being becomes the image of God, by cooperating in the creation of another human being"...Indeed, Clement is even capable of regarding marriage as, in some respects, superior to celibacy. The celibate who is concerned only for his own salvation is "in most respects untried." By contrast, the married man who must devote himself to the administration of a household is a more faithful reflection of God's own providential care. David G. Hunter, Marriage in the Early Church, 1992, 15, cf. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 7:12:70; Instructor 2:10:83 2
The Nehor Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Wait, the conclusion was "God had a wife." Uh-oh. What happened?
Stargazer Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 I think it is reasonable to believe that Jesus was married (to Mary). As I remember, JS identified one of His descendants. What? A modern descendant? Who might that have been? After 1800 years, this person could have 20 million cousins. Or more.
The Nehor Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 What? A modern descendant? Who might that have been? After 1800 years, this person could have 20 million cousins. Or more. The story I heard was Wilford Woodruff but I have never seen it substantiated. If Jesus had children who survived odds are most of the population on Earth are his descendants by now through at least one line.
Stone holm Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 As I recall the early brethren used to say that His descendants were hid up.
The Nehor Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 As I recall the early brethren used to say that His descendants were hid up. Under the North Pole hiding with the Ten Tribes?
Palerider Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Under the North Pole hiding with the Ten Tribes?
Palerider Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Last Oct 23, the Academy for Temple Studies and the Religious Studies program at USU (Logan) held their 2013 Conference on "The Lady of the Temple: Examining the Divine Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition," and the papers presented there by Bill Dever, Margaret Barker, John Thompson, Alyson Von Feldt, and Valerie Hudson, and the panel discussion, will be published this year. Those who have questions about how all that relates to LDS theology will have plenty to chew on. By the way, Bill Dever is currently completing his magnum opus (his words) on Iron Age Israel. It was great to see him after all these years -- he was the one who signed me up for my first dig, at Tell Gezer in 1970. I hope some of this "Lady of the Temple" is somehow related back to this scripture in Micah 5:14. NIV : "I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities." It seems that most Bible translations use the term Asherah or Asherim (plural) to describe the idol or false goddess, that Israel was worshipping.
mfbukowski Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 What? A modern descendant? Who might that have been? After 1800 years, this person could have 20 million cousins. Or more.And yet people still get hung up on which tribe of Israel they are from, because of their Patriarchal blessing is different than their sibling's. Sigh. Literalism is our greatest enemy. 1
mfbukowski Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 I hope some of this "Lady of the Temple" is somehow related back to this scripture in Micah 5:14. NIV : "I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities." It seems that most Bible translations use the term Asherah or Asherim (plural) to describe the idol or false goddess, that Israel was worshipping. Gosh, could it be that the Bible actually reflects differing opinions on the nature of God? That perhaps it is not to be taken literally as inerrant? 2
EllenMaksoud Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 I think it is reasonable to believe that Jesus was married (to Mary). As I remember, JS identified one of His descendants.YAyyyy! Finally someone has realized that a 30 year old man/God was likely to have a wife, and possibly a child. Finally the error of the early Catholic church is giving way.
Stone holm Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Under the North Pole hiding with the Ten Tribes?I never got the impression that they were hid with the Ten Tribes, I got more the impression their lineage was just kept secret. But wow what a genealogy discovery that would be. The comment about the genes being widespread by now is interesting. Does anyone know how that plays out statistically. I have heard that 1 in 200 persons are descendants of Genghis Khan, but don't know about other lines. Although it has been said that nearly every Scotsman is related to a King.
Robert F. Smith Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 I hope some of this "Lady of the Temple" is somehow related back to this scripture in Micah 5:14. NIV : "I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities." It seems that most Bible translations use the term Asherah or Asherim (plural) to describe the idol or false goddess, that Israel was worshipping. It does. Bill Dever's book has a subtitle, Did God Have a Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel (Eerdmans, 2008). His point (which is shared by most experts) is that the official theology reflected by the Deuteronomistic Historian and other theological schools among the scribes and prophets was not necessarily the religion of the common folk -- which is disclosed by archeological findings of a profusion of figurines and shrines in the homes of the people. Careful biblical study also discloses that certain aspects Israelite religion fell into disfavor and an attempt was made to erase them from Holy Writ. I am sure that you are aware of some of those more archaic features of Israelite faith. If not, I'll happy to go over some of them for you.
Robert F. Smith Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 Gosh, could it be that the Bible actually reflects differing opinions on the nature of God? That perhaps it is not to be taken literally as inerrant?Yup.
Stone holm Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 I think it is reasonable to believe that Jesus was married (to Mary). As I remember, JS identified one of His descendants.Interesting, where did you hear or read that? This is not CFR, just curious. I have read comments by early GAs about Him being married, and to me that is only logical given our doctrine, and have read in the JD of His possibly having children, but don't recall any identification of descendants. 1
thesometimesaint Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 The Scriptures don't say either way. But I believe he was married, possibly even a polygamist. 1
Stone holm Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 The Scriptures don't say either way. But I believe he was married, possibly even a polygamist.The speculation was Mary and Martha, and possibly Mary Magdalene.
JLHPROF Posted January 4, 2014 Posted January 4, 2014 The Scriptures don't say either way. But I believe he was married, possibly even a polygamist. The speculation was Mary and Martha, and possibly Mary Magdalene.I don't think it's speculation. It's long been a doctrine of Mormonism that Christ both married polygamously and had descendants. Oh, the scriptures may not say it that bluntly but there are allusions to the fact, prophecies concerning His seed, and our modern day prophets and apostles have taught it. http://www.mormonchronicle.com/our-married-savior-jesus-christ/ and http://ogdenkraut.com/Jesus%20Was%20Married.htm are two links that discuss the Mormon aspect of this doctrine (from admittedly VERY non-Church authorized authors, ok, one of them was a total apostate, but that doesn't invalidate his points concerning this topic). It is really irrelevant what the scholars and historians say on the matter. I prefer the teachings of the prophets.Most well known teaching was at General Conference by Orson Hyde:"It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it.I will venture to say that if Jesus Christ were now to pass through the most pious countries in Christendom with a train of women, such as used to follow him, fondling about him, combing his hair, anointing him with precious ointment, washing his feet with tears, and wiping them with the hair of their heads and unmarried, or even married, he would be mobbed, tarred, and feathered, and rode, not on an ***, but on a rail. What did the old Prophet mean when he said (speaking of Christ), "He shall see his seed, prolong his days, &c." Did Jesus consider it necessary to fulfil every righteous command or requirement of his Father? He most certainly did. This he witnessed by submitting to baptism under the hands of John. "Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness," said he. Was it God's commandment to man, in the beginning, to multiply and replenish the earth? None can deny this, neither that it was a righteous command; for upon an obedience to this, depended the perpetuity of our race. Did Christ come to destroy the law or the Prophets, or to fulfil them? He came to fulfil. Did he multiply, and did he see his seed? Did he honour his Father's law by complying with it, or did he not? Others may do as they like, but I will not charge our Saviour with neglect or transgression in this or any other duty." Orson Hyde - JD 4:259-60 Oh yes, Christ fulfilled every commandment, from Baptism up through Celestial Marriage, because God had commanded them. He was married, he was a polygamist, and he mulitplied and replenished the earth. I don't think it's speculation at all.
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