Woman
ordination in Cuneiform Texts
There
is a word going around that the people in the Old Testament were all men in
charge and no woman at all. It also adds that the whole world of that time is
not like it is in our own, for the females were considered nothing. They use
the argument that this age is a “progressive age” where the females and genders
are placed in proper perspective, on equality. No men in charge only style.
So
the result is that they lock the Bible up with the word that it “meant” not “means”.
Now
cuneiform texts are the style of writing from the earliest times until almost
the New Testament times. Wet clay was made to fit in one’s hand and it served
as a page to write on with a sharp scratcher. With a series of nails lying in
different positions the language was written on these tablets. Most tablets
were discovered in the Victorian Period dating from 2300 BC to the 1st
century BC.
All
over Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Phoenicia, Transjordanian areas and
Iran, tablets were found that enlightened our understanding of culture and
especially the role of women in society.
Thick
books were written on this subject. Many doctorates came from it. Data is not
in want. What one finds is an eye-opener to all.
Women
were high-priestesses, anointed for that position, were mentioned as matrimonial
inheritance reference. They were priestesses, and held very powerful positions
in relation to the king. In fact, many of them were the daughters of the king
himself.
Nabonidus
for example said in a cuneiform tablet that he wanted to make his daughter high-priestess
in a temple and he asked the god through an oracle if that can be done. The god
answered “no.” He asked again. Again “no.” He asked the third time and then the
answer was “yes.” His mother, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar was Adad-Gupti and she
became 109 years old. Died in 542 BCE. She was the high-priestess in Haran in a
Temple to the moon god Sin.
It
was all over the Levant.
Women
were bakers, real estate agents, business ladies, traders, in charge of
properties.
Israel
was the only country that in proper faith did not allow a female to be ordained
as a priest or high-priest.
Of
course there was Jezebel but she was high-priestess of Baal not of the true
religion.
The
push drive for the anointing or ordination of women in modern society runs
along the heathen way not the revelation of God way.
Women
have an important role to play but they do not need ordination or anointing to
do so.
If
anointing and ordination is the only difference between men and women religious
functions, then let it be.