Whose understanding is more accurate? Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 simply do not address modern gay and lesbian relationships. 6 Reasons why you should not worship Astaroth - Demon or Godess? Retrieved April 27, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ashtoreth. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. February 6, 2022 By Gary Panell 10 Comments, Baal Worship is Alive and Well in the World! Freemasonry, Wicca and Easter - Their unified connection Ashtoreth (Greek Astart) is known from the Ugaritic texts, where, however, her role is overshadowed by that of her alter ego, the goddess Anath. I had to wonder, as baal is sometimes represented as a bull, if there wasnt a connection. Thank you for your comment, brother Gary, Your email address will not be published. Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it? Keep that stuff to yourself. The idea that anything linked to an ancient Canaanite god would be erected in America would seem unthinkable. That's a great question because Paul could have used many words if he intended to blast gays and lesbians. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Hebrews first learned Baal worship from the agricultural Canaanites. The NET Bible on Leviticus 18:21, Note 30, says: "It could refer to either human sacrifice or a devotion of children to some sort of service of Molech, perhaps of a sexual sort (cf. In Ashtoreths worship services, male worshipers had anal sex with priests and priestesses of the goddess. . Frymer, Tikva "Ashtoreth He warned us that the world would hate us, because our righteousness would convict them of their sin. I think maybe the writer rushed the column. (In addition, physical relations) …between male and male worshipers and male and female worshipers was viewed as an offering to the goddess. The meteors are seen as souls coming to earth to occupy children, children that are not here because man spilled his seed, hence the sin of Onan. But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves." Judith: If God can allow for these two natural enemies to live in peaceful harmony, surely the same can be asked of your sons wife and the families of you both. Molech was another such god. God placed the Holiness Code prohibitions of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 in the context of worshiping false gods, 18:3, 21-22 and 20:2-5, 13, 23. The sin of the spilling of seed stems from a meteor shower that appeared between May 10-18. Judah was tricked by his daughter-in-law who assumed the guise of a qadesha. KJV, Jeremiah 3:6, "When Josiah was king of Judah, the LORD said to me, "Jeremiah, you have Why right after this offer you still prefer your misleading statements! Not only because she is a . When the flames fall upon the body, the limbs contract and the open mouth seems almost to be laughing until the contracted body slips quietly into the brazier.. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. What Did Ashtoreth Worshippers Do? This double speculation is followed by a reference to an inscription about a woman that is very ambiguous in meaning but MAY have referred to cult prostitution. This plate was on the ground near the arch. ." Also, throughout the scriptures Israel had problems falling into pagan practices including cult prostitution. Adultery is the word that morffed since Moses. Maybe theres greater context for why a shrine prostitute cannot be given to the word Qedeshah given in the book, but this article lacks it, from my perspective. We need to divorce Baal and marry God. Topical Bible: Ashtoreth Variants of the name "Astarte" can be found in the Phoenician, Hebrew, Egyptian and Etruscan languages. Judah mistakes Tamar for an ordinary prostitute (zonah), then later had his friend look for her under the pretext that she was a temple prostitute (qedeshah). One of the high temples is Planned Parenthood, an organization whose sole purpose is make modern Baal worship acceptable to the people. Not every person or thing that is set apart is set apart for a sacred purpose. In contrast, those around the Israelites got to live as they pleased, worshipping gods who promised fertility and protection if you worshipped them in just the right way. Ashtoreth was his consort, and ritual prostitution was considered an important form of worship. which backsliding Israel hath done? Eric, your statements are very sound and helpful. As far as anyone still worshipping or paying homage to Asherah there are many Earth based religions of the pagan variety that do. (1 Corinthians 10:14-15). Asherah (or Ashtoreth), the Canaanite fertility goddess, was the mother of Baalthe supreme Canaanite god of fertility, sun, and storm. Your email address will not be published. When I stood on Capitol Hill, one year earlier, and spoke before leaders and members of Congress, I said this: In ancient Israel, however, sacred prostitution was simply a synonym for harlotry. this church is relaxed the rules is a myth. It was erected in the park outside City Hall. There is a cave in western Oklahoma that exibits Baal worship. Learn how your comment data is processed. 4 Does the text refer to the goddess or her symbol? We also long to be free to act as we wish. Kronos is the north African name for Molech. People are experiencing something. The religious Canaanites worshiped a fertility goddess named Ashtoreth. Molech was another such god. However, it can be difficult to figure out what verses specifically refer to her for two reasons. She's most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. First, we must look back in time, and see how Baal was worshiped. Her worship was a direct violation of the first of the Ten Commandments God gave to the Israelites after he saved them from Egypt: You shall have no other gods before me. The word translated Mo-lech or Moloch (the spelling varies), occurs multiple times in the Bible, in Leviticus 18:21, 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 32:35, Amos 5:25-26, Acts 7:42-43. