Did God Have a Wife? The Kuntillet 'Ajrud Inscriptions

[travb35]

the old testament is a mythologised or fairytale version of real ancient history - some of the old testament heroes were really Hyksos Egyptian Pharaohs who had jewish ancestry - others such as Noah(Utnapishtim) are just a retelling of ancient Sumerian texts/history...

[beholdtheageofold]

@helvis213,

The ostracon inscriptions found at Kuntillet Arjud which reads, "Berakhti etkhem l’YHVH Shomron ul’Asherato".

Doesn't actuall proove (Yah)(w) have or had a wife. That inscription was found in Samaria.

This "Samaria" is the same location where the ten tribes fell due to sins against (Yah)(w).

These sins involved Amon and Mannesh making altars to Ba'al & Asherah. They intermixed (Yah)(w) into this Canaanite religion. Which is can be read about in 2 Kings 21.

[helvis213]

@beholdtheageofold

What the inscriptions show is that Israelite folk religion put YHWH at the head of the pantheon....notice the phrase, "hosts of God" which appears in the Hebrew Bible. The inscriptions are important because they display the evolution of Israelite monotheism.

[beholdtheageofold]

@helvis213

The location that these artifacts were found in. Is in Samaria. That's the location where the story of 2 Kings Ch. 21 took place. Which lead up to Sargon II taking over the northen kingdom of Israel.

My point is, It seems you *think that monotheism evolved in the North Israel and the ten tribes. But that isn't the case at all. The Israelites were monotheist from the beginning with Abraham.

[helvis213]

@beholdtheageofold

Archaeology tells us something different. Sure, according the official story, they were monotheists but the physical record shows people were also worshipping Canaanite Gods. This is why there are so many references to worship of Canaanite Gods and in particular, Josiah's reforms. Biblical monotheism took a very long time evolve.

[beholdtheageofold]

@helvis213

You totally disregarded my whole question. The location of "Kuntillet Ajrud" is located in Samaria. Samaria is where the North (ten tribes) were located. It's evident that *(Yah)(w)'s name being intertwined with the Canaanite idols and *Asherah. Is basically what 2 Kings Chapter 17:16, 2 Kings 21:7.

So how does that make the *Israelites polytheistic prior? Israel became Canaanite worshipers due to Jezebel and Ahab at that time. Prior all worship was to (Yah)(w).

[helvis213]

@beholdtheageofold It's very difficult to explain all this in such a small amount of space. These inscriptions come from the Northern Sinai desert...not Samaria.

You're also taking the Bible literally. My point is, archaeology shows that the Israelite's were worshiping other gods. The Ahab story was included as a way to explain what was going on in Israel, and is included as an example of "what not to do." You'll never get closer to the truth if you continue to read the Bible literally.

[beholdtheageofold]

@helvis213 Well if I was to consider the "Kuntillet Ajrud" inscription its proof that the Israelites existed. That inscription falls right in place with 2nd Kings. Samaria or not. What about the sins of Peor he practiced Baal and Asherah worship during the tabernacle. It's many different ways (Yah)(w) name could have got entangled into Canaanite belief. But I totally disagree that the Israelites begin as Baal believers.

[helvis213]

@beholdtheageofold Who said they began as Baal worshipers? Baal worship was the just another phase in the evolution of Israelite religion. Finds at ancient Jericho's burial sites show a ancestral cult was worshiped there, so you see, there were a lot different things going on in the region. The Bible mentions Baal because it was still going on while the Bible was being written.

[beholdtheageofold]

@helvis213 How old is Jericho? Also Ba'al was a word in the Hebrew language. Of course it is going to be in the Old Testament. Consider Hosea 2:16, *(Yah)(w) himself uses the word "Ba'al. When Israelite women were married they used the word "Baal" when speaking to their Husband. Which only concludes that BAAL and ASHERAH were not actual names but *titles attributed to idols who had personal names. Consider Merodach and Bel. They were called Baal(s). Lords, masters etc

[helvis213]

@beholdtheageofold

I don't know what to tell you. If you are serious, you'll read credible sources. I can't imagine where you're getting your information.

Why not begin by looking up Jericho and see what you find.

Good luck.

[beholdtheageofold]

@helvis213, I do read credible sources. Lots of those archeologist never consider OT verses. They make allegations that *(Yah)(w) was a prototype of some Cananite idol. Yet they disregard 1 Kings 18:20-46 & 1 Samuel 7:4 and the whole story of how (Yah)(w) countless times, was against the Baals and Asherahs of Canaan.

Obviously it was the sinning tribes that took (Yah)(w) and applied him to the Canaan pantheon.

To add in, I don't believe Jericho is 8,000 yrs old like archaeologist claim.