A delicate controversy in recent times about the deity of God centers on the notion that God had a wife. Central to that proposition emanating from the works of Bible scholars and writers is the notion that God had a consort or female companion. So, did God have a wife?
The initiative of Bible scholar and Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou is central to the proposition that God had a wife. This argument has gained support among many scholars and people.
On the other hand, there exists a larger proportion of scholars and believers who cling to the notion that God can simply not have a wife, as backed up by the scriptures and the nature of His deity. On a separate account, Jesus, being the Son of God, has also been subjected to similar claims—that Christ had a wife.
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Did God Have A Wife?
People who believe and claim that God had a wife refer to Asherah as His spouse and consort. A prime mover of this notion is the work of Francesca Stavrakopoulou. A recent book titled “God: An Anatomy” explains that God has a distinctly male body with superhuman powers and earthly passions, as visualized by ancient worshipers.
William Denver corroborates her work in the book, “Did God Have A Wife?” Moreover, this belief is generally held by members of the LDS Church.
Who Is God’s Wife?
According to its advocates, Asherah is a powerful fertility goddess worshipped alongside Yahweh—God’s name in the Hebrew Bible. From the tenth century BC up until the start of the Babylonian exile in 586 BC, polytheism was prevalent throughout Israel. Monotheism only became universal among the Jews after their exile around the 2nd century BC (also see “The Meaning Of AD In The Bible” for the right sequence of time periods).
Together with Astarte and Anath in the Old Testament, Asherah was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite deity. To honor the goddess, the ancient Israelites built Asherah poles and symbolized her with a sacred tree.
What Is The Evidence For His Wife?
The Works Of Francesca Stavrakopoulou
According to Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Ashera’s title as the wife of Yahweh is narrated in the Book of Kings[1] in the Bible and an 8th-century B.C. pottery inscription discovered at the Kuntillet Ajrud site in the Sinai desert. Ancient amulets, texts, and figurines were found in the ancient Canaanite coastal city named Ugarit.
She claimed in her writings and lectures: “After years of research specializing in the history and religion of Israel, however, I have come to a colorful and what could seem, to some, an uncomfortable conclusion: that God had a wife.”
The Works Of Raphael Patai
Raphael Patai, a cultural anthropologist, was the first historian to declare that Asherah was worshiped alongside Yahweh by the ancient Israelites. He wrote about the Hebrew Goddess and the polytheistic and cultic nature of the Jews of the time.
The Works Of William Dever
William Dever, an American historian, scholar, and archeologist, wrote a book titled “Did God Have A Wife?” Dever attributes the goddess Asherah, scorned by the authors of the Hebrew Bible, as a foreign deity in the early ancient religion of Israel and the consort of Yahweh in the Old Testament.
God Did Not Have A Wife
Polytheism And Idolatry
[Manasseh] erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
— 2 Kings 21:3
Manasseh was the fourteenth immoral king of the Kingdom of Judah, who practiced idolatry, turned against God, and worshiped every kind of pagan deity. He built Asherah poles, devoted himself to witchcraft, murdered people, and even sacrificed his sons to a pagan god. In the preceding verse, Manasseh revered Baal alongside Asherah.
In the ancient Israelite religion, God revealed Himself to the people as their one and true God. Because of the influence of folk religion and the pagan surrounding nations, the ancient Israelites worshipped other gods in Yahweh’s temple.
God condemned the worship of Asherah poles. Exodus 34:13 reads: “Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and cut down their Asherah poles.”
Marriage Is Only For Humans
The scriptures instituted marriage as something temporary for the conduct of human beings—procreation and the formation of a family. This notion does not apply to God because He is in union with Himself in the Trinity and does not need a wife or companion.
The Bible also says that marriage will become obsolete in the eternal kingdom of heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 22:30: “At the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage.” Furthermore, the Bible uses imagery to portray humanity in its distinct personal relationship with God.
The Old Testament speaks of God being married to Israel, while the New Testament refers to the church as the bride of Christ. Finally, it seems inaccurate to declare that Jesus has a heavenly mother.
God Is Spirit
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
— John 4:24
The Bible speaks of God as a spirit who does not have flesh and bones. Because he is an infinite, sovereign being without gender, the Lord God is neither male nor married. The Lord is united in Himself with the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Why Can’t We Often See God’s Wife In The Bible?
The word Asherah is rarely directly mentioned in the Bible. In ancient Israel, she was referred to as the Asherah pole and was associated with Baal, the pagan god of fertility. Some writers claim that the ancient authors purposely cut off the names or words associated with Asherah to comply with the strict monotheism of the time.
Conclusion
The further validation, authentication, and acceptance of God having a wife is still an enormous challenge. While the works of prominent scholars and writers may reveal archaeological evidence that supports such a notion, it lacks substantial corroboration across similar and diverse secular fields of study. Moreover, its biblical referencing and interpretation of verses are taken out of context, as in many other passages in the Scriptures.
Finally, there is narrative, historical, and prophetic cohesion and harmony in the Bible that points to the notion that God does not have a wife. In the Old and New Testaments, especially in the Gospels, His deity is one in the Trinity.