God's gender

God of the Hebrew Bible is masculine because the priests who defined and dictated the authorized version of the dogma had defeated the priests and priestesses who included the Canaanite goddess Asherah (Ishtar), consort of El Shaddai, broken down the Asherah poles, pulverized the goddess's altars, and otherwise banished the pagan, dual-diety sectarians. (See Hezekiah and Josiah stories.)

Of course God is a 'He'. You ever hear of a female mass killer? Might have something to do with that 'Nature versus nurture' thingy.

but they failed to totally remove traditions.for instance, the book of esther:esther = ishtar
mordechai = marduk.i'm interested in information on ishtar's relationship to el. i've heard of later thoughts of god having a female partner, and some relation to shekinah, but i'm rather unfamiliar in this area.

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Isaiah 66:12-13

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For thus said the LORD:
"I will extend to her [Jerusalem]
Prosperity like a stream
The wealth of nations
Like a wadi in flood;
And you shall drink of it.
You shall be carried on shoulders
and dandled upon knees.
As a mother comforts her son,
So I will comfort you;
You shall find comfort in Jerusalem..."

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there are a few instances that portray god as a mother. agreed, but i think that the reason god is portrayed more often as male has to do with neither god's actual gender, or a lack of words to describe god. it probably has to do more with the society that wrote the bible: who did most of the writing?

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts on this matter, I appreciate your input. Sorry for my delay in responding, I am not blessed with a lot of spare time.You have answered my questions sufficiently, so I’m afraid I don’t have much to add on this particular topic. However, a biblical quote used by Tal back in message 9 has brought another question to mind, off-topic, that may be worthy of some serious discussion. I have addressed this in a new topic called ‘Missing Sea Creatures’.Cheers.

Whole new thread(or several), Arach, if you get into Shekinah.

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Of course God is a 'He'. You ever hear of a female mass killer?Of course God is a 'He'. You ever hear of a female mass killer? Might have something to do with that 'Nature versus nurture' thingy.

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Yep."Mother Nature".

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Might have something to do with that 'Nature versus nurture' thingy.

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Oh, that is so true!

True, but overwhelmingly the primary potrayal is a father figure. I disagree, since I believe the Bible is inspired by God and thus portrays God as he wanted to be portrayed... as primarily a father figure, referred to by the word "he". If God was primarily revealed to be a mother figure the word "she" would most likely have been used... but in any case God still has no "gender," only a fatherness or motherness.

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If you say there no absolutes, I ask you, are you absolutely sure?

Arachnophilia: You said, "I'm interested in information on ishtar's relationship to el. i've heard of later thoughts of god having a female partner, and some relation to shekinah, but i'm rather unfamiliar in this area."Try this, only for starters:Encyclopedia Mythica

Hi,Ab, here`s a better one on Shekinah,Eema,Et-Yhvh, Sophia, Virgin Mary, etc.Seminary - Shekinah, Eema: God the Mother & Pneuma (feminine Holy Soul "Spirit")

it rains, doesn't it?

i wasn't really debating that. then why is it inconsistent? why not ALL fathership verse and no mothers? why say we are made in the image of god -- male AND female?

He, when refering to God is symbolic to show God as mascaline or powerful. What would you think if God was called she or in symbolic terms feminine. He, does not rely mean an actual gender. And when he talks about mother and father that is also symbolic. Mothers and Fathers take care of there children and so does God. Also when it says we were created out of his image it means that he maid us so that we could make our own chocies and choose weather to sin or not sin.

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He, when refering to God is symbolic to show God as mascaline or powerful. What would you think if God was called she or in symbolic terms feminine.

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That God has the power to give life, or take it away, like nature.What is more powerful than the power to create life?The feminine is considered "weak" in patriarchal cultures, but not in matriarchal or egalitarian cultures.

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He, does not rely mean an actual gender.

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Uh, yeah it does.Like "father" means a male parent.If the Bible meant a non-gendered parental figure, it would have used the word for parent, not father.

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And when he talks about mother and father that is also symbolic. Mothers and Fathers take care of there children and so does God.

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But the word for Father is used to refer to God throughout most of the Bible, not parent.