From the beginning, harlotry was condemned by God. Who has been with humanity since the beginning of our existence alongside Satan and Beelzebub. (1 Corinthians 10:20), William Smith. These statements are followed by, Sacred prostitution,therefore, existed in much of . Isnt it at least a little embarrassing for the author to make such completely speculative statements about the meaning of something(s) and then follow it up with a therefore, as if the speculation were now fact. a fire god worshiped throughout the ancient near East and North Africa, by Canaanites and Philistines, Arameans and Semitic peoples and later, Phoenicians. 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. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. (Pr 7) The Law strictly forbade prostitution of an Israelite girl. 21.". The issue with God was shrine prostitution and pagan worship of false gods. It happened in the city of the harbingers of judgment New York City. The whole area before the statue was filled with a loud noise of flutes and drums so that the cries of wailing [of the children being sacrificed] should not reach the ears of the people.. (1 Kings 4:29-31). . (De 22:20, 21) The payment that was obtained as the hire of a harlot was a disgusting thing and was unacceptable as a contribution to the sanctuary of Jehovah. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ashtoreth, Frymer, Tikva "Ashtoreth In Israel, her worship is associated with the Sidonians, but Solomon in his later years went after "Ashtoreth, goddess of the Sidonians" (i Kings 11:5), and *Josiah destroyed the cult places which Solomon had built on the "Mount of Corruption (see: *Mount of Olives) for Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Sidonians" (ii Kings 23:13). The priests and male prostitutes, who were consecrated to her cult were called qadesh, qedishim or sodomites. One of the high temples is Planned Parenthood, an organization whose sole purpose is make modern Baal worship acceptable to the people. It did not disappear. add. . The priests and male prostitutes, who were consecrated to her cult were called qadesh, qedishim or sodomites, Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46. FREE eBook: Life in the Ancient World. The name Ashtoreth (also spelled in the form: Astarte, Ashtart, Astoreth; alternatively known as Ishtar, among other names) appears once in the Bible: "Now 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. Astarte was a goddess honored in the Eastern Mediterranean area, before being renamed by the Greeks. The one true God never promises a perfect life, but we humans long for one. The Law specified that a grove of trees was not to be near the altar of the Lord ( Deuteronomy 16:21 ). Variants of the name "Astarte" can be found in the Phoenician, Hebrew, Egyptian and Etruscan languages. Regardless their opinion, notice that even anti-gay Christians admit Leviticus 18:22, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." 2023 . As to my interpretation as why Judah might have seen a shrine prostitute (outside of simple depravity), he may have approached the task as a sign of respect or duty owed as a foreigner in this particular community. There are also numerous Egyptian representations of her as a naked young girl seated astride a stallion, carrying a bow and arrow or javelin and shield. For many centuries before Israel entered the land of Palestine, In Egypt, the constellation would also be that of Bast, whose festival included the lifting of skirts in a provocative manner. Thank the Goddess and/or whatever divine agency who controls this planet that YOUR dominion is finally, at long last, ending. Fronting the entrance to the temple were nearly a dozen small rooms, many with low benches. The Church had the power to suppress the evils they were doingJames Louis beheaded 200 thousand Africans because they would not change to Christianity , gave their land to the Church and the Pope was so proud he made him a Saint.St. He showed that a Christian who violates this rule joins himself to a harlot, as one body.Mt 19:4-9; 1Co 6:16. She is also known as Ashtarte in historical literature and as Ashtoreth in the Scriptures: . 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. Rabbinic writings use it this way sometimes. What in the world could it have to do with us? No one who erected it or who unveiled it had any idea what they were doing just as with the harbingers but they did it anyway. In brief: This story is from an old Amorite cosmic myth concerning the Northern Crown. His mother had been a prostitute prior to her marriage as a secondary wife to Gilead, just as Rahab had once been a prostitute but later married Salmon. Ashtoreth is mentioned several times throughout Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings. , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astaroth , Source http://www.gaychristian101.com/Molech.html , From Starbucks: The Unofficial Office for Social Change. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Indeed, archaeology has shown that Ashtoreth worship and associated rites of sacred prostitution were common throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Plutarch, AD 46-127, senior priest of the oracle at Delphi, gives this description of the fire god. