Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. Would the Israelites have known of this worship before entering the Canaanite areas? The Bible also connects sacred poles with the high places (open-air cult sites?) Kevelaer, Germany: 1993. Asherah veneration was explicitly forbidden in the Jewish law: You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 16:21, NLT). and the Cult of Yahweh in Israel. In Ugaritic literature, she was called Lady Asherah of the Sea.. But the gospel teaches something different. 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). We see her worship in the form of a tree and right next to the altar. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the LORD with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship. 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. At times, to appease Baal and Asherah, human sacrifices were made. the cross is a representation of Jesus to Christians. Two Millennia b.c.e. Tracing the history of Asherah poles is an interesting study. For example, one of Asherahs sacred poles stood next to YHWHs altar at Bethel, one of the two great cult sites of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kgs 23:15). Conversely, when destroyed, these cult symbols can be described as being cut down, hewn down, or uprooted; they can also be said to be burned, overturned, or broken. Ackerman, Susan. Since the 1920s, archaeologists have uncovered more than 850 terracotta female figurines throughout Israel and Judah dating to the eighth and seventh century BC. Send us your question and well respond within 24 hours. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Yet despite these and other references associating Asherah with apostasy (for example, Exod 34:13; Deut 7:5; 12:3; Judg 3:7; 1 Kgs 18:19), and despite the fact that the Israelites are explicitly forbidden in Deut 16:21 to erect one of Asherahs sacred poles beside an altar of YHWH, there are multiple indications in biblical tradition that many in ancient Israel did regard Asherahs cult icon as an appropriate sacred symbol within the religion of YHWH. Asherah. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. By what? Put simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. The Lord warns the people of Israel, portending the consequences of their idolatry: 1 Kings 14:15Then the LORD will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. 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. This is stretching it a bit. 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. "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" 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. 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. However Asherah (as wikipedia said) was wife of sumerian god Anu, whileAstarte is known from the mythic Baal Cycle, which is a story of Baal fighting with Yam, god of the sea in cannanite mythology. An eighth-century B.C.E. And Ahab made an Asherah. When I read that verse my first instinct is to say, I sure hope he had a tissue. Is an Asherah a good thing, or a bad thing? ( Queen of Heaven ). Scripture also references carved images of Asherah (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 21:7). Maybe you should read the Bible a little more for better understanding? There is also a connection with Abraham whom the Hittites referred to as a prince and an ancient tradition of self-governance in Canaan; Hear us my lord, you are the prince (nesi) of God among us (Genesis 23:6). It could be that Astarte was a wife of Baal, or they are just praised together. Both Israel and Judah disregarded Gods express command not to set up sacred pillars and sacred poles; they placed them upon every high hill and under every luxuriant tree alongside the altars used for sacrifice. Ahab introduced his wife Jezebels pagan gods into Jewish worship by importing 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:146). (Jg 6:25) Jezebel, the Sidonian wife of Ahab the king of Israel, entertained at her table 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the sacred pole, or Asherah.1Ki 18:19. In Proverbs Wisdom is often referred to as Her at some point in 1st King's and 2nd Chronicles God became enraged for Judah and Israel's defiant worship of the Queen of Heaven in the form of Idolatry the 2nd Commandment from God in Exodus Chapter 20 and Deutronomy chapter 5 Thou Shall Not make unto the any Graven Image neither what is in the Air, what is in the Sea, what is on the Land He Shall Not Bow before them. WebThe branch He mentions is probably an Asherah, a tree or a wooden pole that stood for the fertility goddess. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. From the Israel Museum via Wikimedia Commons. The Wikipedia page on Khirbet el-Qom is about one of the sites where a reference to Yahweh and His Asherah was found in a double tomb near Hebron and the account of Abraham purchasing the Cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23:9) or the Cave of the Two Tombs that was for Sarah (who was possibly a priestess of the moon god Sin), was given a connection to the first ancestors in the book of Zohar: 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. