Qetesh- Canaanite GodDeity"The Holy One"
Also known as: Qadesh, Qedesh, and Qudshu
Titles & Epithets
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Description
She stands nude on a lion's back, serpents in one hand and lotus flowers in the other, her gaze meeting the viewer directly. Her name, Qetesh, means simply "The Holy One," from the Semitic root q-d-sh. An image of sacred sexuality so compelling that Egyptian artisans at Deir el-Medina carved it onto their own votive stelae.
Mythology & Lore
The Holy One
Her name means "The Holy One," from the Semitic root q-d-sh, "sacred." Qetesh's image appears on stelae and plaques across the Levant: a woman standing frontally and nude on the back of a striding lion, serpents or lotus flowers held aloft in outstretched hands. Her gaze meets the viewer. In ancient art, where deities typically appear in profile, this direct address is unusual. She confronts you and offers what she holds with both hands.
Similar nude goddess plaques and gold pendants have turned up at sites throughout the Levant, in homes and shrines where people prayed for children and safe births. The image traveled to Egypt, where craftsmen at Deir el-Medina dedicated votive stelae to her and the Winchester College stele placed her between Min and Resheph in a triad of generative power.
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