Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. an Asherah Pole This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. 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. 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? These sacred poles were situated in various locations. WebFor instance the carved Asherah, also a pagan monument, represented female properties because it was carved to resemble the pagan goddess Ashtaroth (Astarte). WebAn Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the Ugaritic mother goddess Asherah, consort of El. According to Giovanni Pettinato in Archives of Ebla; An Empire Inscribed in Clay (p.278-279), it is suggested that the word nesi referred to ruler in ancient Ebla and is related to the Egyptian term nsw or king (of upper Egypt) and the Sumerian term ensi or ruler and that these terms were imposed into the vocabulary of Sumer and Egypt when the Canaanite exerted their influence over them. Many scholars believe that Asherahs tree functioned in the Garden of Eden parable. Have We Turned Our Favorite Preachers and Teachers into Idols? That's all I have for now this was a very exciting Article to read thanks for Posting it much appreciated. That usage reflects a chain of associations. In a world beset by hardship and drought, likely a concern for fecundity was what attracted the rural Israelites and Judeans to the goddess Asherah, whom they associated with abundance. Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill. In a related sense, an asherah could refer to a wooden pole, effectively an indoor stand-in for a tree. Even while idolatry is reviled in the Hebrew Bible, ample archaeological evidence suggests that those living outside the metropolis idolized statuary and cult objects as part of their religion, leading one scholar to opine: Folk religion can be defined as everything that those who wrote the Bible condemned.. Only seven instances of Asherah are references to the goddess herself. was the goddess Asherah/Ashtoreth Literature has been divided into two camps as a result of the relation between literary allusions to an asherah and archaeological discoveries of Judaean pillar-figurines. They must be replaced. Sacrificial feasts were held in the sacred GROVES of Asherah in Jerusalem according to Apion." 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: (1930) by Russian esoteric Christian Nicholas Roerich. of Biblical Literature 105 (1986): 385408. Asherah 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! Asherah Maybe you should read the Bible a little more for better understanding? And why is she often found paired with Yahweh, the Hebrew god? Learn Religions, Nov. 28, 2022, learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. From what i know Asherah is a false god(dess) which the Children of Israel worshiped and abandoned God for. 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. 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. Its possible that the divine name Yahweh Elohim that appears in connection with the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2-3 may refer to Yahweh and His Asherah.. 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. Ready for a unique experience? "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" WebAsherah poles were a representation of a Asherah, a Canaanite fertility goddess and consort of the gods. It could be that all of the middleeastern goddesses of love, were very similiar in nature, together with Ishtar and Inanna. After all, Asherahs place in the pantheon is alongside Yahwehs, the supreme deity. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. But centuries ago, the land that is now the United States was a very different place As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. In the Kabbalah it is the attribute referred to as Binah, means understanding; God founded the earth with wisdom and established the heavens with understanding (Binah) (Proverbs 3:19); In a possible reference to the goddess; Say to Wisdom, You are my sister, and proclaim Understanding (Binah) a kinswoman (Proverbs 7:4). Instead, rural communities had their own religious beliefs using statuary and other artifacts. The north pole is not a country, so it doesn't have a flag. Atlanta: Asherah. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. Because the breasts are exaggerated with the hands supporting them, they are thought to symbolize the nurturing aspect of the mother goddess. Hezekiah also cut down the Asherah but Manasseh, his wicked son, rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed andmade an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done (2 Kings 21:3). ). geographic south pole. 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) . None the less, they were and have been instructed not to do this by the WORD of . Tracing the history of Asherah poles is an interesting study. The sacred poles apparently stood upright and were made of wood, or at least contained wood, the Israelites being commanded to cut them down and to burn them. 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. 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. You have proven without doubt the disobedience of the chosen people of , to run after the gods of other nations. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Information and translations of asherah pole in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. An Asherah pole was a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the pagan goddess Asherah, also known as Astarte. You so want to say God (Yaweh) had a wife. 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. (Nick Thompson/ CC BY NC SA 2.0 ), In fact, this phrase Yahweh and his Asherah was so quotidian that it actually appears in the Hebrew Bible itself. Ackerman, Susan. