Origins of freemasonry - Asherah / Ashtoreth "goddess" and phallus worship
Gregory Perry
E.W. Bullinger.
The word 'Asherah is from the root 'ashar, to be straight, erect, or
upright. From this comes the meaning, in a moral sense, to be upright,
hence, to prosper or be happy. The 'Asherah was so called because it was
something set upright or erect in the ground, and worshipped. The word
occurs forty times, and only a careful study of each passage will give a
correct view.
Compared with this, all that men may think or say about the 'Asherah is
of little value. The word is always rendered grove or groves in the
Authorized Version; and always left as a proper name in the Revised
Version.
From a conspectus of the passages, we learn that it was either a living
tree with the top cut off, and the stump or trunk fashioned into a certain
shape (Deuteronomy 16:21); or it was artificially fashioned and set erect
in the ground (Isaiah 17:8. 1 Kings 14:15; 16:33). It was made of wood
(Judges 6:26) or stone. What the shape was is indicated in 1 Kings 15:13,
and 2 Chronicles 15:16, where in the Authorized Version. "an idol in a
grove", should be (as in the Revised Version) "an abominable image for an
'Asherah". It could be "cut down" (Exodus 34:13, the first occurrence of
the word); "plucked up" (Micah 5:14); "burnt" (Deuteronomy 12:3); or
"broken in pieces" (2 Chronicles 34:4).
It is often coupled with mazzevoth, or stone "pillars" (Revised Version)
(and rendered images in Authorized Version), connected with Baal-worship.
That it could not have been in a "grove" is clear from 2 Kings 17:10,
where it is forbidden to set one up "under any green tree".
While it is distinguished from Ashtoreth the goddess, it is yet
associated with that goddess, Ashtoreth being representative of the
productive (or passive) principle of life; and Baal being representative of
the generative (or active) principle.
The image which represents the Phoenician Ashtoreth of Paphos, as the
sole object of worship in her temple, was an upright block of stone,
anointed with oil, and covered with an embroidered cloth.
Such stones are to be met with all over the Semitic world; especially in
Babylonia, in Syria, Palestine and Arabia. Even the Mahommedan sacred stone
(kaaba) at Mecca remains an object of reverence.
The place Beth-el was so called because of its anointed stone. There was
another Beth-el in Northern Israel.
Two columns of stone stood before every Phoenician temple. Those at Tyre
are described by Herodotus (ii. 44); and the "pillars of the sun" are
mentioned in 2 Chronicles 34:4. Isaiah 17:8, etc.
Like every form of "religion," it had to do with the "flesh;" and hence,
by the law of evolution (which is seen operating only in human affairs) it
soon became corrupted. Evolution is seen in the progress of man's works,
because he begins from ignorance, and goes on learning by his mistakes and
failures. From the moment he ends his works devolution at once sets in and
deterioration begins. This is specially true in the "religious" sphere. All
religions have become corrupt.
So with the 'Asherah. Originally a tree, symbolical of the "tree of
life," it was an object of reverence and veneration. Then came the
perversion of the earlier idea which simply honoured the origin of life;
and it was corrupted and debased into the organ of procreation, which was
symbolized by the form and shape given to the 'Asherah. It was the Phallus
image of Isaiah 57:8, and the "image of the male", Ezekiel 16:17.
These symbols, in turn, became the incentive to all forms of impurity
which were part of its libidinous worship, with the swarms of "devotees"
involved in its obscene orgies.
The serpent was accepted as the symbol of the nexus, and was thus
associated with the "pillar" and the "tree". Hence, it too became an object
of worship.
The principal factor in this form of Canaanite idolatry is that it was
not a primitive conception of a religious rite, but the corruption of an
earlier idea which began with honouring the origin of life.
All the ancient systems of idolatry, connected with Astrology and
Mythology, etc., were, in the same way, not original inventions of what was
new; but the corruption of what was old, and the perversion of primitive
truth.
There can be no doubt about its being, in its essence, Phallic worship
pure and simple, whatever may have been its origin. This abomination was
common to all the ancient nations; and relics of it are found to-day in
various forms, in India and elsewhere. The menhirs of the Celtic religion
are the true descendants of the 'Asherim.
At first it was centred in the Canaanitish nations; and from them it
spread to the others. It was the great abomination of Canaan, and that is
one reason why the Canaanites, as the descendants of the Nephilim, had to
be destroyed by the sword of Israel. The other reason was the origin of
those nations themselves (see Appendix 23 and Appendix 25), with which it
was closely connected. The first mention of the 'Asherah stamps it as being
the special object of Jehovah's hatred. It is given to explain His name as
"jealous"; for that is the name He takes in denouncing it. Compare His
threats in 1 Kings 14:15; 15:13; 16:32, 33; 2 Chronicles 36:14, etc.
