When GOD Was A Woman by Merlin Stone

[Fine1952]

I. A book that uniquely defines the buried secrets of the 1st GOD -- The GODDESS:

"...The writers of Judeo-Christian Bible, as we know it, seem to have purposely glossed over the sexual identity of the female deity who was held sacred by the neighbors of the Hebrews in Canaan, Babylon and Egypt. The Old Testament does not even have a word for "Goddess". In the Bible the Goddess is referred to as Elohim in the masculine gender, to be translated as god. But the Mohammad ens were quite clear. In it we read: 'Allah will not tolerate idolatry...the pagans pray for females.'...."

xviii "When GOD Was A Woman" by Merlin Stone

Page 211, Paragraph 2

"...D. S. Russell wrote of the prophetesses who came to be known as the Sibyls. The Sibyls were often identified with a prophetess of Anatolia, named Sybella, whom we may suspect had some connection with the Goddess known there as Cybele. It was, in fact, the Sibyls of Rome who were responsible for having the worship of the Anatolian Cybele brought into Rome. According to Russell,

These Sibylline oracles were written during the latter half of the
seond century BC in Alexandria. They are imitative of th Greek
Sibyls who exercised a considerable influence upon pagan thought
both before and after this time. The pagan Sibyl was prophetess
who, under the inspiration of the god, was able to impart wisdom
to men and to reveal to them the divine will. There were many
varieties of such oracles in different countries and in Egypt in
particular they came to have an increasing interest and

II. Another Source

A. Part 1
http://www.amengansie.com/Sibyls.html (PART I)

B. Part 2
http://www.amengansie.com/Sibyls2.html (PART II)


C. You see the matriarchy (a dominate female lineage) existed loooog before patriarchy (a male dominated lineage) ever rolled onto the scene. Once upon a time inside antiquity women governed the land and men stayed at home.

III. Another Viable Source:

"...Christianity has never known this and I am rather sorry to reveal it but the god Yah or Yahu that western historians claim the Afrim{i.e. my insert /Ivrim/Hebrew/Jewish} people of Canaan was not a god. She was a goddess. The name of this goddess is also presented elsewhere in historical literature as Yah or Ea in the discussion of other people in the same geographical region of Canaan. For example, in his discussion of the Sumerians, Durant wrote the name of this same goddess as Ea but it is pronounced Yah. She is the goddess of wisdom of the Sumerians. However, she was first and foremost the goddess of the Ancient Egyptians. To the Akan people of Ancient Egypt, this goddess was Yaa, the goddess of Thursday..."

page 217, "The Africans Who Wrote The Bible by Dr. Darkwah

IV. Yet Another...

"...But they completely rejected paying any further tribute to the Goddess Al'lat, who was replaced by the God Al'lah...The following are the Goddess of Islam who became the....DAUGHTERs OF AL'LAH:" Al-lat, the Sun Goddess, Al-Manat, the Goddess of Venus. Al-Uzzah, The Fortune Goddess." (Ben-Jochannan, African Origins of the Major Western Religions, Black Classic Press: Baltimore, MD, pp. 214-215)

page 46 "Melanin : A Key to Freedom" by Dr. Richard King, MD

V. My Own Assertion

The GODDESS existed long before there was a GOD.

I often wondered why the Judaic, Islamic and Christian religion(s) share nor show any love for women in their male {e.g. They are truly man-made in every literal sense of the word} dominated epochs.

The GODDESS was massacred/desecrated/murdered and destroyed into submission while all of the attributes associated with her Greatness were bogusly inserted and accredited into the biblical text.

I now have a clearer understanding of why words/terms like those listed below were written as they were in the biblical text:

"Ashtoreth" ~ mentioned 3 times
"daughter of Babylon" ~ mentioned 5 times
"filthy" ~ mentioned 7 times
"Idols" ~ mentioned 85 times
"other Gods" ~ mentioned 63 times
"played the harlot" ~ mentioned 5 times
"prostitutes" ~ mentioned once
"Tammuz" ~ mentioned once

Books such as

Deuteronomy
Ezekiel
I Kings
II Kings
Leviticus

vehemently spew out disdain and in vicarious/indirect/covert speech scorn the GODDESS in coded terminology as listed above.

