Yahweh The Pagan God

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In Christian theology, Yahweh is revered as the divine name of God, the same deity worshipped by Abraham, Moses, and subse­quent prophets. This founda­tional belief forms the corner­stone of monothe­istic tradi­tions in Christianity and Judaism. Ironically, while Christians often propa­gate the false notion that Muslims worship the moon god Allah, it is their tradi­tion that may have roots steeped in paganism.

Recent archae­o­log­ical discov­eries challenge this view, suggesting that Yahweh might have been part of a pagan pantheon. Findings from sites like Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-​Qom reveal inscrip­tions and artefacts depicting the pagan god Yahweh along­side other deities, including his consort Asherah.

Kuntillet Ajrud: A Glimpse into Ancient Beliefs

Kuntillet Ajrud, an archae­o­log­ical site in the north­eastern Sinai Peninsula, has provided some of the most compelling evidence of Yahweh’s pagan origins. Excavations at this site unearthed pottery shards featuring inscrip­tions and drawings that depict Yahweh along­side a female figure, presumed to be his consort, Asherah.

The above image is a drawing of a pottery shard from Kuntillet Ajrud. This shard is signif­i­cant due to its inscrip­tions and illus­tra­tions that depict the Hebrew deity Yahweh along­side a female figure, presumed to be his consort, Asherah. The artefact dates back to the 8^th century BCE and provides compelling evidence that ancient Israelites may have practised a form of religion that included the worship of multiple deities, including Yahweh and Asherah.

The inscrip­tions on these artefacts often refer to ​“Yahweh and his Asherah,” indicating a relation­ship akin to that of a divine couple. This portrayal is incon­sis­tent with the later monothe­istic portrayal of Yahweh as a singular, supreme deity. The presence of Asherah along­side Yahweh indicates that the early Israelites may have incor­po­rated elements of the Canaanite religion into their worship, blending their beliefs with those of their neighbours.

Khirbet el-​Qom Inscriptions

The inscrip­tions at Khirbet el-​Qom, located in the West Bank, provide signif­i­cant evidence of Yahweh’s polythe­istic roots. Also dating back to the 8^th century BCE, these inscrip­tions invoke bless­ings in the names of both Yahweh and Asherah. The inclu­sion of Asherah along­side Yahweh indicates a complex religious practice where Yahweh was not the sole deity but part of a broader pantheon. This challenges the tradi­tional view of Yahweh as a strictly monothe­istic god and highlights the syncretic nature of early Israelite religion.

These findings parallel the inscrip­tions at Kuntillet Ajrud, where similar invoca­tions of Yahweh and Asherah have been discov­ered. Both sites reveal a consis­tent pattern of worship involving multiple deities, suggesting that the vener­a­tion of Yahweh was deeply inter­twined with other gods, including his consort, Asherah. This broader cultural and religious context points to a transi­tional phase in the devel­op­ment of Israelite monotheism, where polythe­istic practices were gradu­ally transformed.

Asherah: Censored Goddess and Yahweh’s Pagan Partner

The presence of Asherah in ancient Near Eastern religious practices is a key element that challenges the monothe­istic portrayal of Yahweh. Asherah, often referred to as the ​“Queen of Heaven,” was a promi­nent goddess worshipped in various ancient cultures, including the Canaanites and early Israelites. Her associ­a­tion with Yahweh, as evidenced by archae­o­log­ical findings, reveals a more complex and polythe­istic religious landscape.

As was mentioned previ­ously, inscrip­tions and artefacts from sites like Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-​Qom provide compelling evidence of Asherah’s role along­side Yahweh. These suggest that Asherah was consid­ered a divine consort to Yahweh, highlighting a form of worship that included multiple deities. Such findings indicate that the worship of Yahweh was inter­twined with the vener­a­tion of other deities, challenging the notion of strict monotheism in early Israelite religion.

Asherah’s role in ancient worship extends beyond her associ­a­tion with Yahweh. She was often depicted as a mother goddess, a symbol of fertility and life. The integra­tion of Asherah into Israelite worship practices suggests a syncretic blend of Canaanite and early Israelite religious traditions. 

