Those Symbols of Christmas

Did You Know... there are many Christmas symbols that are full of biblical meaning and Christian history? Below are a few of those symbols that are often depicted in images of Christmas:   

~ Angels

The term [angel] literally means “messenger,” and it is in this distinguished role that heavenly angels take part in the Christmas story. An angel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Christ (Luke 1:26-38). An angel came to Joseph telling him that what was conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-21). And, an angel appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus after which “a great company of the heavenly host” appeared (Luke 2:8-14).  While angels are mentioned throughout the Bible, those present at the birth of Christ are the most well known in biblical literature.

For more information, please visit the following page: Angels

~ Bells

Though bells were used during the time of antiquity - and even in the Jewish temple (on the hem of priestly garments) - their association with the Christian Church may well have come from an unlikely source... St. Patrick. The famous bell of St. Patrick resides in Ireland, and according to tradition, Patrick, a missionary to the Emerald Island in the 5th century, used it to gather the Irish people together for the teaching and preaching of God’s Word. With time, the bell came to be associated with the Lord’s work and to symbolize something sacred... hence the ringing of bells at Christmas.       

For more information, please visit the following page: Bells   

~ Candy Canes

The candy cane has its origins in the plain white candy stick invented in the 1400s. Two hundred years later, in 1670, a choirmaster - who was hosting a living Nativity Scene for a Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral - had difficulty keeping the children in order, so he appealed to the local candy maker to bend the sticks in the shape of a shepherd's staff. The significance of his plan was to teach the children about the true meaning of the Nativity. The red stripes on the candy was later added and believed to have originated in the Swedish town of Granna in the mid-19th century. By the 1900s, the red stripes became associated with the blood of Christ. 

For more information, please visit the following page: Candy Canes

~ Christmas Trees

Among the many accounts claiming to explain the origin of the Christmas tree, the three most popular are from Germany — making it the likeliest place of origin. The stories span from the 8th to the 16th century; all three are rooted in historical fact and may even be connected to one another. (For more information, click on link below) The lighted tree goes back to various pagan religious celebrations throughout history, but there does not seem to be any direct link between pagan rituals and the Christmas tree. It is interesting to note that, in the Bible, God compares himself to a tree... He says, “I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me” (Hosea 14:8). This is an interesting analogy to consider during the Christmas season.

For more information, please visit the following page: Christmas Trees

~ Gifts              

The Bible teaches, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father". The practice of giving gifts in America is rooted in the European celebration of St. Nicholas' Day on December 6th. St. Nicholas served as the Archbishop of Myra in the 4th century. It was not until after his death that stories of his generosity spread throughout Europe. 

By the 12th century, people were giving gifts in his name [St. Nicholas]. However, in America, the tradition was transferred to coincide with Christmas. Since Christmas was the celebration of the birth of Christ (God's gift to the world) and the Wise Men set a biblical precedent of giving during the season, this transfer was quite natural. St. Nicholas, who later became known as Santa Claus, is said to have set an example of biblical giving by secretly giving to those in need. 

For more information, please visit the following page: Gifts

~ Holly

Some scholars believe the name "holly" was derived from the word "holy". William Turner, a 16th century botanist, referred to holly as the "Holy Tree". It is also called "Christ's Thorn" throughout various parts of Europe. However, other scholars claim that the word "holly" can be traced back to the Indo-European word meaning "prickly". Regardless of the etymology of the word, Christians have identified a wealth of symbolism in the form of holly. The sharpness of the leaves represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore on his head; the red berries is a reminder of the drops of blood that were shed for salvation; and, the shape of the leaves (which resemble flames) can serve to reveal the Creator's burning love for his children. And since holly retains its bright colors during the Christmas season, it naturally came to be associated with the Christian holiday. 

For more information, please visit the following page: Holly

~ Wise Men

While the number of Wise Men who made the trip to Bethlehem is not known (the Bible does not give an exact count), Western tradition claims there were three. This is most likely rooted in the fact that they [the Wise Men] delivered three gifts to the baby child known as Jesus. Those gifts included gold, frankincense and myrrh. Eastern tradition holds that there were 12 Wise Men. In early drawings of the Nativity, found in Roman catacombs, some show two Magi (or Wise Men), while another shows four. Yet, the fact remains that Wise Men did make a journey to Bethlehem with gifts for the Messiah. Christians have associated the Wise Men with Christmas since the birth of Christ.

For more information, please visit the following page: Wise Men

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Over the years, many of these symbols have lost their Christian symbolism in a secular world, but regardless of such a station, Christmas symbols are still replete with an abundance of indication. 

The Mystery of Asherah

Asherah

Before the Babylonian exile in 587 B.C., polytheism was a common practice throughout ancient Israel. While the religion of Judaism began with Abraham and his Hebrew descendants, it was only after the exile that worship of one god, Yahweh, alone became established and, by the time of the Maccabees (2nd century B.C.), monotheism soon became an universal thought among the ancient Jews.       

Depiction of Josiah
 "cutting down the statue of Asherah"

Among the polytheistic gods was included a goddess named Asherah. In the Books of Kings there are many references to the worship of numerous gods. King Solomon built temples to many gods and King Manasseh [of Judah] erected a statue of Asherah in the temple Solomon built for Yahweh. King Josiah, grandson of Manasseh, was quoted as "cutting down the statues of Asherah" in Yahweh's temple. (2 Kings 23:14) Yet, who she exactly was remains a subject of debate among the religious scholars. Some biblical theologians believe that Asherah was worshiped as the consort of Yahweh (God).      

Did God Have A Wife?        