These man-made accusations refer to the GODDESS worshipers that the nomad so-Called Jews found when they travel led and sojourned in Canaan to possess the land that was not ever theirs to take.

Those who did not accept the worship of the man-made God Yahweh were punished/disgraced/put to death or all three. It is no wonder that the scribes used such carefully pre-planned manipulative word of strategy to place the so-Called mythical fall of mankind on the fictional Eve.

Now I know "why" the so-Called Jews went thru the land of Canaan {e.g. which was already occupied} pillaging and murdering. The men were killing off the GODDESS worshipers/destroying artifacts and temples.

Historically, it is obvious that they did not do a good enough job ~ because I know about it! Not to mention the fact that there are numerous references and archaeological evidence that point to the fact that the levite tribes of biblical Canaan did a job on putting the woman in her place. This well thought out phenomena has lasted up to this very day.

What most now accept as the norm was just the reverse opposite ~ thousands of years ago.

Once Woman held control - now men hold that dubious title.

References:

"When GOD Was a Woman" by Merlin Stone
http://www.pinn.net/~sunshine/whm2000/stone2.html
http://daughter-of-god.com/

VI. The Temple

There were many temples erected in homage of the first GOD - the GODDESS. It is not surprising that male dominated churches have been built over them.

This link connect to just a few in the diapora of the world
http://www.hethert.org/byblos.htm

Ma'at Rising

[Jahness]

Greetings Fine1952!

I read "When GOD Was A Woman by Merlin Stone" since around 1991 and found it to be very interesting and thought provoking to say the least.

Even D. S. Russell Sibyls prophetesses is a topic very few people even know about much less can relate to. These are areas of studies especially for women that should be checked out. Too many times the aspect of women being Goddesses is played down by the all patriarchal God concept, which some people seem to think cannot stand on its own, and must always be in the shadow of a God so to speak. The energy and Ase' that women has is in total harmony with nature and the universe and understanding what that means is a task few people are willing to undertake especially if they are coming from a eurocentric point of view.

Much appreciation to you for taking the time to share.

Peace & Blessings!

[Sun Ship]

I appreciate this thread and the comments added by Sister Jahness. I also read When God Was A Woman some years ago and at the time found the works of Merlin Stone an important add and milestone to the sorely needed research in this area. She along with Marija Gimbutas and few other female scholars have given this subject and all-important historical truth more intention that it received before their works. The only shortcoming in When God Was A Woman is that she didn’t allude to the fact that the early matrifocal and Goddess worshipping cultures of Europe and the so-called “Levant or Middle East” were African based and the earliest where actually Africoid people (even in Europe!). She seems to indirectly makes reference to cranial indexes found in the archeological evidence as some of these early “prehistoric” cultures gradually moved from matrifocal to patriarchal, i.e. from dolicephalic (possibly alluding to Africans/Africoids) to brachycephalic (possibly alluding to non-African/Indo Europe types).

Also, the term matriarchal needs to be reconsidered and dismissed for the most part. For these female centered societies were not developed or based on dominant rule or domination as the patriarchal world was to be later, and the term “matriarchy” is misleading. With this new understanding of this early history there has been the beginning of a use of new and more accurate terminology such as matristic, matrifocal, gynocratic, and of course matrilineal.

I hope this subject redeems the needed intuitive consciousness, intellect, creative inventions, and spirit which once made this world most civil, sane, and in-balance and I hope the more this subject is embraced by our Sisters it doesn’t become more faddish, supplemental, and hip-window dressing. This is more about a whole socio-cultural paradigm shift back to the roots of human nature than it is about sole gender empowerment and historical fact. There are many aspects from sexuality to spirituality that are slowly being revealed about the this pre-“his”torical female-conscious world that may be just as hard for women to deal with spiritually, morally, and ethically as it would be for most men to understand.

[Im The Truth]

One thing that always seems to amaze me is the fact that we look at europe culture and Judeo-Christian thought as a commonality of world culture and thought but the truth is these ways of thinking are the minority. Beyond Mr. Stone one does not have to think hard to associate the Creator with the creators, women. This simple concept is everywhere around the globe and even in Catholicism outside of ameriKKKa you see more Mary statues than Jesus statues so this idea is only uncommon or abnormal in the context of Western thought. In some NDN and African societies the term for God or the Creator translates to the english word, Great Grandmother. Above that some West African societies have no gender words to describe the Creator.

[Fine1952]

Hotep- Maat

I want to first of all thank you for responding.
Once when we all had the same mind set because we all "knew" Ma'at we were the most powerful people on earth.

It was this mind set that built the pyramids. You know "our" potential. I know "our" potential. The day "we" know our potential we will shake the very foundations of this earth.

Ase'qa

As Dr. John Henrik Clarke so eloquently stated "We are so powerful, that if all the people of colour decided to stomp the ground at 3pm on Sunday the earth would shake."

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

One thing that always seems to amaze me is the fact that we look at europe culture and Judeo-Christian thought as a commonality of world culture and thought but the truth is these ways of thinking are the minority. Beyond Mr. Stone one does not have to think hard to associate the Creator with the creators, women. This simple concept is everywhere around the globe and even in Catholicism outside of ameriKKKa you see more Mary statues than Jesus statues so this idea is only uncommon or abnormal in the context of Western thought. In some NDN and African societies the term for God or the Creator translates to the english word, Great Grandmother. Above that some West African societies have no gender words to describe the Creator.

[Fine1952]

That's it!

My sister you know as well as I truth is truth no matter the source.

Even so-Called learned anglo-saxons have cognitive dissonance when faced with an African-based root.

But I thank her for the aerial journey; however, I thank GOD I had the common to travel by foot the rest of the way...!

Ase'

Hotep-Ma'at

Originally Posted by Sun Ship

I appreciate this thread and the comments added by Sister Jahness. I also read When God Was A Woman some years ago and at the time found the works of Merlin Stone an important add and milestone to the sorely needed research in this area. She along with Marija Gimbutas and few other female scholars have given this subject and all-important historical truth more intention that it received before their works. The only shortcoming in When God Was A Woman is that she didn’t allude to the fact that the early matrifocal and Goddess worshipping cultures of Europe and the so-called “Levant or Middle East” were African based and the earliest where actually Africoid people (even in Europe!). She seems to indirectly makes reference to cranial indexes found in the archeological evidence as some of these early “prehistoric” cultures gradually moved from matrifocal to patriarchal, i.e. from dolicephalic (possibly alluding to Africans/Africoids) to brachycephalic (possibly alluding to non-African/Indo Europe types).

Also, the term matriarchal needs to be reconsidered and dismissed for the most part. For these female centered societies were not developed or based on dominant rule or domination as the patriarchal world was to be later, and the term “matriarchy” is misleading. With this new understanding of this early history there has been the beginning of a use of new and more accurate terminology such as matristic, matrifocal, gynocratic, and of course matrilineal.

I hope this subject redeems the needed intuitive consciousness, intellect, creative inventions, and spirit which once made this world most civil, sane, and in-balance and I hope the more this subject is embraced by our Sisters it doesn’t become more faddish, supplemental, and hip-window dressing. This is more about a whole socio-cultural paradigm shift back to the roots of human nature than it is about sole gender empowerment and historical fact. There are many aspects from sexuality to spirituality that are slowly being revealed about the this pre-“his”torical female-conscious world that may be just as hard for women to deal with spiritually, morally, and ethically as it would be for most men to understand.

[Fine1952]

from female-hating theology; most especially "our" African sisterhood.

How refreshing to finally "know" that in addition to the Great Legacy left by the Ancient Ta-Meri; African sisterhood lead the way.

Ase'

Originally Posted by Jahness

Greetings Fine1952!

I read "When GOD Was A Woman by Merlin Stone" since around 1991 and found it to be very interesting and thought provoking to say the least.

Even D. S. Russell Sibyls prophetesses is a topic very few people even know about much less can relate to. These are areas of studies especially for women that should be checked out. Too many times the aspect of women being Goddesses is played down by the all patriarchal God concept, which some people seem to think cannot stand on its own, and must always be in the shadow of a God so to speak. The energy and Ase' that women has is in total harmony with nature and the universe and understanding what that means is a task few people are willing to undertake especially if they are coming from a eurocentric point of view.

Much appreciation to you for taking the time to share.

Peace & Blessings!

[Typozfem]

Thank you, Fine1952 for starting this thread.