It led to Israel's banishment from the land; and subsequently to that of
Judah's.
It is still preserved in veiled language in secret fraternities,
Freemasonry, Theosophy, and in the Roman Church; language so conceals it
that probably those who use it to-day have little idea of what they are
perpetuating; while the ancient symbols I O proclaim "sex as the true God
of Hosts," as the Kabbala declares.
A recrudescence of this is more than hinted at; and it will be better
understood when "the abomination" of Antichrist shall stand once again in
the Temple at Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15).
The following passages will show further the nature of this form of
idolatry :- Jeremiah 5:7; 7:30, 31; 19:4, 5; 37:34 - 35. Hosea 4:12 - 14.
Amos 2:7 - 9.
The word 'Asherah is noted in the margin of each passage where it occurs
in The Companion Bible, but the following complete list is given to put the
student in possession of the whole of the data; and thus to enable him to
form his own conclusions.
Exodus 34:14.
Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3; 16:21.
Judges 3:7; 6:25, 26, 28, 30.
1 Kings 14:15, 23; 15:13; 16:33; 18:19 (sing).
2 Kings 13:6; 17:10, 16; 18:4; 21:3, 7; 23:4, 6, 7, 14, 15.
2 Chronicles 14:3; 15:16; 17:6; 19:3; 24:18; 31:1; 33:3, 19; 34:3, 4, 7.
Isaiah 17:8; 27:9.
Jeremiah 17:2.
Micah 5:14.
NOTES
1 See The Perfect Way, page 2, and The Computation of 666, pages 105-9.
2 Matthew 24:15; compare Daniel 9:27; 12:11.
Gregory Perry
Yahweh/Jehova, and predated Christianity with traditions such as
Zoroaster/Zarathushtra, Mithraism, and a host of other systems that
freemasonry borrows from. In short, a matriarchal v. patriarchal form of
worship that is now making the rounds in the form of "New Age" philosophy,
Theosophy, and kaballah worship, to name a few.
It was a perversion of the original tree of life, and as any student of the
bible can plainly see was considered blasephemy by Jehovah.
Catholicism (especially post-Vatican II) also borrows heavily from such
symbology, as Roman Catholicism was itself an attempted hybrid of the
goddess mythos and Christianity.
Kaballah worship has no place with Christianity, and advocates the use of
black magic, incantations, amulets, and occult symbology that is in direct
conflict with the bible - which is no wonder why the adoption of
kaballastic magic and study is sweeping the nation, especially hollywood -
madonna is into it (and mentioned how "wonderful" her newfound worship of
kaballah was at an interview about her children's book last month), and a
list of other silver screen luminaries such as Roseanne Barr, Sandra
Bernhard and Elizabeth Taylor, the list goes on and on.
What you guys don't understand is that by promoting the so-called babylonian
mystery religions ("mystery babylon" in end-speak), you are helping usher
in the END, the study of which has been obfuscated and confused to the
point of ridicule - "you actually believe THAT bullshit? That's silly,
lets go watch Fox News."
The END, is quite simple, and is the Parable of the Fig Tree spoken of by
Jesus Christ, Mt 24:32-34, Mk 13:28-30, Lk 21:28-32, the clock of which
started ticking with the reunification of Israel on May 14 1948:
1) A combination and tolerance of all the major World religions, spiritual
dialecticism if you will
2) The process of purification from Numbers, which includes ritual sacrifice
in the form of a perfect red heifer, here it is, thanks to some Texas "born
again" Christian cattle farmers and genetic engineering:
http://www.templeinstitute.org/current-events/RedHeifer/
http://www.nationalreview.com/dreher/dreher041102.asp
Referred to by David Landau from Haaretz as "a four-legged bomb", never mind
the fact that ritual sacrifice was OVER after the Order of Melchizedek, it
ended with the advent of Jesus Christ, his blood was the final atonement.
3) The rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem (must get rid of the Dome
of the Rock first, so now the threat is of course those terrorist Muslim
fanatics)
4) SHOWTIME - Antichrist stands on the Temple Mount, bling bling, and
declares himself the Christ, the Bodhisattva, the Maitreya Buddah,
Judaism's Moschiach, THE MESSIAH. The literal translation of antichrist is
not against Christ, he isn't some pointy headed red devil, the definition
is "instead of Christ, anti-christos", he's the REPLACEMENT, there is no
rapture, that's a pile of mistruth propagated by the so-called born again
Christian religious right who don't have time to pick up a bible, a greek
lexicon, and a copy of Strong's.
