| The onslaught against women’s rights by the Hebrews after the time of Moses had to exist alongside a long-held tradition of free sexuality in the temples of worship of the goddess. In western Anatolia from the year 200 AD, we find an inscription by a woman named Aurelia Aemilias, proudly announcing that she had served in the temple by taking part in the sexual customs, as her mother before her and all their female ancestors before her. (51) This type of sexual custom among the ancient people was a very primitive but also progressive type of idea. From what we can gather of this type of custom, it was the women who did the choosing of their mates and then raised the babies in a communal culture of women leaders. Men really had no decision making in this at all, and therefore had no kin. This need for kin is what eventually led to the idea of kingship, where the line of kings could pass down to their heirs. It would also make sense that if kingship was instituted in one country or land, the traditions of the aboriginal people would remain intact for the most part until everything eventually changed over the course of time and in turn, men would become “fathers” of their children. There was clearly a desire among men for a shift to occur and the shift was enforced violently. The likely cause of this occurrence on a worldwide scale was the act of invasion by warring tribes. So far as I have gathered, this was done by the Hebrews, the Greeks and the Romans most violently, but we cannot rule out that the horse-drawn chariots of the Scythians and the Akkadians were actually the first band of patriarchal warmongers to go around and kill off earth-based matrilineal communities. There is evidence that this was the cause of Greek, Hebrew and Roman warfare, and we must take into consideration the Sumerian King List and the whole reason humans may have started writing down lists to begin with, having to do with tracing paternal parentage. In modern times, Hebrew males still recite the prayer that goes as follows: “Blessed Art Thou O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a woman.” (52) The Hebrew household could be said to be the first household where the man is the “Lord” of the home. The Hebrew faith decrees that the man is Lord over the women and his word is akin to the word of god in the household. (53) The idea of male dominance had Paul stating in Corinthians: “(7) A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. (8) For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. (9) Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” (1 Corinthians 11:8) (54) |
The demand for submission from women is clearly stated in biblical passages, and Muslims have directly inherited this tradition, even repeating the demands in their own Quran. In 1 Peter we read: “(3)-(1) Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, (2) when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (3) Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. (4) Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (5) For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, (6) like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. (7) Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (1 Peter 3:1-7) In the Quran we read: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.” (Quran 4:34) The deeds of the Hebrew and Greek patriarchs cannot be claimed to have been done in evil spite, regardless of their terrible actions. Somehow, they believed god had called them to do what they did. They believed women were corrupting men’s spiritual focus. The truth is, all kinds of things corrupt our focus. That’s the nature of life. The “smartphone” corrupts all of our focus, more than anything else, including women. The desire to “be pure,” or “close to god” is a noble desire, however, a priesthood attempting to control people is not the way to achieve it. We cannot say whether or not Joshua committed the acts claimed in the Bible, as Merlin Stone seems to believe, but we do get a good idea of the type of story the patriarchs were attempting to create. Joshua is said to have killed thousands in the holy war against the local tribes. In Joshua we read: “(25) On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. (26) And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. (Joshua 24:25-26) (51) When God was a Woman, p. 157 (52) ibid, p. 224 (53) ibid, p. 225 (54) ibid, 225-26 |