The cult of the goddess Asherah: Is this thing of the past or current?

Translated from Spanish to English with Google Translator.

A brief study of the cult of the Canaanite goddess Asherah, by Adrian Pablos & Fabian Massa.

About this Canaanite goddess Wiki reports the Christian Dictionary:

Heb. Asherah [the plural is * asherim and Asheroth; ugar. Aserat; Amarna Letters, * and * Ashratu Ashirtu.

1. Phoenician goddess of vegetation called «Asherah of Tyre» in an Ugaritic text. Ugaritic literature refers to it as the «lady of the gods», the «lover [bride] of gods [of heaven]», and as the mother of 70 deities, but its most distinctive title Ashirat sea «Mrs. [who walks] of [the] sea.»

Baal and Asherah were the most important gods of fertility in Canaan and in the region of present day Palestine. Their worship often included sexual acts with a priest or priestess, to which they had to give an offering. This basically was becoming a sexual activity that was done for money, which is why the worship relates these gods with prostitution.

The cult of Asherah in principle was linked to that of Baal, it became as dead weight. The name of the goddess has variations depending on the language of the region:

In Ugaritic ‘TTRT (also’ Aṯtart or ‘Athtart, transliterated Atirat).
In Akkadian As-tar-thou (also Astártu).
In Etruscan Uni-Astre.
In Abyssinia (Ethiopia) Astar.
In South Arabia Athar.
In Mesopotamian Ishtar
For the ancient Sumerian Inanna was
For the Greeks Astarte
In Hebrew and Phoenician Ashtoreth was called.
One of his titles is Queen of Heaven, and the prophet Jeremiah warns the inhabitants of Jerusalem to worship (Jeremiah 7.18) is the same title as today was given at the time of Isis (whose meaning is precisely Throne), Hera and Juno and now given to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church.

The spring worship Astarte, a fertility cult, now called «Easter [1]» The United Kingdom, USA and Celtic communities. Easter is a name derived from Ishtar, Esther, common among neighboring peoples in ancient Israel and around the world today: According to Wicca [2], Easter or Ostara energy is the second stage of the year. Its name comes from the goddess Easter (Ishtar deformation name) who was the goddess of fertility and the Celts who called «The Lady» (The Lady). The Ostara celebration begins with the Spring Equinox [3]. The Ostara party coincides with the celebration of Easter. During Easter are traditional Easter eggs, which are painted in bright colors and given away each other. The egg symbolizes joy and colors creation, so when we take a Easter Egg, we are offering our wish that the other person has life (creation) lively. The custom of Easter painted eggs or chocolate his rivals are part of the celebration Celtic Spring Solstice, which is neither more nor less than the rebirth of Tammuz.

Here is a paragraph from the book What God Passover? Art Braidic and David Rothwell [4]

Easter, also involves family members in a variety of creative projects, in preparation, decorations that are made, the eggs that are baked and painted, in decorating the baskets, and the festivals planned. The day is filled with religious services, games for children, family gatherings and special dinners prepared for Easter.
During this season, people are delighted with the soft and «newborn» Easter colors. The cheerful pastel colors such as lavender, pink, blue, yellow and green, used to lift the spirit of the celebration. Children are uneasy at the thought of the baskets decorated with bright colors of cellophane and decorated with beautiful jewels as eggs, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow ducks. Most children are joyfully back and forth trying to find the painted eggs that have been previously hidden in the garden.
As shocking as this may be, so attractive and family oriented as the holidays of Easter presents. God condemns it absolutely! This spring celebration unbiblical, pagan rites literally glorifies sex and fertility, and is an absolute farce of Easter commanded in the Scriptures by God. Have you ever been concerned about Easter word search in any encyclopedia or dictionary? This word has replaced the original word Easter, or Astarte Oestre.

As we can see, the cult of Astarte / Ishtar / Inanna / etc … Far from being something of the past, fine force in our present.

Astarte as «Lady of the Sea»

The Phoenicians were a people of the sea, and brought the cult of the Goddess as Lady of the sea. This cult can be recognized in the African Yoruba religion, brought to America by slaves, who spread their religion in America, which led to Umbanda cults, Quimbanda, Candomble, Santeria, all linked to black magic and voodoo . The Lady of the Sea takes in this religion lemanja name and has important religious sites in Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, Uruguay, and is rapidly expanding in Argentina.

In countries that were part of the Roman Empire, the Lady of the Sea was syncretism assimilated by the Catholic Church as Stella Maris.

Influence of the cult of Asherah / Astarte in Israel

Their representations were built and worshiped in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:13) and Samaria (1 Kings 16:33; 2 Kings 13:6, 21:3), probably in the house of Baal (2 Kings 10 : 25). During the reign of Manasseh, an image of it was in the very temple of Jerusalem (21:3, 7), although his father had started (2 Kings 18:4). 450 prophets were appointed to serve the Goddess (1 R.18: 19) and mentions the necessary utensils for worship (2 Kings 23:4-6), the women were busy weaving curtains for deity (v 7 ). Some passages mention the existence of more than a grove alongside those of Baal (Judges 3:7, 2 R.17: 10; 2 Cr 19:3, 24:18, 33:3) .107

Stella Maris: (Starfish). Stella is a name that comes from Star, and in turn STR Babylonian root, ie Ishtar.

 

Natal-Brazil: lemanja statue, located in Praia do Meio.

Note the details in common between the two statues, such as the star of the crown on the head, the large light blue dress, extreme white skin and long hair.

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[1] The Feast of Easter, also known in countries with a legacy of Celtic tradition as «Easter».

[2] The Wicca is a neopagan religion. Developed in England during the first half of the twentieth century, Wicca was popularized in the 1950s and early 1960s by Gerald Gardner, who in turn called religion, «witch cult» and «witchcraft», and its followers, «Wicca».

[3] On March 21 in the northern hemisphere, September 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.

[4] Published by: The Eternal Church of God, Translation: David Sainoz.

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