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. When Abraham first entered the cave, he saw a light, then dust scattered, revealing two graves. In the Scriptures, the Hebrew word for Asherah is used both for the goddess herself and for the poles erected in her honor. WebAn Asherah pole was a sacred pole (or sometimes a tree) that was used in the worship of the pagan goddess Asherah. "Asherah/Asherim: Bible." What was an Asherah pole Asherah pole ASHERAH and frequently mentions that they stood on every high hill and under every green tree (1 Kgs 14:23; 2 Kgs 17:10; 18:4; 21:3; 23:1314; 2 Chr 14:3; 17:6; 31:1; 33:3, 19; 34:3; Jer 17:2). WebAsherah was often associated with carved trees. The Lord God Jehovah is perfect, man is not. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? 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. 7 Things I Would Do Differently if I Were Raising My Children California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The "asherahs" were usually upright wooden objects, often standing beside altars, and in at least eight instances they are described as carved. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. (NLT). Was her worship confined to folk religion only, or was her influence felt in the book religion of the Hebrew Bible as well? 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). Asherah in the Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Literature. What does an asherah pole look like? - Answers Two Millennia, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Language that speaks of God as mother, for example (as in Deut 32:18; Num 11:1213; Isa 45:910, 49:15; 66:13), probably represents the assimilation of Asherahs maternal characteristics to YHWH. Answer. what does an asherah pole look like A Most people have that, yet their souls are riddled with idols. If a correspondence holds, then the trees of life and of knowledge in the Eden narrative may also reflect Asherah imagery. And the prophets began to exalt the fullness of the Lord and they would do so at the idols expense. 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). 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. In their minds, they thought it did not make any difference; it was not hurting anyone. Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. Another word for terebinth (alla) and two words for oak (elon and allon) are also closely related. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles (Judges 3:7, NLT). Idols are alluring at times because we want something tangible. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Olyan, Saul M. Asherah Both the Greek and Latin translations of the Bible, moreover, render the words asherah and asherim as grove or wood.. These cult objects are generally described as being in the shape of a pole or stylized tree. Canaanites associated Asherah with sacred trees, an association also found in the Israelite tradition. Why is God jealous. Webwhat does an asherah pole look like. 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). I don't believe her name is Asherah I think from what I've learned from Enoch and Jubilees Asherah was so supposed to have been married to a bad angel name Baraqiel or Baraqel it means Lightening Giver in Hebrew Baraqiel name was shortened I believe to Baal a weather deity like Zeus or Marmaduke in Babylon. Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. 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. Josiah reversed this course and took all of these pagan symbols out of the temple. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. For those ancient Israelites who saw Asherah as YHWHs consort, this should suggest a correspondence between the queen mother, the wife of the kings biological father on earth, and Asherah, the wife of YHWH, who was the kings metaphorical father in the heavens. You bet. In the time of Hezekiah, there was a similar revival to that of Asa. The Ugarit excavation of 1928 put Asherah, the goddess, on the map again, after having lost her place for thousands of years. The term images of Asherah is often used in the Hebrew Bible and it is thought that these pillar figurines are what the writers of the bible had in mind. WebPut simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. Wife Was this something present within their own communities that they would have to abandon once they reached the land, or would this be a new temptation for them upon coming into contact with these nations? They are not the last word, only the Bible . The cryptic blessing is in an early rendition of Deuteronomy 33.2-3, when Asherahs influence had not yet been fully subordinated. Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily? And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. From Israels inception, God commanded His people not to worship idols or any other false gods (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). Asherah and Idol Worship Its our plight that moved the heavensit is the LORD Himself who would come and rescue us. 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. But is removal and uprooting all that is required? It was reputed in local legend to be the seat of the god Wotan and to be haunted. Author: www.crosswalk.com Post date: 26 yesterday Rating: 3 (1036 reviews) Highest rating: 4 Low rated: 2 Summary: Send us your question and well respond within 24 hours. | 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. ( The Met ). Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. The extra-biblical information we have concerning Asherah comes from the city of Ugarit from the 14th-12th-centuries B.C.E. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. 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. 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. Another translation of carved Asherah pole is graven image of the grove (KJV). 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. Under ]. How do we know? 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. What does asherah pole mean? I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about 7,500-year-old Juniper Stump Is Believed Oldest Goddess Asherah Idol, about Tracing The Footprints Of The Philistines To Minoan Knossos On Crete, about The Resurrection of Asherah, Mother-Goddess of Humankind, about Goddess NinkharsagAncient Powerful Mother who Faded into The Holy Ghost, about Unravelling the Roots of Hera, the Wrathful Goddess of Marriage, