Ben Sai

Judeo-Christian Polyandrous Goddess Ben Sai

Ben Sai, Judeo-Christian Polyandrous Goddess ???. Reviewed by Virginia R. Mollenkott, PhD. Christian Feminists, please do not be put off by the title of this astonishing book. Using many sources such as the Hebrew scriptures, the Talmud, ancient legends and myths, and the Book of Mormon, Ben Sai has described "an entirely new way to understand the Bible and its Holy Ghost, the female Ruagh-a Goddess who is symbolized by polyandrous animals and ... polyandrous imagery" (p. 10). [Polyandrous = one female married to multiple males.] And indeed, page after page, I was struck with the multiple symbols from across many ages describing "a kabalistic and biblical hope of Shekhinah's return" (p. 383). What Christians call "the Holy Spirit," the Divine Presence, Jewish people will honor as the Shekinah (p. 110). After delineating this Divine Presence for 398 pages followed by 1188 informative footnotes, Sai announces his conclusion: "If there is anything to monotheism-as so many, including Isaiah, like to believe-then that one true supreme being could be Goddess" (p. 398). Many stories of women in Scripture will jump into new life when seen through Ben Sai's lenses. And many symbols will achieve deeper significance-such as the beehive, ruled by a queen bee, and supported by drones who give their lives to produce hives full of honey. "The bee signif[ies] the life that comes from death" (p. 269). Anyone who needs to be reminded of the interpretive damage done by sloppy translation needs to read this tome. ("Logos is Greek for Dbr," p. 246: such information abounds on every page). Furthermore, Mr. Sai regularly uses words that admit he is working with conjecture, not doctrinal absolutism. He often uses words like "surmise," "hints at," "extrapolation," or "perhaps" to warn his readers not to jump too fast into certainty. But anyone who'd enjoy giving a jolt to her/his imagination, so that s/he slows down, considers context and symbolism, and sees deeper truths beneath the surface-this study is for that person. Nobody I know will have enough time on earth to track down and check the accuracy of Mr. Sai's tremendous number of sources. But the "imaginative jolt" is available on every page!