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Monthly Archives: October 2008

Israelite Figurines: Toys or Religious Icons?

Animals and Humans Statistically, animal forms in Israel predominate those of human shape, and the majority of human forms are those of females. These female figurines have been labeled as the “Mother-goddess” or “Astarte” and since they go against the principal of aniconism (aversion to the use of icons) that the book of Deuteronomy describes, [...]

Posted in Biblical Hebrew | Tagged Astarte, Bethel, cherubim, Dan, Deuteronomy, Hezekiah, Israel, Jerusalem, Judah, Mother-goddess, Nehushtan, pillar figurines, religion, Sacrifice | 2 Comments

The Three Roads to a Jewish Identity

The Jewish traditional law layouts three criteria for membership into the Jewish fold: birth, marriage to a male Jew, and conversion. However, these three doors into the Jewish community have not been operative simultaneously through history. Intermarriage The biblical period shows how marriage to a male Jew was the key for an outsider to enter [...]