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. In Christ, we see the fullness of God made manifest. Webcrimecon 2022 speakers. I just have found that there were discovered cylinders from XIV century B.C. Another translation of carved Asherah pole is graven image of the grove (KJV). But the most abundant of these are her pillar figurines which were popular from the 10th through the 7th centuries BC. Webwhat does an asherah pole look like. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? Asherah is represented many times in various forms scattered throughout the region. The Ras Shamra texts identify this goddess as the wife of the god El, the Creator of Creatures, and refer to her as Lady Asherah of the Sea and Progenitress of the Gods, this also making her the mother of Baal. WebIn Judges 6, a sacred pole of Asherah is said to have stood beside the altar of the Canaanite storm god, Baal. | 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. I would guess that Eve was acquiring the attributes of the Queen of Heaven in a microcosmic way when she said, I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh (Genesis 4:1) and there is no longer mention of Elohim since the woman is a partner with Yahweh. 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. Root them out of the land. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. (AT, JB) Others have not endeavored to make a distinction but have simply transliterated the Hebrew word (RS) or have consistently translated it sacred pole(s). (NW) In the older translations of the Bible, the Hebrew word has usually been rendered as grove(s). (KJ, Le) But this rendering is inappropriate in such texts as Judges 3:7 and 2Kings 23:6 (KJ), which speak of serving groves and bringing out the grove from the temple at Jerusalem. Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill. I think Ashera was all of the above: A goddess (in Ugarit it was the proper name of a specific goddess); A title for goddesses (such as the great goddess, the queen goddess or the spouse of the god X or Y); And, of course, a Cult Symbol such as a sacred tree, or a pole in a shape of a tree, or even a Menorah in a shape of a tree which stood in temples, and symbolized (at least originally, in the earlier days), the presence of these goddess in the worship sites, The suffix in the form of affiliation modifier ( = his Asherah) which is found in the inscriptions from Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-Qom, and which, in Hebrew, is typical for nouns and not for proper names, may refer to either a still cult object (in the form of a noun), or to a title of a goddess (then Yahweh and his Asherah might mean Yahweh and his queen-goddess) As for the suffix in the plural form which we find the Bible this is typical to the manner in which the Bible refers to other gods too, such as Baal (we find the form Bealim which means Baals) and Aashtoret (we find the form Ashtarot which means Ashtarots). Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. They are idols that must be rooted out of Israelite worship. For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. [8] This role gave her a similarly high rank in the Ugaritic pantheon. WebThe image of Asherah was a tree used by the Pagan Canaanites and Phoenicians. 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. Have We Turned Our Favorite Preachers and Teachers into Idols? She was occasionally called Elath (Elat), the Goddess, and may have also been called Qudshu, Holiness.. 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. The Hebrews were not to intermarry with pagan nations and were to avoid anything that might be seen as pagan worship (Leviticus 20:23; 2 Kings 17:15; Ezekiel 11:12). 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. Asherah cannot provide what she promises. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Those raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition may be surprised to learn that the god we were told was singularly sacred once had a wife. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. In Hebrew, she is known as Asherah. Women in Scripture. (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. 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. That's why God got angry and for the record Jesus said that the Unpardonable Sin is Sinning against the Holy Spirit there is no coming back from that blunder. God chose Israel to be his own special treasure and ordered the destruction of pagan altars and the cutting down of Asherah poles: Deuteronomy 7:56This is what you must do. (2022, November 28). Judah was punished for the sin of idol worship: Jeremiah 17:14The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron chiselengraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts and on the corners of their altars. WebSummary: An Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the Ugaritic mother goddess Asherah, consort of El. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. ), was allowed to remain standing by the reformer King Jehu (1 Kgs 16:33; 2 Kgs 13:6), even though Jehu was generally at pains to remove all non-Yahwistic cults and cult imagery from the land. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. (NLT). A Happy Womens History Month! A modest proposal is that they were originally living trees but eventually became wooden poles. Who was the Beelzebub/Beelzebul that the Pharisees attributed Christ's work to? I can have my cake and eat it too. The mention of these deities in the plural may indicate that each locality had its Baal and Asherah. What we need is a living encounter with God. (Keller, Counterfeit Gods, 155). Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols. Asherah Abraham prepares a calf for the visitors (Genesis 18:7) which happens to be the symbol of the fertility god Baal, who is noticably absent from the Tale of Aquat, perhaps off on a journey or just retired (1 Kings 18:27): I think the mere evidence of their present condition easily confirms that as well. Thus it appears that, although generally the biblical writersespecially certain prophets (Isa 17:8; 27:9; Jer 17:2; Mic 5:14) and the authors responsible for Deuteronomy, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, and 2 Chroniclesregarded Asherah worship as inappropriate, at least some and possibly many in ancient Israel incorporated the goddesss cult imagery and ritual into the cult of YHWH. Burial inscription from Khirbet el-Quom, 8th cent. Some scholars believe that asherim were not poles, but living trees (like the one depicted on the Tanaach Cult Stand). That's all I have for now this was a very exciting Article to read thanks for Posting it much appreciated. 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. Baal, the chief of the Canaanite pantheon, was the god of storm and bringer of rain. He was recognized as the sustainer of the fertility of crops, animals, and people. How do we know? Fairchild, Mary. I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. Understandings and Misunderstandings about the Ancient Practice of Sacred Prostitution, 7,500-year-old Juniper Stump Is Believed Oldest Goddess Asherah Idol, Tracing The Footprints Of The Philistines To Minoan Knossos On Crete, The Resurrection of Asherah, Mother-Goddess of Humankind, Unravelling the Roots of Hera, the Wrathful Goddess of Marriage. If that was the case, we would have seen the death of these Asherah poles when Asa, Hezekiah, or Jehosophat put in order stirring reforms and cut down the Asherim. (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. She has an M.A. This is because southern royal ideology typically described the kings metaphorical father as YHWH. Idols are alluring at times because we want something tangible. From the site of Kuntillet Ajrud, in the eastern Sinai, come three ninth- or eighth-century B.C.E. Asherah is not Eve, nor is she the wife of God for God does not have a wife ( Jesus has a Bride ie the Church) . For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, What is Shambhala? 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. Who is Asherah? We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. What they sowed earned captivity. [The goddess Asherah (Astarte) is the name of the wife of the God of Israel? Journal The inscription reads: I have blessed you by Yahweh.and his Asherah. Not only was this engraving found in the 9th-8th century BC Israelite caravanserai, Kuntillet Ajrud, the same text was found in a number of sites thought to be Yahweh sanctuaries, such as in Samaria, Jerusalem, Teman, and in the Biblical kingdom of Judah, at the ancient burial site of Khirbet el-Qom, dating to 750 BC. From what i know Asherah is a false god(dess) which the Children of Israel worshiped and abandoned God for. Very much like the lyrics of the famous She may be ancient Egypts most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter. Learn Religions. But is removal and uprooting all that is required? [9] Deuteronomy 12 has Yahweh commanding the destruction of her shrines so as to maintain purity of his worship. in Sociology from University of Edinburgh and studied at St. Johns College with a double major in Philosophy and the History of Math of Science. Read More. of Biblical Literature 105 (1986): 385408. However, as the book religion solidified, Asherah became increasingly marginalized in the scriptures to the point of being reduced to her cult objectthe stylized tree or wooden pole which became known as asherah or asherim. In the final revision of the history of the first temple period, Asherah is only a foreign deity that needed to be banned, though the Samaritans and Edomites still worshiped her after the Jews returned from captivity in Babylonia. 10 Reasons Why the Trial of Jesus Was Illegal. In the above article the author mentions Asherah as being the mother of the 70 gods of the Canaanite pantheon. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down. (NLT). But do we still have God-substitutes? 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. Asherah was known as the Mother or Creator of all the gods. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! WebAsherah poles were a representation of a Asherah, a Canaanite fertility goddess and consort of the gods. 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. Her principal epithet was probably She Who Walks on the Sea.. Whether as Asherah, Astarte, or any other name, feminine manifestations of the godhead were systematically and sometimes violently opposed by the religious authorities of the Kingdom of Judah and its Temple. The Old Testament writers do not give a detailed description of Asherah or an Asherah pole nor of the origin of the worship of Asherah. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. WebFor instance the carved Asherah, also a pagan monument, represented female properties because it was carved to resemble the pagan goddess Ashtaroth (Astarte). One of these Pagan Phoenicians was "Jezebel" (Izebel), who married Ahab, king of Israel (Samaritan king). The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Trees were revered as symbols of life and nourishment in arid regions and so became associated with Asherah and her cult. Why Do We Need to Be Crucified with Christ? Reassessment of Asherah: A Study According to Textual Sources of the First She was removed as queen mother and Asa cut down the Asherah and burned it in the river. 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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Worship of Asherah in biblical times was widespread throughout Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. There are other Hera, also known by her Latin title as Juno, is best known in Western culture as the wife of Zeus, king of the gods. 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). 1992. BC., Museum of Israel. 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). The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Author: www.crosswalk.com Post date: 26 yesterday Rating: 3 (1036 reviews) Highest rating: 4 Low rated: 2 Summary: In their mythology, the Canaanites (or Israelites of a certain Canaanite cult) sometimes paired Asherah with Yahweh, as though she was Yahwehs wife. Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. Under We will consider what/who is Asherah and the significant role it plays within the biblical narrative. 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. Atlanta: Tim Keller says it well: idols cannot simply be removed. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Right on Elizabeth F We want to believe that what we do can move the heavens. In their minds, they thought it did not make any difference; it was not hurting anyone. The statue appears such that she totally *could* be carved out of a single (yet giant) tree. I watched a documentary on this made by PBS which is now on You Tube if i may say the name ? Most people have that, yet their souls are riddled with idols. The Ugarit excavation of 1928 put Asherah, the goddess, on the map again, after having lost her place for thousands of years. 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. (From Forerunner Commentary). However, his son Amon resumed the degrading worship of Baal and Asherah, with its accompanying ceremonial prostitution. Ibid. Even if Asherah was no more than a sacred tree it's possible that it was worshipped alongside Yahweh. Because the breasts are exaggerated with the hands supporting them, they are thought to symbolize the nurturing aspect of the mother goddess. According to ancient mythology, Asherah was the wife of El, who mothered 70 gods, including Baal, the most famous. Another word for terebinth (alla) and two words for oak (elon and allon) are also closely related. WebRegarding Asherah: "In the Middle East the Goddess of the GROVE was Asherah, whose GROVES were found "on every high hill and under every green tree" 1 Kings 14:23. In a related sense, an asherah could refer to a wooden pole, effectively an indoor stand-in for a tree. She is often placed beside the chief male deity. The Hittites also had a pair of bull gods named Hurri and Surri and Hurri is obviously connected to the Hurrians, or mountain folk, while the name Surri is derived from the word Sar which means lord, king, perhaps referring to a ruling class. Was Asherah Yahwehs wife, as many scholars now contend? : ], the goddess Asherah) or his asherah (meaning YHWHs sacred pole that represents the goddess Asherah and that sits in his temple or beside his altar). King Manasseh even placed there a carved image of the sacred pole, evidently a representation of the goddess Asherah. They would mockingly show the inadequacy of worshipping sticks of wood (that you have to craft) that you created while rejecting the living God. Furthermore, this objection is no longer valid if one accepts that 'asherah', like Babylonian istaru might also mean a synonym or title for a goddess, in particular, the divine spouse. Meinhardt Dukstra El, the God of Israel Israel the people of YHWH: On the Origins of Ancient Israelite Yahwism in Only One God? The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg.
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