This syncretism is evident in various texts that condemn the worship of Asherah, reflecting a later effort to purify the Israelite religion from its polythe­istic roots. By acknowl­edging Asherah’s signif­i­cant role, we gain a deeper under­standing of the complex­i­ties surrounding Yahweh’s origins and the religious practices of ancient Israelites.

Other Archaeological Finds Support Yahweh Pagan God Origins

In addition to Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-​Qom, the discovery of various amulets and inscrip­tions throughout the Levant, bearing the names of Yahweh and other deities, indicates that the worship of Yahweh was part of a more complex and polythe­istic religious landscape. These findings suggest that the transi­tion from polytheism to monotheism was a gradual process, influ­enced by social, polit­ical, and theolog­ical devel­op­ments over centuries.

Yahweh and His Satanic Connections

Beyond the pagan­istic elements, there are also intriguing connec­tions between Yahweh and satanic figures in ancient texts and artefacts. Some scholars argue that certain attrib­utes and stories associ­ated with Yahweh bear striking resem­blances to those of other deities consid­ered malev­o­lent or satanic in later traditions.

One notable source is the Ugaritic texts, a collec­tion of ancient writings from the city of Ugarit (modern-​day Ras Shamra in Syria). These texts date back to the 13^th century BCE and provide a wealth of infor­ma­tion about the religious beliefs of the ancient Near East. In these texts, there is mention of a deity named Yaw, who is possibly a precursor to Yahweh. Yaw is depicted among other deities who exhibit morally ambiguous or outright negative behaviours.

For example, in the Baal Cycle, a series of Ugaritic mytho­log­ical texts, the god Baal battles against Yamm (Sea) and Mot (Death). The struggle between these gods reflects a pantheon where divine beings engage in conflict and possess traits that later monothe­istic tradi­tions would classify as malev­o­lent. The fluidity of divine roles and moral ambiguity in these stories suggests that early concep­tions of deities, including Yaw/​Yahweh, were complex and multifaceted.

Academic Perspectives

Several scholars have explored these connec­tions in detail. Mark S. Smith, in his book ​“The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel,” argues that Yahweh was origi­nally one of many gods worshipped in the region and that his rise to promi­nence involved the assim­i­la­tion of other deities’ attrib­utes and roles. Smith’s research highlights the syncretic nature of early Israelite religion, where Yahweh’s identity evolved through the incor­po­ra­tion of elements from Canaanite and other Near Eastern religious traditions.

Margaret Barker, in her book ​“The Great Angel: A Study of Israel’s Second God,” explores the idea that Yahweh was not origi­nally seen as the sole divine entity but as part of a divine hierarchy that included other powerful beings, some of whom later tradi­tions would label as satanic or malev­o­lent. Barker’s work under­scores the complexity of early Israelite theology and the fluidity of divine roles and characteristics.

Conclusion: Yahweh Is Satan

The archae­o­log­ical evidence from Kuntillet Ajrud and other sites forces a re-​evaluation of the tradi­tional under­standing of Yahweh. Far from being the sole, omnipo­tent deity of Abraham and Moses, Yahweh appears to have been one among many gods worshipped in the ancient Near East, with connec­tions to pagan and poten­tially satanic figures. This under­standing aligns with the broader histor­ical context, where religious beliefs were fluid and heavily influ­enced by cultural interactions.

This evidence challenges the very founda­tion of monothe­istic faiths that hold Yahweh as the one true God. It exposes a histor­ical reality where Yahweh was just another deity among many, and his worship involved elements that modern adher­ents would find deeply troubling, if not outright heretical. The sanitized, monothe­istic portrayal of Yahweh is a later construct, far removed from his origins entwined with paganism and possibly even satanic elements.

Yahweh, as revealed through these archae­o­log­ical findings, should not be conflated with the one true God of Abraham. Instead, he emerges as a deity with a complex and contro­ver­sial past, distinct from the monothe­istic, One True God revered in Judaism and Islam. The findings at Kuntillet Ajrud and other archae­o­log­ical sites lay bare the incon­ve­nient truth: Yahweh’s origins are steeped in paganism, and his associ­a­tion with a consort reveals a polythe­istic past that mainstream religions have desper­ately tried to conceal. It is time to confront these uncom­fort­able truths and acknowl­edge that this deity claimed by the Christians for themselves has a far more complex and contro­ver­sial history than tradi­tion­ally accepted.