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Jesus told us to come out from among them, be separate, be holy. People develop an emotional dependency on their idols. Ashtoreth is one of the main false gods mentioned in the Old Testament. May God bless you, keep you, and protect you. . Different groups have different thoughts on who Ashtoreth was and what she was associated with. Let me explain. What Did Ashtoreth Worshippers Do? and 20:13, are in the context of harlotry or prostitution and Molech worship. Worship to her included sexual immorality, prostitution, divination, and fortune telling. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. The Scriptural references to the worship of the sun, moon and stars in connection with the practice of Baalism in Israel suggest that this goddess, viewed as Baal's wife, may have been identified with one or more heavenly bodies. 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. Eastons Bible Dictionary says she represented the passive principle in nature. She was also seen as a goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war. Judah was by no coincidence the lion. And it is one of the oldest Middle Eastern aspects of the great Goddess, dating to the . In the ancient world, bending the knee or acknowledging the state god was a form of tax. Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. Required fields are marked *. Sacred prostitution was common throughout the ancient world and was particularly associated with Ashtoreth worship, one of the chief Canaanite goddesses. A false goddess in the Old Testament, Ashtoreth was one of the many gods Israel turned to instead of YAHWEH. Asherah (or Ashtoreth), the Canaanite fertility goddess, was the mother of Baalthe supreme Canaanite god of fertility, sun, and storm. As queen, Jezebel brought in dozens of false priests with her to Israel. The fateful encounter between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar is depicted in this 17th-century painting by Dutch artist Gerbrand van den Eeckhout. 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. She is most probably the "Queen of Heaven," for whom the women of Judah kneaded cakes, libated, and burned incense in order to assure fertility and plenty (Jer. Am I the only one who feels embarrassed for a writer making such an obviously unsupported argument and so transparently trying to scam his/her readers!? You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. All the warnings still apply. She played a large role in the cult at Ugarit, and her name appears often in ritual texts and sacrificial lists. It seems doubtful that he participated in any other sacred rites, as she wasnt actually a shrine prostitute, though he may have as she may have been a part of a series of observances (remember that the Bible, while authoratitive is not exhaustive), this may have been enough of an observance in that the prostitute would be a collection point for offerings. Harlotry was condemned by the Law of God to Israel, although harlots existed in the land. Molech was another such god. Judith: For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Melech, Mo-lech, Milcom, Melkom, Moloch, Molek, Malec, Malik, Melek, Malkum, Melqart, Melkart, Milk, Melqarth, Kronos, Cronus. This must be resisted at all costs. And their pagan worship snared some of the children of Israel. Synder questions in Charisma News whether the arches are welcome signs for the Antichrist. 23:5; Jer. Maybe you could write again and explain what you mean by all of this. God prohibited Israel from adopting the cultic sexual fertility goddess worship of Egypt and Canaan, Lev 18:3, 20:23. kept Money that could have helped poor mothers to be, with better prenatal care and after birth care..95% eligible did not qualify..But Bible Thumper Tate Reeves and Brett Favre got to use the money for everything except helping born and unborn babies..The State is still quietboth sides find legal ways to kill. Temple prostitution was used to bring honor to her. 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. Parts of Ashtoreths cult influenced the worship of the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar; the Egyptian goddesses Isis and Hathor; and the Greco-Roman deities of Aphrodite, Juno, and Artemis. The NET Bible, not considered gay friendly by anyone, takes a strong anti-gay position on Leviticus. Ultimately, the world that we live in is going to come to resemble something out of a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, Synder warns. Qedeshah likely originally referred to consecrated maidens who were employed in Canaanite and later Phoenician temples devoted to Ashtoreth worship. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Many biblical scholars have connected Ashtoreth with the worship of the moon mentioned in 2 Kings 23:5 and with the Queen of Heaven mentioned in Jeremiah 7:18. Or does it? Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. How should modern Christians interpret Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13? Hundreds of people were killed. 