Asherah and Eve an Unexpected Pair

Olivia A. Radake
Dr. Joshua Nudell, Faculty Mentor

This project looks at how the biblical figure of Eve may preserve transformed elements of the ancient Near Eastern goddess Asherah, offering a new perspective on the development of the feminine divine in early Israelite religion. Ugaritic texts describe Asherah as the maternal “mother of the gods,” and inscriptions from Kuntillet Ajrûd referencing “Yahweh and his Asherah” show that she once held a legitimate place in Israelite worship. Yet reforms such as those in 2 Kings 23, which removed Asherah from the Jerusalem temple, reveal a deliberate effort to suppress female divine imagery. This project argues that Eve’s role as the “mother of all living” reflects a reconfigured echo of Asherah’s generative power, adapted to fit a monotheistic, Yahweh?centered framework. By bringing together biblical analysis, archaeological evidence, and feminist scholarship, this study contributes an explanation for how older goddess traditions were absorbed, reshaped, and ultimately marginalized in ancient Judean narratives.

Keywords: Ancient Judea, Biblical, Archaeology , Feminism, Femine Devine

Topic(s):History
Philosophy & Religion

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA