A wide-ranging study of women in ancient Israelite religion. Susan Ackerman has spent her scholarly career researching underexamined aspects of the world of the Hebrew Bible—particularly those aspects pertaining to women. In this collection drawn from three decades of her work, she describes in fascinating detail the worship of goddesses in ancient Israel, the roles women played as priests and prophets, the cultic significance of queen mothers, and the Hebrew Bible’s accounts of women’s religious lives. Specific topics include: the “Queen of Heaven,” a goddess whose worship was the object of censure in the book of Jeremiah Asherah, the great Canaanite mother goddess for whom Judean women were described as weaving in the books of Kings biblical figures considered as religious functionaries, such as Miriam, Deborah, and Zipporah the lack of women priests in ancient Israel explored against the prevalence of priestesses in the larger ancient Near Eastern world the cultic significance of queen mothers in Israel and throughout the ancient Near East Israelite women’s participation in the cult of Yahweh and in the cults of various goddesses

A synthetic reconstruction of women’s religious engagement and experiences in preexilic Israel “This monumental book examines a wealth of data from the Bible, archaeology, and ancient Near Eastern texts and iconography to provide a clear, comprehensive, and compelling analysis of women’s religious lives in preexilic times.”—Carol Meyers, Duke University Throughout the biblical narrative, ancient Israelite religious life is dominated by male actors. When women appear, they are often seen only on the periphery: as tangential, accidental, or passive participants. However, despite their absence from the written record, they were often deeply involved in religious practice and ritual observance. In this new volume, Susan Ackerman presents a comprehensive account of ancient Israelite women’s religious lives and experiences. She examines the various sites of their practice, including household shrines, regional sanctuaries, and national temples; the calendar of religious rituals that women observed on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis; and their special roles in religious settings. Drawing on texts, archaeology, and material culture, and documenting the distinctions between Israelite women’s experiences and those of their male counterparts, Ackerman reconstructs an essential picture of women’s lived religion in ancient Israelite culture.

In ancient times, the Greeks created the gods and goddesses to represent the various personalities of human nature. In Gods and Goddesses in Love, Agapi Stassinopoulos tells the stories of the primary goddesses and gods, and how their myths can provide insight into your own romantic relationships. Included are two fun and fascinating quizzes: one for women to determine their own dominant personality type and which goddess she most embodies; and a second that will help every woman understand more about the "god" she is involved with, or searching for. In the book, the seven archetypal goddesses are portrayed in modern terms, highlighting not only each goddess's unique strengths but also the pitfalls or stumbling blocks she is likely to encounter in a relationship with her partner. Also included are interviews with real couples who reveal how they overcame obstacles to find true love. For anyone who desires the self-knowledge and empowerment to find their ideal other, Gods and Goddesses in Love is an uplifting, instructive, and enlightening guide for achieving greater fulfillment in love.

Here, archaeologically documented,is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Under her, women’s roles were far more prominent than in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Stone describes this ancient system and, with its disintegration, the decline in women’s status.

American and Indian scholars of religion, anthropology, women's studies, and psychology look at the complex relationship between the living worship of female divinities and women in India. In keeping with the multiplicity, especially of Hinduism but also Buddhism and Jainism, the anthology presents a number of sometimes conflicting views rather than a consistent account. Only authors are indexed. c. Book News Inc.

Provides information on the gods and goddesses of a wide range of cultures, from the ancient Sumerian to the modern Haitian.