Shalom Safranim--
Is there any evidence that any of you know of, of the Shekhinah being the
name of a Mesopotamian or Canaanite goddess?
I'm looking at "Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic," by Burleigh
Muten, (2003), published by Barefoot Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
It's a children's book and I'm annotating it for a class.
I tend to be curmudgeonly and nit-picky when it comes to certain things and
on page 63, she lists "Shekinah" (her spelling) as a Mesopotamian/Canaanite
goddess. I'll quote:
"Shekinah is described in Hebrew lore as the mother of the
mysterious spirit world. She is the feminine part of all that exists.
Sometimes Shekinah is described as a door or gateway, a house or sacred
shrine. Sometimes she is portrayed as the tree of life that feeds all
beings. Girls and women continue to invoke Shekinah for guidance and
wisdom, and for her blessing."
1. Is there a source for this information?
2. I'm angry that the author does not list Shekinah as Jewish--what is this
Hebrew lore--besides Kabbalah?
3. Do we think of Shekhinah as a goddess or the presence of G-d?
What are your thoughts?
Todah rabbah,
Erika Zeitz, MLS Student, Youth Services Specialist & librarian at Ohev
Sholom in Kansas.
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