A few years ago I crossed a milestone birthday and started on a new path. One thing I did was to loc my hair. No more perms. The second thing I did was start to pay homage to the female divine.

One day I was in a book store and this book caught my attention. It was titled, The Once And Future Goddess." I was totally broke at the time and asked the book to wait for me. Months later I returned to the store to see it still sitting on the shelf. Not a copy: the same book. I recognized the tiny little tear in the corner. Of course, I bought it this time.

Then I took a class about The Goddess taught by a woman who has traveled the world taking pictures of the Black Madonna. She is far older than the White one.

Since them I have been trying to get ever closer to the true and original bringer of life: She of 1000 names. I think someone called her.

I could go on about the male God of war and the female goddess of peace and all of the spirit circles I have found on the Internet: but I'll save that for a blog, if I ever do one.

Typoz

[Sun Ship]

Originally Posted by Fine1952

That's it!

My sister you know as well as I truth is truth no matter the source.

Even so-Called learned anglo-saxons have cognitive dissonance when faced with an African-based root.

But I thank her for the aerial journey; however, I thank GOD I had the common to travel by foot the rest of the way...!

Ase'

Hotep-Ma'at

Well Bless-it Sister first of all let me first clarify that I’m a Brother (smile).
And it is true that truth is truth and those like Gimbutas and Stone are merely gathers of the facts and not the sources. I’ve been trying to grasp this understanding of the feminine principle way before I read the works of either, but I appreciate their intensive scholarship and contributions to this most important matter.

I view the female divine as being much more than an acknowledgment and seems to be an intuitive way of knowing and building that needs to become substantive and applicable socio-culturally in real-time. It seems to me to not be based on fearful reverence, exclusivity, linearism, monolithic thinking, and other dogmatic absolutism like we have seen imbued in patriarchalism. For with balance, men are neither excluded or have a need to be included for one creation cannot balance itself or live out its truest design without the other, for this is how the goddess force perceived it to be, and why she is defined and revered as feminine and unique.

I believe the feminine social construct and dimension in its truest sense of a life-choice is a paradigm shift that will need to affect our concepts of cognitive thought, philosophy, morality, ethics and spirituality, let alone the way we define family and community. Every so-called modern science and art of living on mother earth will possibly have to be reevaluated and eventually redesigned.

Thanks again for posting this thread.

Peace

[Fine1952]

Is a true testimony and inspiration -- Thanks 4 sharing

Originally Posted by Typozfem

Thank you, Fine1952 for starting this thread.

A few years ago I crossed a milestone birthday and started on a new path. One thing I did was to loc my hair. No more perms. The second thing I did was start to pay homage to the female divine.

One day I was in a book store and this book caught my attention. It was titled, The Once And Future Goddess." I was totally broke at the time and asked the book to wait for me. Months later I returned to the store to see it still sitting on the shelf. Not a copy: the same book. I recognized the tiny little tear in the corner. Of course, I bought it this time.

Then I took a class about The Goddess taught by a woman who has traveled the world taking pictures of the Black Madonna. She is far older than the White one.

Since them I have been trying to get ever closer to the true and original bringer of life: She of 1000 names. I think someone called her.

I could go on about the male God of war and the female goddess of peace and all of the spirit circles I have found on the Internet: but I'll save that for a blog, if I ever do one.

Typoz

[Fine1952]

Your comments are well received!

You speak in truth and I appreciate that! Ma'at is the true balance that all people of colour should embrace...!

Originally Posted by Sun Ship

Well Bless-it Sister first of all let me first clarify that I’m a Brother (smile).
And it is true that truth is truth and those like Gimbutas and Stone are merely gathers of the facts and not the sources. I’ve been trying to grasp this understanding of the feminine principle way before I read the works of either, but I appreciate their intensive scholarship and contributions to this most important matter.

I view the female divine as being much more than an acknowledgment and seems to be an intuitive way of knowing and building that needs to become substantive and applicable socio-culturally in real-time. It seems to me to not be based on fearful reverence, exclusivity, linearism, monolithic thinking, and other dogmatic absolutism like we have seen imbued in patriarchalism. For with balance, men are neither excluded or have a need to be included for one creation cannot balance itself or live out its truest design without the other, for this is how the goddess force perceived it to be, and why she is defined and revered as feminine and unique.