And YOU guys, with your self described matriarchal extension of judaism,
fall for it hook line and sinker. And so does everyone else that you've
polluted with the message.
You've distracted them from the TRUTH, which is a line by line
interpretation of the bible, it's not hard to do and a child can figure it
out, as long as he or she isn't occupied with some mystery babylon garbage
that's as old as the planet.
Joe Steve Swick III wrote:
> ___Gregory Perry___
> Bullinger spent his entire life exposing darkness, and translated -
> literally - each word in the bible back from the original texts, which
> resulted in the Companion Bible, published post humously several years
> after
> his death. The E.W. Bullinger Companion Bible includes commentary on each
> and every verse, including translations back to the original Hebrew,
> Aramaic, Greek, and Massoretic texts. In short, he wasn't interested in
> Theosophy, Freemasonry, or any other flavor of the babylonian talmud and
> kaballah that constitutes the mystery religions, and wrote about them only
> from an empirical and historical perspective.
> ------
>
> Unfortunately for you, Gregory, it appears that Father Abraham worshipped
> Asherah, and that Sarah was her priestess, and that this was the reason
> they were hanging out around the terebinths at Mamre. One of the first
> things that Abraham did when he got a son was... plant a GROVE OF TREES.
> Go read it for yourself in Genesis. Now, if you'd like some scholarly
> commentary a bit more recent than the late Dr. Bullinger, you might read
> Savina J. Teubal, Sarah the Priestess: The First Matriarch of Genesis.
>
> Of course, there is much more about this. Raphael Patai has done a
> wonderful work entitled "The Hebrew Goddess." I have the third enlarged
> edition of this book. Dr. Patai notes that not only was Asherah considered
> the consort of YHWH, but a place was set aside in the Holy Temple at
> Jerusalem, where she was reverenced. And more: broidered on the veil
> before the Holy of Holies, were Cherubim, apparently in erotic embrace.
> When the temple was destroyed and its treasures taken, much ridicule was
> heaped upon Israel for this -- apparently it scandalized even pagans.
>
> The concept of the Divine Bride (or Heavenly Mother) persists into modern
> Judaism, especially in mystical Jewish circles, in the greeting of the
> Shekinah, the Sabbath Bride.
>
> And, perhaps unconsidered by you, such ideas persist in Christianity, as
> well -- at least n the image of the Church as Bride of God, and the
> Celestial Marriage Feast. Some scholars would argue that this kind of
> image persists in Christianity, because initially it was itself a stream
> of mystical Judaism. This is demonstrated by quite a few Christian notions
> that are not part of normative Judaism, but find their closes parallel
> with the Kabbalistic traditions you wish to disparage in Dr. Bullinger's
> name.
>
> Some times they go beyond that. For instance, the image of Mary, both
> Mother of God, and Consort of the Divine (and I dont' mean just the
> Catholic belief) stretches even mystical Judaism until it touches directly
> with Egyptian and Asian goddess myths.
>
> I wonder what Dr. Bullinger would say about that. :-) Perhaps, Mr. Perry,
> you should broaden your reading and look in the mirror a while before you
> wag a critical finger at Freemasonry -- which in fact is not at all
> guilty of the crimes you would lay at her door.
>
> Kindest,
> Joe Swick
> Heretic
Gregory Perry
> Since you are obviously not a student of the Bible how can you tell?
Ho hum.
> Does Kaballah advocate the use of black magic? I think your ignorance
> is showing.
Christian Kabbalists led by Pico della Mirandola, 'No science can better
convince us of the divinity of Christ than magic and Kabbalah'
Franciscan monk Francesco Giorgi's 1525 tribute to the Zohar, "De Harmonia
mundi" and Cornelius Agrippa's "De Occulta Philosophia" circa 1531,
resulting in 1564 occult masterwork "Monas hieroglyphica", reigning figure
of Protestant occultism, Dr. John Dee, the astrologer royal to Queen
Elizabeth I and founder of Freemasonry.
Sanhedrin 25d - Jewish women are "witches" by observing that "such is the
way of the world"
"Sefer HaRazim" and "Harba de Mosheh", Sanhedrin 17a decrees that to be
qualified for appointment to the Sanhedrin (religion court), a man must be
a practitioner of sorcery.
