did ancient israel have queens?

DID ANCIENT ISRAEL HAVE QUEENS?: refuting the misinformation of modern Israelite Chauvinism

By Panehesi

Hebrew Israelites are well known for standing on corners around America and countries abroad. Teaching what they consider to be the truth, according to their interpretation of the biblical narratives. This understanding is widely gathered from the KJV 1611 ( King James Version 1611 edition). This street corner, soap box style of "teaching" is only afforded to men. Spectators and acquiring minds often raise the question, why aren't women allowed to teach on the corners? More than likely the Hebrew will reply with scriptures which seems to answer the question. There's also a doctrinal teaching which suggest, Ancient Israelite kingdoms only had Kings ruling in authority over the nation. Most modern Hebrews today teach their followers, that only pagan "heathen" nations of people appointed queens. Within this short article I'll refute such conjecture, and restore the Royal office of Gebiyrah "Queen Mother" or "Great Lady". The re-establishing of this office is vital to the restoration and unification of the Nation of Israel.

The Royal Office of Gebiyrah (The Kings Mother) The Gebirah, the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Judah, was an official position held by the mothers of the Davidic kings. Throughout the whole period of the monarchy, the influence which the king's mother {gebirah) wielded in the southern kingdom was considerable in the royal court and the king's council. The Hebrew word gebirah (Strong's Hebrew: 1377. ) is found 15 times in the Old Testament and can be translated as "Queen Mother," or "Great Lady" [Genesis 16:4, 8, 9, 1 Kings 11:19 (used for the Egyptian Queen Mother); 15:13; 2 Kings 5:3; 10:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Psalm 123:2; Proverbs 30:23; Isaiah 24:2; 47:5, 7; Jeremiah 13:18; 29:2]. In Sacred Scripture the mother of the Davidic king is listed along with her son in the books of 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles when he assumes the throne. The only queen mother not listed are those of King Jehoram, who married Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel of Israel [2 Kings 8:17-18]; King Ahaz [2 Kings 16:2-3]; and King Asa [1 Kings 15:10]. In the case of Jehoram and Ahaz, their mothers may have died prior to their sons assuming the throne of David, and in the case of Asa, his grandmother is named as the Gebirah, his mother having died or perhaps his grandmother, the former Gebirah, did not relinquish her power and authority upon the succession of her grandson.

Power & Authority of the Office of GebirahThe royal kings of Israel and the House of David had many wives and no single wife of the king had the influence that his mother enjoyed as the chief confidant of her son. Scripture indicates that the Gebirah assumed a throne alongside her son [see 1 Kings 2:19] and exercised her role as counselor [2 Chronicles 22:3] and intercessor to the king [1 Kings 2:13-21]. In times of conquest, both the king and his mother represented royal power [2 Kings 24:12].

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ARTIFACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE QUEEN MOTHER

PLAQUE OF A ROBED WOMAN IVORY WITH GLASS EYES MEGIDDO (MODERN ISRAEL) STRATUM VIIA LATE BRONZE IIB 1300-1200 BCE (LEFT) UTRECHT OLD TESTAMENT SCHOLAR MARJO KORPEL CONCLUDES THE SEAL MUST HAVE BELONGED TO THE INFAMOUS QUEEN JEZEBEL 9TH CENTURY BCE , BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW (RIGHT)

ANCIENT JEWELRY WORN BY ISRAELITE WOMEN

BRONZE MIRROR AND GOLD JEWELRY, FROM THE CEMETERY OF DEIR EL-BALLAH. LATE BRONZE/EARLY IRON AGE ISRAEL MUSEUM(IDAM), JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (LEFT)NECKLACES: ONE WITH CARNELIAN BEADS AND GOLD CAPS; ANOTHER WITH ELONGATED AGATE BEADS AND GOLD CAPS; THE THIRD A FLAT AGATE PENDANT WITH GOLD CAPS. FROM DEIR EL-BALACH, LATE BRONZE/EARLY IRON AGE, TIME OF THE JUDGES. INV. H 1459 REUBEN AND EDITH HECHT COLLECTION - UNIVERSITY, HAIFA, ISRAEL (RIGHT)

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Necklace (44 cm) and two pairs of earrings from a tomb cave south of Bethlehem. Gold, emeralds, and garnets Necklace (44 cm) and two pairs of earrings from a tomb cave south of Bethlehem. Gold, emeralds, and garnets (Left) Huge earrings decorated with knobs, from Tell el-Ajjul Gold, Late Bronze Age (right) Israel Museum(IDAM), Jerusalem, Israel *Tell el-'Ajjul (aka Tell Sharuhen; Ancient Gaza) is a Bronze Age site in Southern Palestine at the mouth of the Ghazzah Wadi just south of the town of Gaza1. Tell el-'Ajjul was excavated 1930-1934 by a British team led by Sir Flinders Petrie.

