Female Divinity in the Qur’an: In Conversation with the Bible and the Ancient Near East

Preface
Acknowledgments
Translation
Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
	Studies and Sources
	Methodology
	Contents
Chapter 2: The Ancient Tree
	Trees of Good and Evil
	Trees and Rivers in Paradise
	The Pledge Under the Tree
	Asherah and al-‘Uzza as God’s Wife
	Asherah and al-‘Uzza as “Queen of Heaven”
	Asherah Groves I: al-‘Uzza
	Asherah Groves II: The Tree of Hellfire
		The Tree of Zaqqum
			(A) The Tree of Death in Christianity
			(B) Burning Asherah in the Bible
			(C) Serpent Wielding Goddess of Egypt
	Asherah Groves III: Abu Lahab
	Birds of Heaven
	Winged Goddesses
	Weeping for Tammuz
Chapter 3: The Divine Couple
	The Life Cycle of Inanna and Dumuzi
	Plowing the Earth and Divine Intercourse
	Prayer Vigil or Nightly Intercourse?
	Queen of Heaven
	Queen of the Earth
	Fire and Smoke
	Allah’s Dwelling Place
Chapter 4: Divine Birth
	Q 97: Birth of the Qur’an
		The Night of Darkness
		The Descent of Inanna
		Venus and Mars
		Hymns on the Nativity
		Allat and al-‘Uzza
	Q 2: Born in the Month of Ramadan
		Arabian Calendars
		Celestial Childbirth
	Q 55: Astrological Symbols of Creation
		From Venus to Sophia
	Q 3: Virgin Mary and Zacharias the Priest
		Virgin and Priest in the Infancy Gospel
		Priestess and Priest in Arabia
		Mary as Second Wife?
	Q 113–114: The Amulet of Alexandra
		Demons and Sorcerers
		Near Eastern Magic
		Qur’anic Protection
Chapter 5: Daughters of God?
	The Origin of Triple Deities
	Triple Deities and Pagan Arabia
	Triple Deities and Christian Arabia
	The Pagan Trinity
		Demoted Daughters
		Allat Before Allah
	Biblical Monotheism and Fighting Pagans
		Erasing Female Power
		Sexual Violence and the Bible
	Female Power and Biblical Appropriation
		Sex and Creation
		Jealousy and Murder
		Death and Salvation
		Contradicting Nature
	Biblical Idolatry and Evil Women
		The Arab Hilkiah
	Female Symbol Versus Male Text
	Biblical Arabia and Qur’anic Compromise
Chapter 6: The Rise of Allah
	Q 53: Contesting Female Power
		Prophets and Priests of Allah
		Visions and Interpolations
			Allat Returns
		Condemning Female Names
		Reforming the Christian God
		Supplanting Allat’s Wisdom
		Vestiges of Pagan Prayer
	Subverting Female Divinity in the Qur’an
		A New Trinity?
		Gender Equality and Gender Hierarchy
		Muhammad’s Vision or “Satanic Verses?”
		Stoning the Pagan Trinity
	The Tripartite Unity
		(1) Allah—God of North Arabia
		(2) al-Rahman—God of South Arabia
		(3) al-Rahim—And Tripartite Monotheism
		Tripartite Monotheism and Unifying Arabia
	Dismantling Allah’s Family
		Co-Regents No More
		Disavowing Angels, Demons and Humans
	Merging Arabia’s Deities
Chapter 7: Conclusion
	Female Divinity as an Evolutionary Narrative
	Closing
Bibliography
Sources
Scholarship
Author Index
Place Index
Subject Index