Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou wrote:
'Archaeological evidence including inscriptions, figurines and ancient texts in the Bible, indicate Yahweh was just one of several gods worshipped in ancient Israel, and he also coupled with a goddess, Asherah. She was worshipped alongside him in his temple in Jerusalem.
'Yahweh, had to see off a number of competitors to achieve his position as the one and only god of the ancient Israelites.'
'The biblical texts name many of them: El, Baal, Molek, Asherah. Despite Yahweh's assertion in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before me", it appears these gods were worshipped alongside Him, and the Bible acknowledges this.'
'Far more significant is the Bible's admission that Asherah was worshipped in Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem. In the Book Of Kings, a statue of Asherah was housed in the temple.
'In fact, biblical texts suggest that goddess worship was a thriving feature of high-status religion in Jerusalem. Ancient texts, amulets and figurines unearthed here reveal that she was a powerful fertility goddess.
### ''But perhaps most significant of all, Asherah was also the wife of El, the high god at Ugarit - a god who shares much in common with Yahweh.''
'Archaeological evidence including inscriptions, figurines and ancient texts in the Bible, indicate Yahweh was just one of several gods worshipped in ancient Israel, and he also coupled with a goddess, Asherah. She was worshipped alongside him in his temple in Jerusalem.
'Yahweh, had to see off a number of competitors to achieve his position as the one and only god of the ancient Israelites.'
'The biblical texts name many of them: El, Baal, Molek, Asherah. Despite Yahweh's assertion in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before me", it appears these gods were worshipped alongside Him, and the Bible acknowledges this.'
'Far more significant is the Bible's admission that Asherah was worshipped in Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem. In the Book Of Kings, a statue of Asherah was housed in the temple.
'In fact, biblical texts suggest that goddess worship was a thriving feature of high-status religion in Jerusalem. Ancient texts, amulets and figurines unearthed here reveal that she was a powerful fertility goddess.
### ''But perhaps most significant of all, Asherah was also the wife of El, the high god at Ugarit - a god who shares much in common with Yahweh.''
