▁( J erem iah ▁ 2 : 2 0 ). ▁H ose a , ▁Jer em iah , ▁and ▁E zek iel ▁in ▁particular ▁bl ame ▁the ▁god dess ▁relig ions ▁for ▁making ▁Y ah we h ▁" je alous ," ▁and ▁c ite ▁his ▁je alous y ▁as ▁the ▁reason ▁Y ah we h ▁allowed ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁Jerusalem . ▁As ▁for ▁sexual ▁and ▁fert ility ▁r ites , ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁once ▁held ▁in ▁honor ▁in ▁Israel , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁throughout ▁the ▁ancient ▁world . ▁Although ▁their ▁nature ▁remains ▁uncertain , ▁sexual ▁r ites ▁typically ▁revol ved ▁around ▁women ▁of ▁power ▁and ▁influence , ▁such ▁as ▁Ma ac ah . ▁The ▁Heb rew ▁term ▁q ad is ht u , ▁usually ▁translated ▁as ▁" tem ple ▁prost it utes " ▁or ▁" sh r ine ▁prost it utes ," ▁literally ▁means ▁priest esses ▁or ▁pri ests . ▁ ▁Icon ography ▁ ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁found ▁an ▁early ▁link ▁between ▁Ash er ah ▁and ▁E ve , ▁based ▁upon ▁the ▁coinc idence ▁of ▁their ▁common ▁title ▁as ▁" the ▁mother ▁of ▁all ▁living " ▁in ▁Gen esis ▁ 3 : 2 0 ▁through ▁the ▁identification ▁with ▁the ▁Hur rian ▁mother ▁god dess ▁Heb at . ▁There ▁is ▁further ▁spec ulation ▁that ▁the ▁She k hin ah ▁as ▁a ▁femin ine ▁aspect ▁of ▁Y ah we h ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁cultural ▁memory ▁or ▁de volution ▁of ▁Ash er ah . ▁In ▁Christian ▁script ure , ▁the ▁She