Dictionary.com defines "consort" as: 1. husband or wife; spouse, especially of a reigning monarch. Was it possible that Yahweh had a wife? According to William G. Dever, a Syro-Palestinian archaeologist, the evidence for the Israelite god of antiquity [Yahweh] having a consort named Asherah (aka: Ashtoreth) is very feasible. 

Dever, who is Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Arizona, claims this ancient goddess was a part of the Canaanite pantheon before 600 B.C.  

Depiction of Asherah

holding court

In his book, Did God Have A Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel, he approaches the question with tenacity. His thesis contends that religion portrayed in the Jewish and Christian Bibles was an elitist religion practiced by only a select few, mainly priests and wealthy merchants. The majority (90%) of the Hebrew nation worshiped many gods, chiefly Yahweh and his consort, Asherah.

For more information, please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_G._Dever      

Ancient Israel Worshiped Asherah?

Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou

The first historian to mention and bring to light the subject of the ancient Israelites worshiping both Yahweh and Asherah was Raphael Patai in 1967. The theory gained new prominence in the 21st century when Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou, a senior lecturer in the department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter, presented her research which discussed the Yahweh-Asherah connection. The information presented in Stavrakopoulou's books and lectures has become the basis of a three-part series on the BBC entitled, The Bible's Buried Secrets. Stavrakopoulou is quoted as saying:

"You might know him as Yahweh, Allah or God. But on this fact, Jews, Muslims and Christians, the people of the great Abrahamic religions, are agreed: There is only one of Him," writes Stavrakopoulou in a statement released to the British media. "He is a solitary figure, a single, universal creator, not one God among many … or so we like to believe."

Dr. Stavrakopoulou, a self-proclaimed atheist, claims that God had a wife and her assertions are backed up by archaeological evidence including 8th century B.C. inscriptions, figurines and ancient texts that were discovered at Kuntillet Ajrud in the northern Sinai desert. These texts are known as the Ugaritic texts (written before 1200 B.C.) and refer to "Yahweh... and his Asherah".  The inscriptions found not only invoke Yahweh, but El and Baal and include the phrases, "Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah" and "Yahweh of Teman and his Asherah". Samaria was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Israel and Teman was located in the ancient land of Edom. It remains unclear the association with Edom, considering the national god of Edom was Qaus, but some scholars believe such a connection was most likely cultic in nature. In the Bible, Asherah is represented by the symbol of  a tree.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1364018/Atheist-Dr-Francesca-Stavrakopoulout-BBC-face-religion.html#ixzz3LSJR8i15     

Asherah: Symbol of a Tree

Depiction of Asherah
tempting Eve

The goddess known as Asherah was represented by a limbless tree trunk which was carved into a symbolic representation of the deity and planted in the ground. Throughout the centuries this association with carved trees were commonly places of Asherah worship. The Hebrew word "asherah" could also refer to a grove of trees... hence the connection. Some scholars even claim that it was Asherah, not Satan, that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Christian Bible has many references to "Asherah poles", in which case, most were destroyed after 600 B.C. The biblical references include: 2 Chronicles 33:3; Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; Judges 3:7; 6:25-26; 6:28; 6:30; I Kings 15:13; 16:33; 18:19; 2 Kings 13:6; 17:10; 17:16;18:4; 21:3; 21:7; 23:4; 23:6-7; 23:14-15.

For more information, please visit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asherah_pole     

Further Evidence Reveals...

Depiction of
Baal

Asherah was often presented as a consort of Baal, the sun god (1 Samuel 7:4 & 12:10) and was considered a moon-goddess. She was worshiped as the goddess of love and war and was oftentimes linked with Astarte and Anath, other Canaanite goddesses of antiquity. The worship of Asherah was noted for its sensuality, which also involved ritual prostitution; the priests and priestesses of Asherah practiced fortune-telling and divination. It was during the time of Moses that God forbade the worship of Asherah. The Law was specific: 

"Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God," - Deuteronomy 16:21   

Depiction of Jezebel

Despite the precise instructions from the Creator, Asherah-worship was a perpetual problem in ancient Israel. King Solomon slipped into idolatry by bringing pagan deities into the kingdom, namely Asherah or "the goddess of the Sidonians" (1 Kings 11:5; 33). Jezebel, the Phoenician wife of King Ahab [of northern Israel], made Asherah-worship more prevalent when she convinced the king to abandon the worship of Yahweh and put 400 prophets of Asherah on the royal payroll! (1 Kings 18:18-19). Yet, there were various crusades led against the worship of Asherah; most notably, was the battles led by Gideon (Judges 6:25-30), King Asa (1 Kings 15:13) and King Josiah (2 Kings 23:1-7). Asherah is known in the scriptures as the "Queen of Heaven", and is referred to as "Artemis" by the Ephesians in the Book of Acts (chapter 19). Today, the Wiccan religion still includes this female deity in their worship practices.

For more information, please visit: 
http://www.compellingtruth.org/asherah-pole.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Early_History_of_God

Asherah, while referred to in the Nevi'im/Old Testament as a "pole", she was once revered as a high deity, the wife of the Most High God. Regardless of her sketchy connection in the Tanakh/Old Testament, Asherah is celebrated as the "Queen of Heaven" by those who believe.

Some theologians contest the validity of Asherah being an actual deity, instead implying that she was a sacred, wooden object employed in the cult of Yahweh during the early ancient history of the Israelites and later decried by reformers [such as Josiah] and destroyed. In the Hebrew Bible, there are 40 references to "Asherah" being a notable object (a pole)... hence the theory of "Asherah" being a cultic item. Even though a handful of those verses imply her being a "goddess" and ancient Canaanite literature refers to Asherah as a proper noun (name), the actual function of the word (Asherah) remains a subject of much debate among the scholars.

Only one question can sum up this incredible story.... Who's ? Right