Member-only story
Virgin Mary or Asherah: Who is the Real Queen of Heaven?
Mary is the mother of Jesus, and Asherah was the wife of the biblical god Yahweh
The title “Queen of Heaven” is one of the most significant titles in religious history. For billions of Christians, it is associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus — a figure beloved for her obedience, purity and divine maternity.
Mary has been hailed in Catholic and Orthodox traditions as the “Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven” for centuries. Her image appears in cathedrals and home altars, her name is said in prayer and song, and as intercessor her function defines Christian devotion.
But while Mary is relatively new to theological history, she seems to have taken over a job that was once the position of the most beautiful goddess in the world.
This was a title once held by another feminine figure, the ancient Semitic goddess , who for the majority of ancient Israelites, as well as her many followers in the whole of the Levant (modern Lebanon, Syria, etc.) shared the bed of Yahweh, the God of the Bible.
All but obliterated from the Western part of the one-god religions, such as Christianity and Judaism, her vestiges can still be found hidden in the Old Testament and archaeological site information.
