Ashdod (in Oahspe) is one of the four chief false Gods who ruled under Osiris in the lower heavens in the time of Moses and the early Israelites.
Key details from Oahspe
Four chief Gods under Osiris
The Book of Saphah, in the section The Basis of the Ezra Bible, names Ashdod among the four chief Gods under Osiris.
IN the time of Moses, the people of Arabin'ya worshiped many Gods and Lords, whose high heavenly Captain was Osiris. Four chief Gods were under him; they were: Baal, Ashtaroth, Dagon and Ashdod. There were seven and twenty other Gods also, known to mortals.
Oahspe, Book of Saphah: The Basis of the Ezra Bible 1
So Ashdod belongs to a group of four major false Gods of that era:
- Baal
- Ashtaroth (Ashtoreth)
- Dagon
- Ashdod
The same section tells how, in the 397th year, “the Gods Baal and Ashtaroth triumphed, through their familiar spirits”, and moved the Israelites to anoint Saul as king (Book of Saphah: The Basis of the Ezra Bible 26).
Delivered from the hells and judged
Ashdod appears again in the Book of Es, near the coming of kosmon. God sends Gods and Goddesses to deliver the hells of the lower heavens. The chief false Gods are brought out of the hells to Paradise to be judged.
Of the false Gods and Goddesses thus delivered and brought before God, in Paradise, for judgment, the chiefs of them were: Ashtaroth, Dagon, Ashdod, Yotemas, Sathias, Goluth, Plutoya, Itis, Hamgad, Moak, Hoar, Baal, Ennochissa, Kabalactes, Gabriel and Looeamong.
Oahspe, Book of Es, Daughter of Jehovih 16:14
In the next chapter, Jehovih’s judgment is spoken over these false Gods. Whoever set up heavenly kingdoms is bound to the people of his dominion until even the lowest of them are raised (Book of Es 17).
What does Ashdod represent?
In Oahspe’s cosmology, Ashdod is a heavenly false God, a self-exalted angel who held a kingdom in the lower heavens and was worshiped by mortals on earth.
The 1882 Oahspe glossary lists “ashdod” among words that became synonyms: “Brahma, budha, christ, kriste, baal ashtaroth, dagon, vishnu, ashdod, knowledge, wisdom” and others. It does this in the entry for “Christians”.
In history, Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities, with Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath. It was known for its temple of Dagon (1 Samuel 5). Oahspe uses the name of this Philistine city for a distinct false God. That fits how the book recasts many ancient place names and cults as spiritual beings.
His role and fate
- Role: part of the Osirian confederacy of false Gods worshiped in Arabin’ya. Through familiar spirits, these Gods turned the Israelites away from the teachings of Moses.
- Later fate: Ashdod is delivered out of the hells with Ashtaroth, Dagon, Baal and others, and brought before God in Paradise for judgment, near the time of kosmon (Book of Es 16–17).
Summary
| Aspect | Details in Oahspe |
|---|---|
| Rank | One of the four chief Gods under Osiris |
| Allies | Baal, Ashtaroth, Dagon |
| Region | Arabin'ya, in the time of Moses |
| Earthly link | Likely tied to the Philistine city of Ashdod and its Dagon temple |
| Fate | Delivered from the hells and judged before God in Paradise, near kosmon (Book of Es 16:14) |
