Did God have a wife?: archaeology and folk religion in ancient Israel

Abstract

Introduction Defining and Contextualizing The Phenomenon of as Ultimate Concern The Care and Feeding of Gods On Religion Religion: Toward a Methodology Phenomenology of Religion The Context of Folk and Good Life The of History: In Search of Ancient Israel's The History of Religions School The Myth and Ritual School Old Testament Theology Sociological Approaches A Revival of Interest in Israelite An Overall Critique of Previous Scholarship Sources and Methods for Study of Ancient Israel's The Biblical Texts and Their Limitations Some Caveats Non-biblical Texts Archaeology as a Primary Source for and Depreciating Archaeology: Who and Why Setting (Archaeological) Record Straight What Archaeology Can and Cannot Do Why Another History? The Hebrew Bible: Religious Reality or Theological Ideal? Part I. Cultic Terminology in Hebrew Bible B mot, or High Family and Household Shrines Temples Paraphernalia in Hebrew Bible Part II. Cultic Activities in Hebrew Bible The Sacrificial System Some Caveats Regarding Sacrifice Prayers and Vows Festivals Archaeological Evidence for Folk in Ancient Local Shrines and Family An Excursus on Public Open-Air Sanctuaries Monumental Temples The Goddess Asherah and Her The Figurines: Who Is She? Votives, Vows, and Folk Characterizing Asherah and Her Asherah, Women's Cults, and Official Yahwism Asherah in Canaan Asherah in Hebrew Bible Asherah, Yahweh, and Syncretism Iconographic Evidence of Goddess Asherah and Women's Cults Archaeological Correlates of Women's Cults Other Ethnographic Parallels From Polytheism to Monotheism Patriarchal in Canaan: El and the God of Fathers Holy in Pre-Israelite Times The Israelite Sacrificial System as Canaanite The Calendar The Question of Syncretism Changes with Monarchy: in Crisis Rebellion: To Your Tents, O Israel Civil War: The State Cult in North Judah and Yahweh Alone Movement The Fall of Judah and Religious Crisis The Empty Land Out of Ashes Toward One God Why Monotheism? and Whither? Archaeological Evidence for Reforms The Afterglow Magic Bowls and Goddess Lilith Ashera Abscondita and Jewish Mysticism What Does Goddess Do to Help? Afterword (and Foreword Again) Some Basic Sources Index of Authors Index of Subjects and Places Index of Scripture References