Rabbi Simon ben Yohai uses magic to turn opponent into a 'heap of bones'
(Shevi'it 38d)
Rabbis use sorcery to create a calf (Sanhedrin 65b)
Rabbi Isaac Luria, Kabbalistic sage, "after tikkun was accomplished the
spirit of Cain would prevail on earth" - didn't Cain murder his brother,
Abel? What's that Tubal Cain thing freemasonry talks about?
Sefer Yetzirah - fortune telling, numerology, astrology as ways to contact
DEMONS.
Sefer Yetzira's modern publisher, "...aids the development of telekinetic
and telepathic powers. These powers were meant to help initiates perform
feats that outwardly appeared magical. The magical kabbalah...uses various
signs, incantations...by which initiates could influence or alter natural
events."
"The influence of Kabbalah on exoteric Judaism was widespread, presenting
Jews with a powerful set of mystical symbols...influencing halakah and
giving magical practices respectability as elements of practical Kabbalah."
Alan Unterman, Dictionary of Jewish Lore and Legend (offical of the
Yeshurun Synagogue in Gatley, England)
The Gnostic components are too many to mention, Simon Magnus, first Gnostic,
"Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and
amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was the power of God
that is called great"
Gershom Scholem (1897-1982) was Professor of Kabbalah at Hebrew University
in Jerusalem. "...in practical Kabbalah...a good deal of 'BLACK' MAGIC --
that is, MAGIC...of various DARK, DEMONIC POWERS...Such BLACK MAGIC
embraced a wide realm of DEMONOLOGY and various forms of SORCERY that were
designed to disrupt the natural order of things and to create illicit
connections between things that were meant to be kept separate...In the
Tikkunei Zohar the manipulation of such forces is considered justifiable
under certain circumstances..." (!!!!!!???)
More from Scholem "...amulets and protective charms can be found side by
side with the invocation of DEMONS, INCANTATIONS...and even SEXUAL MAGIC
and NECROMANCY...As early as the geonic period the title ba'al shem, or
'master of the name' signified a master of practical Kabbalah who was an
expert at issuing amulets for various purposes, invoking ANGELS or DEMONS"
1996 Israeli elections, Rabbi Kedouri distributes "kabbalistic amulets" to
those Israelis who promised to vote for Shas. The "good luck
charms...swayed thousands of voters"
Yeshivat Kamekubalim, rabbinic seminary, noted for "specializing in the
occult"
Sefer Raziel:
"...amulets and incantations have to be tested and approved. The rabbi or
kabbalist who gives his blessing can be blamed or lose his reputation if
his charm does not work; conversely he gains kudos -- and a good income --
if his amulets or spells are effective" Helen Jacobus, "Eye Jinx", Jewish
Chronicle May 7 1999
"Kabbalists taught that the Torah...is a vast body of symbols...symbolic
discourse assumes control" Lawrence Fine, "Kabbalistic Texts"
http://www.geocities.com/elemental_adept/ (High Magic, the Hermetic
Kabbalah)
Most of above quotes from Michael Hoffman's "Judaisms Strange Gods". Do
yourself a favor and pick up a copy before you stick your foot in your
mouth again.
The list goes on and on, and I'm tired of typing. Kabbalah is sorcery.
> The problem for you is that Freemasonry does not promote any religions
> let alone the "so-called babylonian mystery religions". You obviously
> believe some pretty way-out rubbish which has no relation to truth.
mmmmmmmmmkkkaaaay...
Refute it then, give citations and facts, not mere mortal opinions. Hidden
from the blue lodge, the "outer portico to the Temple" has no clue what
goes on up top. Freemasonry borrows heavily from Kabbalah.
> What "matriarchal extension of judaism"? It is you who have fallen for
> the claptrap of the anti-masons hook, line and sinker. It is yourself
> that has been polluted with the wrong message.
mmmmmkkkay...
> You are trying hard to distract us with lies. Freemasonry does not
> occupy itself with anything about Babylon at all. Babylon is not
> mentioned in the Ceremonies and Ritual of a Freemason's Lodge. ...
> Well not in my jurisdiction anyway.
Refute the arguments then with citations, quotes, and research, none of your
mortal opinions.
Kaballah and Babylonian Talmud == sorcery.
Sorcery is not compatible with the bible & Christianity.
Gal. 5:19-20
19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornications, uncleaness, lasciviousness,"
20 "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies," witchcraft = sorcery. Gr. "pharmakeia", or Gr.
"pharmakon"
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