The Name: A History of the Dual-Gendered Hebrew Name for God

The God of ancient Israel--universally referred to in the masculine today--was understood by its earliest worshipers to be a dual-gendered male-female deity. So argues Mark Sameth in The Name. Needless to say this is no small claim. Half the people on the planet are followers of one of the three Abrahamic religions--Judaism Christianity and Islam--each of which has roots in the ancient cult that worshiped this deity. The authors evidence however is compelling and his case meticulously constructed. The Hebrew name of God--YHWH--has not been uttered in public for over two thousand years. Some thought the lost pronunciation was Jehovah or Yahweh. But Sameth traces the name to the late Bronze Age and argues that it was expressed Hu-Hi--Hebrew for He-She. Among Jewish mystics we learn this has long been an open secret. What are the implications for us today if he was not God?