The city of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast was home to the best cedars of Lebanon and seemed to have been an important center for the worship of Asherah. Her name means she who enriches. Asherah was mistranslated as grove in the King James Version of the Bible. Archaeological discoveries from the late 1970s and early 1980s have further indicated that, at least in the opinion of some ancient Israelites, YHWH and Asherah were appropriately worshipped as a pair. http://www.transoxiana.org/0108/roberts-enheduanna.html, If you look at the Anchor Bible Series on the book of Psalms you will notice that they are full of expressions borrowed from Canaanite mythology. From Israels inception, God commanded His people not to worship idols or any other false gods (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). Josiah reversed this course and took all of these pagan symbols out of the temple. Asherah is represented many times in various forms scattered throughout the region. (2Ki 21:7) Manasseh was disciplined by being taken captive to Babylon and, upon his returning to Jerusalem, showed he had profited from that discipline and cleansed Jehovahs house of idolatrous appendages. Asherah. She is most commonly depicted as a carved wooden image rather than by a proper name, which is why the Bible usually mentions her in the grammatical form as either an adjective or a noun (compare 2 Kings 23:6 vs. (1Ki 14:22-24; 2Ki 17:10) Only seldom did kings such as Hezekiah (and Josiah) come along, who removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars to pieces and cut down the sacred pole.2Ki 18:4; 2Ch 34:7. The ancient city of Eleusis in Greece was the site of one of the most mysterious and revered religious rites of ancient Greece, the Eleusinian Mysteries. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. John W. Ritenbaugh Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Both of these phrases are stereotypically used by the biblical writers to describe sites of idolatrous worship, implying, as does Judges 6, that the worship of Asherah was an apostate behavior in Israel and improper for followers of YHWH. Their children form the pantheon of the gods, who are said to number seventy; a Hittite myth similarly mentions the seventy-seven and eighty-eight children of Asherah. "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" Your email address will not be published. Or perhaps the more fundamental question iswhat in the world is an Asherah pole? He rebuilt the high places and set up altars for Baal and an Asherah pole. In mythological texts from the Late Bronze Age (c. 15501200 B.C.E) city-state of Ugarit, she is called the creatress of the gods; her consort at Ugarit, the god El, is called creator. El is also referred to as father and patriarch at Ugarit, as Asherah, likewise, is called mother. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles (Judges 3:7, NLT). He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and even made a carved image of Asherah and set it up in the Temple (2 Kings 21:7, NLT). If you only try to uproot them, they grow back; but they can be supplanted. Ancient Cults Do Not Shed Light On The OT http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/asherah-and-the-asherim-god… [], [] http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/asherah-and-the-asherim-god… [], Oops! The goddess Asherah and Asherah poles are in the Bible from Exodus to Micah, which shows that this form of idolatry was a constant thorn in Israels side. 2006, p.64). In the mid-1970s, a large pottery storage jar known as a pithos was found at Kuntillet Ajrud in the northeast part of the Sinai Peninsula. inscription from Khirbet el-Qom, about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem, contains similar language in 1 Kgs 15:13 and 2 Kgs 18:4, 21:7, and 23:6 (with parallels in 2 Chronicles) indicate that at least during certain points in the ninth, eighth, and seventh centuries B.C.E., Asherahs sacred pole was perceived as an appropriate icon to erect in Jerusalem, even in YHWHs temple. Predominantly, the pillar figurines were found in private homes, suggesting their domesticity. Asherah figures prominently as the wife of Elthe supreme godin a treasure trove of cuneiform texts found in the second millennium port city of Ugarit (in todays Northern Syria). No where in the Bible does it say God had a wife.. Do not take what great people have written in books and say it is right. 599-610). Tradition has it that Abraham chased the calf until it led him to the Cave of Macpelah which he later purchased from the Hittites, and they also worshipped a storm god that they borrowed from the Hurrians, Teshub. Asherah worship turned good people into sex addicts. Prior to this, we have abundant evidence that other gods and goddesses were worshipped in Israel in addition to (or sometimes instead of) YHWH. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Yet even in these earlier materials, we sometimes see evidence of a phenomenon that comes to dominate in the exilic period: the impulse to assimilate the attributes of the many gods and goddesses of older polytheistic systems to the one god, YHWH. A Hebrew word occurring frequently in the Bible (R. V.) and signifying, except in a few late passages noted below, a wooden post or pole planted near the altars of various gods. WebThe asherah is a cult object associated with this goddess but there is a lot of uncertainty about its specifics, whether it was a stylized tree or a pole, and how it was used. | The Word Ministries, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_09825.html, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200273085, http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200270520, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/asherah-and-the-asherim-god…, http://www.transoxiana.org/0108/roberts-enheduanna.html, http://www.transoxiana.org/0108/roberts-enheduana.html. Evidence suggests that Asherah was observed in ancient Israel and Judah as early as the 12th century BC, to a few decades before the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah (587-588 BC), a time known as the pre-exilic period. Source: northernway.org, By Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Weekly, Anya Leonard is the co-founder and Director of Classical Wisdom Weekly. But is removal and uprooting all that is required? ( Looklex Encyclopaedia ), Top Image: Veiled Mother of the World (Deriv.) An Asherah pole, like the ones found here, often represented trees associated with this mother goddess, but some archeologists believe they used living trees for these objects of religion. https://www.learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125 (accessed March 4, 2023). Why is God jealous. The initial objection to the rendering 'his Asherah' that a possessive pronoun could not be attached to a proper name, is increasingly proved to be unfounded by a great deal of comparative material (Especially P. Xella, 'Le dieu et sa desse: I'utilisation des suffixes pronominaux avec des thonymes d'Ebla Ugarit et Kuntillet 'Ajrud', UF 27 (1995), pp. These sacrifices usually consisted of the firstborn child of the person making the sacrifice (see Jeremiah 19:5). Yet increasingly, Asherahs influence in the region is becoming recognized by archaeologists and historians alike, with the expectation of further scrutiny and scholarship to come in this area. Scripture also references carved images of Asherah (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 21:7). And here are some pictures to wrap it all up: http://img2.timg.co.il/forums/1_153651851.JPG, http://img2.timg.co.il/forums/1_153688877.JPG. For example, one of the Canaanite epithets of Asherah, elat, goddess, is etymologically identical to the Hebrew word for the terebinth tree (ela). According to Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible manifestations of Asherah worship have been identified in Egyptian, Hittite, Philistine, and Arabic texts. So, the Asherah cult was prominent. Such religious symbols ("groves") are frequently alluded to in Scripture ( Exodus 34:13 ; Judges 6:25 ; 2 Kings 23:6 ; 1 Kings 16:33 , etc. A small votive statue of the Mother Goddess of Asherah. What we need is a living encounter with God. (Keller, Counterfeit Gods, 155). [The goddess Asherah (Astarte) is the name of the wife of the God of Israel? In Hebrew, she is known as Asherah. of Biblical Literature 105 (1986): 385408. Despite these and other references associating Asherah with apostasy, contemporary discoveries have further indicated that, at least in the opinion of some ancient Israelites, YHWH and Asherah were appropriately worshipped as a pair. Considered the moon-goddess, Asherah was often presented as a consort of Baal, the sun-god ( Judges 3:7, 6:28, 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4, 12:10 ). In the above article the author mentions Asherah as being the mother of the 70 gods of the Canaanite pantheon. But the most abundant of these are her pillar figurines which were popular from the 10th through the 7th centuries BC. Scant referrals in the Bible alert to the presence of a vilified female deity destined to be banished into oblivion. The Talmudic explanation of Binah is understanding one thing from something dissimilar. It is related to the word Bein meaning between. Thus, Binah implies distance and separation. ( Public Domain ), Whereas Asherahs influence was restrained in the official religion, her presence loomed large in the rural communities, most often in the form of figurines which are prolific in the region. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. (NLT). From what i know Asherah is a false god(dess) which the Children of Israel worshiped and abandoned God for. The year 1185 BC heralded a diaspora of the so-called Sea Peoples to the south-western coast of the Levantine. 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, Inspiring Mother Breaks Down after Earning Golden Buzzer with Celine Dion Hit, 7 Things that Will Keep Me from Coming Back to Your Church, 6 Truths about Jesus Coming into the World, 9 Christians You Don't Want to Sit Beside on Sunday Morning, 10 Things You Should Know about the Intermediate State of Death, 'You Raise Me Up' Duet Earns A Standing Ovation From The Judges, 7 Things I Would Do Differently if I Were Raising My Children Again. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down. (NLT). Were the pre-exilic Israelites and Judeans polytheistic ? The full hymn reads: YHWH came from Sinai and shone forth. at his right hand his own Asherah.. The prophets, like Isaiah, would look to a day when the worship of Gods people would be pure and there would be no Asherim to remain standing. Micah 5:14 spoke of the work of God in rooting out your Asherah images from among you. Which, according to Jeremiah, would have been a mighty task as there was Asherim beside every green tree and on the high hills (Jeremiah 17:2). They must be replaced. inscriptions from the Sinai; the late-thirteenth-century B.C.E. In their mythology, the Canaanites (or Israelites of a certain Canaanite cult) sometimes paired Asherah with Yahweh, as though she was Yahwehs wife. According to the biblical record, these sacred poles or stylized trees associated with Asherah were erected by the Israelites throughout most of their history, especially during the premonarchic (tribal) period (Judg 6:2526, 28, 30)) and during the period of the divided monarchy, both in the northern kingdom of Israel (1Kgs 14:15; 16:33; 2 Kgs 13:6; 17:10, 16; 23:15; and parallel references in 2 Chronicles) and in Judah, in the south (1 Kgs 14:23, 15:13; 2 Kgs 18:4; 21:3, 7; 23:6, 14; and parallel references in 2 Chronicles). Generally speaking, biblical scholars assume that full-blown, radical, or philosophical monotheism came to Israel fairly late in its history, during the time of the exile in the sixth century b.c.e. Some scholars believe that asherim were not poles, but living trees (like the one depicted on the Tanaach Cult Stand). In fact, the very notion of polytheism is inherent in the quest for Asherah. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. Either way, God made it clear that the people of Israel shouldnt flirt with such syncretism. For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Reassessment of Asherah: A Study According to Textual Sources of the First It was closely associated with the worship of Baal: The Israelites did evil in the LORDs sight. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. WebDramatically initiate end-to-end niches . The poles were either carved to look like trees or to resemble the goddess (this could also be reflected in the numerous pillar figurines found throughout Israel ). Trees, often connected to fertility, had been considered a sacred symbol for the nurturing figure of Asherah. No wonder those clay figurines were so popular, enabling immediate access to the goddess, while the serpent is planning his trap like acting inquisitive to find out which fruit is prohibited and she says something like Oh, I heard those cannabis cookies are a way too potent and those chocolate chip cookies are high in calories, and the serpent knows that the ingredient in chocolate makes her feel satisfied and she is not desiring for her husband (Genesis 3:16) It also states that God would put enmity between (bein) the woman and the serpent and between (bein) her descendants and serpent (Genesis 3:15), whose head is located at the lowest part of the human brain where the baser instincts are located. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? The 4.What Is an Asherah Pole and Does it Have Biblical Significance? These appendages of idolatry, likely phallic symbols, were associated with grossly immoral sex orgies, as is indicated by the reference to male prostitutes being in the land as early as Rehoboams reign. Their father was El, and it is from this deity that the name Elohim is derived, meaning God or gods (70 gods or offspring of El). However, there apparently was considerable overlapping in the roles of the three prominent goddesses of Baalism (Anath, Asherah, and Ashtoreth), as may be observed in extra-Biblical sources as well as in the Scriptural record. Nevertheless, the presence of Asherahs cult in the Jerusalem temple and in the cult city of Bethel indicates that worship of the goddess was also appealing to men, given that it was an all-male clergy that officiated at these (and at every) Israelite religious site. It makes a great difference to God! In Judges 6, a sacred pole of Asherah is said to have stood beside the altar of the Canaanite storm god, Baal. Iron Age Comb Made from Human Skull Discovered Near Cambridge, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt. It was essentially a phallic symbol. WebIf you look at the Statue of Liberty you will notice that near her feet the robe resembles a tree trunk. Not only was the queen mothers position in the palace generally paralleled by Asherahs position as mother goddess in the heavens, but also the queen mothers status as the wife of the kings father suggests an affinity to Asherahs cult. Because the breasts are exaggerated with the hands supporting them, they are thought to symbolize the nurturing aspect of the mother goddess. For perhaps hundreds of years before Abraham migrated to what would become known as Israel, Asherah was revered as Athirat, Earth Mother and Fertility Goddess. rim) is thought to refer to (1) a sacred pole representing Asherah, a Canaanite goddess of fertility (Jg 6:25,26), and (2) the goddess Asherah herself. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Unfortunately, our sources do not provide enough information to identify definitively which Israelites were particularly attracted to the worship of Asherah or the reasons for this attraction. of Biblical Literature 112 (1993): 385401. Was her worship confined to folk religion only, or was her influence felt in the book religion of the Hebrew Bible as well? (2Ki 13:6, ftn) However, it is not always possible to determine whether a particular scripture is to be understood as referring to the idolatrous object or to the goddess. Information and translations of asherah pole in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. What Is an Asherah Pole and Does it Have Biblical Significance? There is some debate on whether these were actual living trees or wooden figures in the shape of trees. While sorting through some 280,000 artifacts excavated from land reserved for a highway construction project running from Cambridge to the village of Huntingdon in eastern England, archaeologists affiliated with the Museum of London Archaeology discovered a miniature comb that was incredibly ancient and also made from a most unusual material. The story starts with Aquats father Daniel (Ezekial 15:14,20) who upon seeing the approach of the craftsman god Kothar wa-Khasis (skillful and clever), tells his wife to prepare a lamb. In the Scriptures, the Hebrew word for Asherah is used both for the goddess herself and for the poles erected in her honor. Subscribe to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: Asherah (also Ashtoreth or Astarte, though there may have been a distinction) was the primary goddess worshiped by the ancient Canaanites and neighboring peoples, including the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:10). The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Meanwhile Adam arose in his image, saw Abraham, and smiled, so Abraham knew he was destined to be buried there (The Zohar by Daniel Matt, vol.2, p.221). Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? The Israelites also worshiped Asherah from as early as the time immediately following the death of Joshua (Judges 2:13). This same command is given in Deuteronomy 7:5 and 12:3. Likewise, these writers do not always make a clear distinction between references to the goddess Asherah and the objects dedicated to her for worship. What they sowed earned captivity. Atlanta: Therefore, Asherah worship often took place in forested areas, under a tree, or in an area marked by a carved "Asherah pole," such as the one made by the evil King Manasseh ( 2 Kings 21:7 ). Article Images Copyright . The Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole found near Canaanite religious sites in honor of Asherah, a Canaanite mother goddess who is Els consort. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. In 1 Kings 14, we see that Jeroboam and his followers would be judged by the Lord because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger. The same judgment would befall Maacah, the mother of Asa, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily? Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. A In 2 Kings 17, we see how prominent the worship of Asherah and Baal had become throughout the land as they set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree. At this point, they were all-in on the worship of these false gods. If nobody could see them doing it, they thought, "Hey, I'm getting away with the perfect crime. Ready for a unique experience? By what? showing cannanite gods Baal and Astarte. One of the primary reasons Israel fell to the Assyrians was because of Gods anger over their worship of Asherah and Baal (2 Kings 17:523). Let us know. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire, Theyre Alive! However, we need to understand that they were committing their idolatry in private. He even went so far as to put the Asherah within the house of the Lord. They would mockingly show the inadequacy of worshipping sticks of wood (that you have to craft) that you created while rejecting the living God. But there is more than removal of idols (more than keeping yourself from temptation) that must take place if real holiness and dedication are to be the result. Archaeologists excavating an ancient cemetery in Israel have uncovered an idol which they believe dates the worship of the goddess Asherah back an incredible 7,500 years. Asherah worship was deeply sensual, involving illicit sex and ritual prostitution. Also, vessels in the temple were used to make sacrifices to Asherah (2 Kgs 23:4), and in a compound within the temples walls, women cult functionaries wove garments used to clothe Asherahs cult statue (2 Kgs 23:7). The extra-biblical information we have concerning Asherah comes from the city of Ugarit from the 14th-12th-centuries B.C.E. After all, Asherahs place in the pantheon is alongside Yahwehs, the supreme deity. : It was closely associated with the worship of Baal: The Israelites did evil in the LORDs sight. The statue appears such that she totally *could* be carved out of a single (yet giant) tree. In Judges 6, Gideon was called to tear down the altar to Baal and to cut down the Asherah that is beside it. Again, we see Asherah almost as a sidekick to the prominent male deity. Becerrillo: The Terrifying War Dog of the Spanish Conquistadors. During the period of the Judges, it is noted that the apostate Israelites went serving the Baals and the sacred poles [the Asherim]. (Jg 3:7, ftn; compare 2:13.) Historians and archaeologists have pieced together Asherahs narrative and found large chunks of it interwoven in the artifacts from the region and in the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible itself. Put simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. One of these Pagan Phoenicians was "Jezebel" (Izebel), who married Ahab, king of Israel (Samaritan king). What does asherah pole mean? : Monotheism in Ancient Israel and the Veneration of the Goddess Asherah (Biblical Seminar ) by Bob Becking, Meindert Dijkstra, Marjo C. A. Korpel, Karel J. H. Vriezen, Sheffield Academic Press 2001, p. 117. Does it make any difference? (Viewed on March 4, 2023)