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. It isnt difficult to understand why the Israelites continuously turned away from the one true God to false gods like Ashtoreth. Of course the only true resurrection is of and through Jesus Christ, commemorated in the sacrament of the Lords Supper/ holy communion. Keep reading your KJV. While many scholars have assumed sacred prostitution was practiced in ancient Israel, too, the BAR article Cult Prostitution in Ancient Israel? by Edward Lipiski reveals that neither the Bible nor archaeology provides any clear evidence that Israelite religion incorporated the sexual rites of Ashtoreth worship. You might expect that the proponents of either Ashtereth or Astaroth would be interested in promoting social change. Rabbinic writings use it this way sometimes. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Worship is a type of currency, just like money. Ashtaroth, the plural form of the goddess's name in Hebrew, became a general term denoting goddesses and paganism. and 161 ff. I agree with Jeffrey that the authors case made was lacking in logic at one point. King Solomon, married to foreign wives, "followed Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians" (1 Kings 11:5). Like other addicts, they will sacrifice their health, their wealth, and even their relationships for the sake of their experiences: And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her fathers… And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done…wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? Two practices in particular are mentioned in Scripture. But that something is not the true God. (Le 19:29; 21:9) Any Israelite girl who had committed fornication and who later married under the fraudulent claim of being a virgin was to be stoned to death. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002413, The most notorious example of spiritual prostitution is Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.Re 17:5; This relationship is religious in nature. Today we poo-poo any talk of idol worship as ridiculous. From this, we can surmise that the worship of Ashtoreth herself was so common that she had become synonymous with all false god worship, similar to how the modern shopper refers to all bandages by the well-known brand name Band-Aid. Easton's Bible Dictionary says she represented "the passive principle in nature." She was also seen as a goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war. But if Baal, then follow him and go to hell! Dont stop now. [CDATA[ Global cultural revolution, corporate style. References to her first appear in texts from Syri, Anath As it is close to qadosh in Hebrew, its use in the story is likely to be ironic. Worship of Asherah was noted for its sensuality and involved ritual prostitution. (Jg 11:1; Jos 2:1; Mt 1:5) That Jephthah was not illegitimate is proved by the fact that his half brothers by Gileads primary wife drove him out so that he would not share in the inheritance. Many modern Hebrew scholars believe that Ashtoreths name shows Gods contempt for Israels dalliances with false gods, as the Bible is the only place that refers to this goddess Ashtoreth. In ancient times much of Israel was drawn into Baal worship. Arch replicas may really be occult symbols to usher in Antichrist Anal sex between male and male worshipers and male and female worshipers was viewed as an offering to the goddess. And it is one of the oldest Middle Eastern aspects of the great Goddess, dating to the . of appointed times were being abandoned and the pagan sun-god and other deity worship began to get melded into the worship practices of followers of the Messiah, too, the blending of Dagon\fish-god worship into worship of the Messiah proceeded. Cecilia Carter joined the Starbucks team as their Vice President of Global Diversity, Community and Government Affairs, for Starbucks Coffee Company… CC: I really believe that we have the responsibility to shepherd the image of Starbucks as a catalyst for change.… We are in the community business as much as the coffee business. God judged Israel by sending Babylon and Assyria against Israel and Judah. And Solomons wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. They also eliminated it in Matthew 17, 21. Secondly, many verses do not mention Ashtoreth by name. History matters. Ashtoreth was worshipped as the goddess of a wide variety of things. Fire gods like Moloch and his fertility goddess consort, Ashtoreth, were not religious fantasies. Eastons Bible Dictionary says she represented the passive principle in nature. She was also seen as a goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war. Romans 1, in historical context, is about ancient Roman fertility goddess worshipers who engaged in shrine prostitution to worship Cybele, not gays and lesbians. While living as an alien resident in Canaan, where harlotry was tolerated, the family head Judah had relations with his son Ers widow Tamar, who was disguised as a harlot. When it was discovered that Tamar was pregnant from the act, it was reported to Judah: Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot, and here she is also pregnant by her harlotry. Judah then ordered her to be burned (that is, first put to death, then burned as detestable) because she was considered to be espoused to Judahs son Shelah. In more advanced usage a graven image helps one experience what they think is the divine mystery. Why Did Jesus Give Believers the Beatitudes? "The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that ; Only seven instances of "Asherah" are references to the goddess herself. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. 