Necklace of beads of rock crystal, amethyst and gold plaques decorated with hieroglyphs. From Canaan, Tell el-Ajjul Late Bronze Age (Left) Gold pendants and a ring, from the rich ancient town at Tell el-Ajjul Late Bronze Age (RIGHT) Israel Museum(IDAM), Jerusalem, Israel

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RULER & DATE FATHER & MOTHER BIBLICAL SCRIPTURE REF

1. Rehoboam 930-913 Son of Solomon Mother: Naamah the Ammonite

1 Kings 11:42-14:312 Chronicles 9:31-12:16

2. Abijam (Abijah) 913-911 Son of RehoboamMother: Maacah (Micaiah) descendant of David's son Absalom

1 Kings 14:31-15:82 Chronicles 13:1-23

3. Asa 911-870 Son of AbijamGebirah = grandmother Maacah

1 Kings 15:8-242 Chronicles 13:23-16:14

4. Jehoshaphat 870-848 Son of AsaMother: Azubah

1 Kings 15:24 22:41-51 2 Chronicles 17:1-21:1

5. Jehoram 848-841 Son of JehoshaphatMother: ?

2 Kings 8:16-242 Chronicles 21:1-20

6. Ahaziah 841- ? Son of JehoramMother: Athaliah

2 Kings 8:24-29; 9:14-262 Chronicles 22:1-12

7. Athaliah (Queen Mother) 841-835

Daughter of Ahab and Jezebel of Israel

2 Kings11 1-202 Chronicles 22:1-15

8. Jehoash 835-796 Grandson of Athaliah and son of Ahaziah; Mother: Zibiah (Beersheba)

1 Kings 11:1-12:212 Chronicles 22:10-23; 24:27

9. Amaziah 796-781 Son of JehoashMother: Jehoaddan


10. Uzziah 781-740 Son of AmaziahMother: Jecoliah


11. Jotham 740-736 Son of UzziahMother: Jerushah


12. Ahaz 736-716 Son of JothamMother:?


13. Hezekiah 716-687 Son of AhazMother: Abijah

2 Kings 16:20; 18:1-20:212 Chronicles 28:27-32:33

14. Manasseh 697-642 Son of HezekiahMother: Hephzibah

2 Kings 21:1-182 Chronicles 32:33-33:

15. Amon 642-640 Son of ManassehMother: Meshullemeth


16. Josiah 640-609 Son of AmonMother: Jedidiah


17. Eliakim/Jehoahaz 609 Son of JosiahMother: Hamutal


18. Jehoiakim ? Brother of Eliakim Mother: Zebidah

2 Kings 23:34-24:62 Chronicles 36:5-8

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Queen Of Heaven Cult: Divine Counterpart Of The Royal Office of Queen Mother (Gebirah) According to leading biblical scholars, The Queen of heaven "Asherah" was seen as the divine counterpart (Consort) to The Office Gebrih (Queen Mother). In the Southern Kingdom of Judah, religious tensions emerged at the beginning of the ninth century BCE. Due to religious reforms ushered in by new kings, folk religions and practices became outlawed when they were once tolerated. The Mother Who Held this Office was more than likely High Priestess of the Queen of Heaven Cult, partaking in rituals inside of the temple and overseeing temple servants. In the book of Proverbs there's verses that seems to hint towards rituals of a High Priestess. The verses read as follow: Proverbs Chapter 8:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars (Possibly alluding to the construction of a temple): 2 She hath killed her beasts (Meat offering); she hath mingled her wine (Drink offering) ; she hath also furnished her table (Offering table) . 3 She hath sent forth her maidens (Temple servants) : she crieth upon the highest places of the city (The High Places were associated with Places of worship) , 4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. The biblical narrative illustrates this in the case of King Asa, Who deprived his grandmother Ma`akah of the rank of Gebirh because she had commissioned cultic statues of Asherah to be fashioned. It is in this context that the cult of the goddess experienced great declined. Three Thousand pillar Figurines, that is, female terracotta, many of them with strong emphasis on the breast (The divine name of El Shaddai meaning "Self Sufficient one" the Hebrew noun shad meaning breast) were found in the archeological strata of the ninth century BCE. Two thousand of these figurines were found in Jerusalem alone.