I believe the feminine social construct and dimension in its truest sense of a life-choice is a paradigm shift that will need to affect our concepts of cognitive thought, philosophy, morality, ethics and spirituality, let alone the way we define family and community. Every so-called modern science and art of living on mother earth will possibly have to be reevaluated and eventually redesigned.

Thanks again for posting this thread.

Peace

[SoularFlarez]

da Greeks n Romans who told us bout God being ONLY Man/Male/Masculine and not feminine.........are the same ones who justify baty' loving.....


how u gon have day without night?
fire witout water?
sun witout moon/earth?
seed without soil?
sperm witout egg?

it just doesnt make any sense......

wouldnt da All-Emcompassing Creator be 360* instead of jus 180* ???? theres no balance in it

[Fine1952]

Ma'at & Hotep

A member from another site lead me here
http://www.amengansie.com/Sybils2.html
http://kathmanduk2.wordpress.com/200...hor-the-bible/

Originally Posted by SoularFlarez

da Greeks n Romans who told us bout God being ONLY Man/Male/Masculine and not feminine.........are the same ones who justify baty' loving.....


how u gon have day without night?
fire witout water?
sun witout moon/earth?
seed without soil?
sperm witout egg?

it just doesnt make any sense......

wouldnt da All-Emcompassing Creator be 360* instead of jus 180* ???? theres no balance in it

but there is in Ma'at -- complete balance that the co-conspirators could not destroy.

It is our gift from the Ancient Ones....

[Majadi]

Not to beat a dead honkey (why beat a horse?)! But as I have stated before in my home we worship the Goddess and the God, finding no contradiction between either! We use MAAT as a guiding energy field, using those principles. In fact we had a reading by a priestess with the Ausar Auset Society years ago who told us our marriage (my wife and I) is guided by Auset's energy. In my personal reading I was born under Sekert (the feminine aspect of seker). So the feminine energy is strong in my house yet I am very secure in my position as Father/Husband/King/God as my wife is Mother/Wife/Queen/Goddess. People are often baffled as in my conversations about the most high when I use Him/Her, She/He interchangeably! The looks on their faces is hilarious but it usually leads to question giving me time to elevate them. I did have one sistarr who seemed to feel so low of herself that she agreed God was in everything, but disagreed that God could be female! I told her, "Sooooo, The God-Force can be in the maggot, but women can't be God?" She was pissed after that statement. I again repeated it, and she walked away crying. After our encounter I saw her again and embraced her,in her I felt a great sadness. I embraced her and told her, "Sweetheart you must get back to your divine self, you are God the daughter of God too, therefore you are the GODDESS. It doesn't matter what men do to you, you still are GODDESS!"

I will preach HER word, til' I die, The GODDESS lives, and she is a BAAAAAAAD MOTHER!

[Fine1952]

Thanks for responding, Hotep!

Originally Posted by Majadi

Not to beat a dead honkey (why beat a horse?)! But as I have stated before in my home we worship the Goddess and the God, finding no contradiction between either! We use MAAT as a guiding energy field, using those principles. In fact we had a reading by a priestess with the Ausar Auset Society years ago who told us our marriage (my wife and I) is guided by Auset's energy. In my personal reading I was born under Sekert (the feminine aspect of seker). So the feminine energy is strong in my house yet I am very secure in my position as Father/Husband/King/God as my wife is Mother/Wife/Queen/Goddess. People are often baffled as in my conversations about the most high when I use Him/Her, She/He interchangeably! The looks on their faces is hilarious but it usually leads to question giving me time to elevate them. I did have one sistarr who seemed to feel so low of herself that she agreed God was in everything, but disagreed that God could be female! I told her, "Sooooo, The God-Force can be in the maggot, but women can't be God?" She was pissed after that statement. I again repeated it, and she walked away crying. After our encounter I saw her again and embraced her,in her I felt a great sadness. I embraced her and told her, "Sweetheart you must get back to your divine self, you are God the daughter of God too, therefore you are the GODDESS. It doesn't matter what men do to you, you still are GODDESS!"

I will preach HER word, til' I die, The GODDESS lives, and she is a BAAAAAAAD MOTHER!