10:6; i Sam. Reasons why you should not worship Astaroth: She is a demon - she is a self-proclaimed goddess. This reflects the strong anti-gay beliefs of Dallas Theological Seminary (which trained some of the folks associated with the NET Bible). COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Sacred prostitution, therefore, existed in much of the ancient world and reflected the ritual practices of Ashtoreth worship. The book of 1 Samuel continues to use Ashtoreths name in this manner. 7:9; 8:2) Possibly Ashtoreth is the goddess referred to as the "queen of the heavens" at Jeremiah Yet Paul used none of those available words, goddess of Canaan and Phoenicia prostitution was practiced in her name and she was served with immoral rites by bands of men and women.. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Idol worship was a persistent problem with the Israelites, especially the worship of two specific gods, Baal and Asherah (or Ashtoreth). For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 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.. I guess one could be set apart lots different things and we are able to know that from the context. There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Wikipedia defines them: …dangerous yet beautiful creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island… they were considered the daughters of the river god Achelous.4. Anyone who reads history knows that various writers in various countries spell names differently. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. (Judges 2:13). As Lipiski argues, however, there is nothing in the story of Judah and Tamar to suggest sacred prostitution was involved; rather, it seems that zonah and qedeshah were synonyms and that the latter has simply been misinterpreted by translators. He was known by many names, all signifying the same false god. Ashtoreth definition, an ancient Semitic goddess, identified with the Phoenician Astarte. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me (Exodus 20:2-5). Biblical scholars have also noted that Chemosh's role in the Moabite Stone inscription is analogous to that of Yahweh in the book of Kings. Although the rooms were used primarily for sacred meals, they may also have been reserved for the sexual services of women jailed in the temple for adultery. From the beginning, harlotry was condemned by God. Despite warnings from the Lord, many Israelite leaders worshiped Asherah. Thank the Goddess and/or whatever divine agency who controls this planet that YOUR dominion is finally, at long last, ending. Astarte was a goddess honored in the Eastern Mediterranean area, before being renamed by the Greeks. Thus, a cup of coffee can be equated with the Morning Star as it also resurrects us in the morning when we drink it.6. The gods have been renamed Sexual Freedom and A Womans Right to Choose. The religion is called Pleasure and Convenience. (parenthetical words slightly edited) 3. Diodorus Siculus, 90-30 BC, gives this description of a Carthaginian fire god. 27 Apr. That will be explained further on in the post. To translate, the logo is being promoted at the executive level as a force for cultural change. Several hundred years separate the event and the remembering of how it was told to the Jews before their removal to a foreign land. Many modern Hebrew scholar believe that "consecrated maiden" is a mistranslation. This multinational corporate force is in the business of global cultural revolution. As early as 1450 BC, as they wandered in the wilderness, Israel was worshiping Moloch, even before they entered the land of Canaan. Following is documented information that evidences how these two pagan practices; Baal and Ashtoreth worship are richly ingrained in Freemasonry, Wicca and Easter. Old Satan loves to take to himself (and his minions like Ashteroth) the glory reserved for God alone (Isaiah 14.12). Since Ashtoreth as warrior goddess carries the full title Atart-em-Baal both in Ugarit (e.g., Pritchard, Texts, 130) and in the Eshmunazor (ibid., 505, 1.18) inscriptions from Sidon 1,000 years later, it has been suggested that the name is derived ultimately from some root meaning "sparkle" and "splendor," but the evidence is far from conclusive. First, many people are named after fruit, e.g.,Tamarin Genesis 38:6, which means date, Tappuah in 1 Chronicles 2:43, which means apple, and [], I have to concur with Jeffrey in that I found the conclusions in this article lacking in support. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. Divorce/remarriage and sexual immorality of almost every kind is found almost as often in many of our churches as it is in the world. Along with trading goods throughout the ancient world, Phoenicia also spread its culture. Ashtoreth Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Sacred Prostitution in the Story of Judah and Tamar? The more you educate yourself about whats come before, the more youll recognize the connections. ." What exactly are sirens? Synder questions in Charisma News whether the arches are welcome signs for the Antichrist. the unsuspecting Judah mistook his daughter-in-law Tamar for a veiled prostitute, Lost Roman Army Camps Discovered in Jordan, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001883, http://wol.jw.org/sv/wol/dsync/r14/lp-z/r1/lp-e/1200003566#h=0-1&selpar=0, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002413, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200000531, Lavish New Kingdom Tomb Uncovered at Saqqara. When Judahs friend returned to redeem the pledge, he asked in a nearby village where he could find the qedeshah (a Hebrew word most Bibles translate as cult prostitute). At the simplest level a graven image is a good-luck charm. Brother Gary. Required fields are marked *. If you dont have one, get a printed copy with good type and read it every day. But the Bible also teaches that in the last days the professing church would become more and more like the world. Ashtoreth is the preeminent goddess in the Bible, and the plural Ashtaroth is a generic term for goddesses, used together with *Baal(im) as a collective term for illicit worship (e.g., Judg. King Solomon's Story in the BibleWho Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?Who Was the Prodigal Son? At the Etruscan site of Pyrgi, excavators identified a temple dedicated to Ashtoreth that featured at least 17 small rooms that may have served as quarters for temple prostitutes. Like never before in history, this is happening today. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Still, most modern consensus agrees on some things about her. ), Canaanite goddess. Indeed, archaeology has shown that Ashtoreth worship and associated rites of sacred prostitution were common throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Such things are always religious in nature, no matter what theyre called. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. Similarly, for a healthy spiritual life, we need to be fueled by the right relationship with the one true God, our Creator. The text in the article refers to two different temples which had small rooms which, the article says, MAY have been for cultic prostitution. The Lord God, through Moses, forbade the worship of Asherah. That the World May Know | Fertility Cults of Canaan History repeats itself. A false goddess in the Old Testament, Ashtoreth was one of the many gods Israel turned to instead of YAHWEH. 2:13, "Baal and Ashtaroth"; i Sam. Read more: BA'AL AND BA'AL-WORSHIP - JewishEncyclopedia.com Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. Not much has changed since then. She was connected with both the moon and the planet Venus. Why was the worship of Baal and Asherah such a struggle for the Israelites? The general name, used throughout Palestine and in the Bible, for this type of fire god, was Baal. As Edward Lipiski argues, however, there is nothing in the story of Judah and Tamar to suggest sacred prostitution was involved. ASTARTE was a SyroPalestinian goddess widely attested throughout the Mediterranean Levant. Jesus quoted the above words of his Father, and the apostle Paul pointed out that this rule was binding on the Christian congregation. However, her reach throughout the ancient world went much further than the borders of Phoenicia. Astarte | ancient deity | Britannica Red Graces are cult prostitutes, or those involved with sacred prostitution; Blue Graces are healers; White Graces are young girls of noble birth with yet undetermined []. We shall break bread, Judith, and order shall be restored to your house. So STAR + BUCKS equals Ashtoreth worship. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. In Ashtoreth's worship services, male worshipers had anal sex with priests and priestesses of the goddess. That is definitely not okay for your daughter in law to treat you that way. Ashtoreth was the Phoenician goddess of love, war and increase. Worship to her included sexual immorality, prostitution, divination, and fortune telling. Fertility rites were practiced at the numerous shrines which dotted the land, as well as at the major sanctuaries A characteristic feature of the fertility cult was sacral sexual intercourse by priests and priestesses and other specially consecrated persons, sacred prostitutes of both sexes Child-sacrifice was also a feature of the rites. Hi Michael, in both the Mark 9 and Matthew 17:21 passages the New King James Version, the word fasting is included, which I believe is the correct translation. 27 Apr. Smiths Bible Dictionary, 1884. (Pr 7) The Law strictly forbade prostitution of an Israelite girl. This is the core of idolatry (Revelation 9.20). Baal worship is alive and well in America and the world though they do not call it that today. The perfect marriage standard was established in Eden by God himself at the marriage of Adam and Eve, when He stated: A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh. (Ge. Roderick you have puked some junk from deep inside that reveals a mighty sick soul. A black slate of stone sat at the side of the arch reminding the people of the connection. The name Ashtoreth (also spelled in the form: Astarte, Ashtart, Astoreth; alternatively known as Ishtar, among other names) appears once in the Bible: "Now Worship of Asherah was highly encouraged by Jezebel, with the presence of 400 prophets who held a place in the court of her husband King Ahab (1 Kings 18:19 . Different groups have different thoughts on who Ashtoreth was and what she was associated with. Posted on January 10, 2012 by Christopher Perdue (thebiblestop). A Goddess of Ritual Eroticism. JOHN BOWKER "Ashtoreth a fire god worshiped throughout the ancient near East and North Africa, by Canaanites and Philistines, Arameans and Semitic peoples and later, Phoenicians. Ashteroth is alive and well and living at your local Starbucks. Pagan Practices and the Holiness Code - Gay Christian 101 It had saved them from Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and helped them reenter their promised land. Just recently at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham England, during the opening ceremonies a giant mechanical bull was brought out and part of the show involved a group bowing down as if to worship the bull. Gay Christian 101 - Affirming God's glorious good news for all LGBTs. From this point forward, things are going to get much, much stranger. Ashteroth lives at Starbucks? | Comfort for Christians ), in the Bible both a Canaanite goddess and a wooden cult object. So for there to be cult prostitutes around them was very likely. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camels furniture, and sat upon them. In 1 King 11, King Solomon opens a temple for her in Jerusalem to appease one of his many foreign wives. Your email address will not be published. //