ARTIFACTS OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVAN CULT

Figurines Collection of the Mother Goddess 'Asherah' Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Left) A dove and two bird-like female figures perch atop this Iron Age house shrine to symbolize Asherah and her counterparts Astarte and Tanit. Credit: Ardon Bar Hama (RIGHT)

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ANCESTRESS OFFICE: QUEEN MOTHER OFFICE AMONGST THE DIASPORA After the nation of Israel split into two separate kingdoms (southern Judah, Northern Israel) the office of Gebirh falls into obscurity. Most scholars believe after the various Israelite diasporas, this office was long gone and forgotten. From months of research, I was able to uncover evidence of the Royal Office of Gebirh (transliteration miggrh or Magira), still being held by women amongst the Royal Courts of west Africa. The Ancient Kanem Empire was located in the present countries of Chad, Nigeria and Libya. At its height it encompassed an area covering not only much of Chad, but also parts of southern Libya and eastern Niger, northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon. The "Mai" (king) was the highest authority in the kingdom's political structure. His mother, "Magira" (the queen mother) is a very important and respected power-wielder. This office of Magira was a very important institution, so much so it comprised of three women title holders: Gumsu (The Kings First wife) The Magara (The Kings Senior sister) and finally The Magira (Queen Mother). The three women performed important activities in the palace of the Kings Court, they were charged with the duty of training the princes. The Queen Mother is known to have presided over the cult of divine patroness (High Priestess) of the Royal Dynasty. In the pre-Islamic period her power was so great that she could sanction the king himself and even depose him. This is illustrated in the case of Mai Biri who was imprisoned on the Magiras Orders, and Magira Asia controlled the whole political life of the empire in his untimely absence.

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Seated: The Magira "Queen Mother" Two fully clothed over here right and left is The Gumsu and Magara 1932 West Africa

MORE ARTIFACTS OF THE QUEEN MOTHER OF HEAVEN

Four Astarte figurines. Clay (around 1000 BCE) Iron Age II, Israel Museum (left) The goddess Astarte, from the Hebron area, Israel. Pottery relief (around 1400 BCE) Late Bronze Age II

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Openwork plaque with a "woman at the window" METROPOLITAN MUSEUM Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 8th century B.C levant .(Right) elaborate ornament with pendants in her hair. The image fits the description of Jezebel in 2 Kings 9:30-37. The woman at the window with her head adorned (above), is a frequent motif in the ancient near-Eastern world. Jezebel is described like this immediately before her death (2 Kings 9:30-37).

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FURTHER READING & SOURCES ASCRIBE TO THE LORD: BIBLICAL & OTHER ESSAYS IN MEMORY OF PETER C. CRAIGIEEDITED BY PETER C. CRAIGIE, LYLE M. ESLINGER, GLEN TAYLOR PAGE 131-132

LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS BIBLE: POSTDISCIPLINARY BIBLICAL INTERPRETATIONS ...EDITED BY AKM ADAM, SAMUEL TONGUE PAGE 147

COME AND SEE: THE RISE AND FALL OF ANCIENT ISRAEL BY FR. JOSEPH PONESSA, LAURIE MANHARDT, SHARON DORAN

DICTIONARY OF THE HOLY BIBLEBY AUGUSTIN CALMET PAGE 595

AMONG THE HOST OF HEAVEN: THE SYRO-PALESTINIAN PANTHEON AS BUREAUCRACYBY LOWELL K. HANDY PAGE 74

THE ELIJAH ENIGMA: THE PROPHET, KING AHAB AND THE REBIRTH OF MONOTHEISM IN ...BY HILLEL I. MILLGRAM PAGE 336

AGAPE BIBLE STUDY: RULERS OF JUDAH AND THEIR QUEEN MOTHERS (GEBIRAH)FROM 930BC'587/6BC: ONE RULING FAMILY = THE HOUSE OF DAVID(DATES FROM NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE TRANSLATION) WWW.AGAPEBIBLESTUDY.COM

A WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN THE HOUSE: ROYAL WOMEN OF JUDAH AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT INTHE HOUSE OF DAVID

INDIGENOUS AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS, 2ND EDITIONBY GEORGE AYITTEY PAGE 255

WOMANISM AND AFRICAN CONSCIOUSNESSBY MARY EBUN MODUPE KOLAWOLE PAGE 45

HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF WOMEN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA BY KATHLEEN SHELDON PAGE 207

BIBLICAL PATRIARCHS FROM A PRE-CANONICAL SOURCE MENTIONED IN THE DWN OF KANEM-BORNU (LAKE CHAD REGION) BY DIERK LANGE

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did ancient israel have queens?

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