5 Jeroboam and Rehoboam fostered Asherah worship (1 Kings 14:15, 23). Baal worship is alive and well in America and the world though they do not call it that today. A Goddess of Ritual Eroticism. As we transition fully into the visual age, youd do well to take heed to his command. In Old Mesopotania/Sumer ( where most of the Genesis stories from the Bible originate),official prostitution was a respected profession. she is gone up upon every high Believing Jews and non-Jews living in the land of Israel were also prohibited from pagan sexual worship of the Canaanite fertility goddess because God viewed such pagan worship as abomination. (Jg 11:11) Moreover, he offered a sacrifice to God at the tabernacle. In addition, she is also known by the following names: For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Similarly, at the site of Dura-Europos on the Euphrates, archaeologists uncovered a temple dedicated to Atargatis, the Aramaic goddess of love. Kronos is the north African name for Molech. He said Baal worship goes back to Babylon and Nimrod in the Bible. The Tamar is associated with the palm a phallic symbol and one for masturbation. (April 27, 2023). One method of abortion is a saline/chemical solution injected into the womb which literally burns the baby to death. Along with trading goods throughout the ancient world, Phoenicia also spread its culture. I dont understand this article. Scroll up again to examine the logo. image: http://www.trunews.com/arch-replicas-may-really-be-occult-symbols-to-usher-in-antichrist/www.trunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/emailshare.jpg Phoenicians, Assyrians, Greeks and Romans all worshiped her as God. Bel was the special god of Nippur, perhaps the oldest of Babylonian cities. It was designed like an old fashioned pot-bellied stove, with the belly as the firebox. Tellingly, the sham ritual celebrates human divinity, which is Satans original lie to Eve in Genesis 3.5, …your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods. ), Canaanite goddess. Still, most modern consensus agrees on some things about her. 27 Apr. 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.. 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. Giving honor to Ashteroth is evil. Objection 3: Having a logo on your cup does not mean you are giving honor to Ashtoreth, Conclusion - A comment from Matthew Poole, http://www.gaychristian101.com/Molech.html, Starbucks: The Unofficial Office for Social Change, A morning in Waterbury, CT waiting for the train, The Son of God Goes Forth to War - Reginald Heber. Here is one graphic representation: (April 27, 2023). Another is to go in with a knife and cut the baby up (torture and cutting also being a popular form of satanic worship). (I practice a religion that is a mix of Gnostic Christianity, general Gnosticism & alchemical paganism) In ancient Israel, however, sacred prostitution was simply a synonym for harlotry. Then there is the partial birth abortion, where they crack open the skull of a partially born child and suck out the brains with a vacuum. Ashteroth is alive and well and living at your local Starbucks. 27 Apr. To translate, the logo is being promoted at the executive level as a force for cultural change. Later the cult places to Ashtoreth were destroyed by Josiah. The commandment meant Adultry as in perversion of any thing holy, anything you have committed your selves to. We shall break bread, Judith, and order shall be restored to your house. Matthew 6:24 tells us that we cant serve God to our fullest if we worship something else, just as the Israelites could not please God while following Ashtoreth. Your email address will not be published. Read more about sacred prostitution in the ancient world in Edward Lipiski, Cult Prostitution in Ancient Israel? Biblical Archaeology Review, January/February 2014. I pray God would open our eyes so we may see the truth. Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess consort of Molech. If thats the only way to get rid of Baal, it sure makes sense that they dont want anyone prayer and fasting. One of the centers of Baal worship in ancient times was Palmyra, Syria. He warned us that the world would hate us, because our righteousness would convict them of their sin. It sat covered in a giant sheet to keep it cloaked until the time of its unveiling. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. ), in the Bible both a Canaanite goddess and a wooden cult object. Astarte is the counterpart of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. The star in Starbucks is the pentagonal orbit of Venus while the siren herself is a European version of Ostara, Astarte and Ishtar (among many others). [7] 3. But to work a job and not do the job as agreed is Adultry. Eric, your statements are very sound and helpful. 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? Breaking Israel News points out the temple was a symbol of defiance and promiscuity in the ancient world, and those views have become popular again in recent decades. She was connected with both the moon and the planet Venus. Some 1450 years after Leviticus, the Apostle Paul references pagan worship in Romans 1:26-27, when he blasts the same kind of fertility goddess worship in first century Rome. They told it without access to archaeological study. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And now, against all odds, the sign of Baal has appeared on American soil, the sign of a nation that had once known God, having fallen away, the sign of the god of the harbingers, the sign of national apostasy, the sign of judgment.

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