When God was a WomanHere, archaeologically documented, is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Known by many names--Astarte, Isis, Ishtar, among others--she reigned supreme in the Near and Middle East. Beyond being worshipped for fertility, she was revered as the wise creator and the one souce of universal order. Under her, women's roles differed markedly from those in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Women bought and sold property and traded in the marketplace, and the inheritance of title and property was passed from mother to daughter. How did the change come about? By documenting the wholesale rewriting of myth and religious dogmas, Merlin Stone details a most ancient conspiracey: the patriarchal reimaging of the Goddess as a wanton, depraved figure. This portrait that laid the foundation for one of culture's greatest shams--the legend of Adam and fallen Eve. |
Contents
One Tales with a Point of View1 | 1 |
Three WomenWhere Woman Was Deified30 | 30 |
Four The Northern Invaders62 | 62 |
Five One of Their Own Race103 | 103 |
Six If the King Did Not Weep129 | 129 |
Seven The Sacred Sexual Customs153 | 153 |
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accepted According accounts actually Anatolia ancient appears associated Assyria attitudes Babylon Bible brought called Canaan centuries Church closely connections continued Crete culture customs daughter death described divine earlier earliest early East Egypt Egyptian evidence existence explained fact father female female deity figure followed Goddess gods Greece Greek Heaven Hebrew historic Hittite Hurrian husband Indo-European Israel king Knossos known land language later laws legend Levite light lived London Lord male deity marriage matriarchy means mentioned mother mountain myth nature Neolithic northern once original perhaps period position possible Press priestess priests probably Professor Queen records referred religion religious result reveal ritual role rule sacred serpent sexual shrines society status story suggests Sumer Sumerian symbolized tells temple texts tree tribes University wife woman women worship writes written wrote Yahweh York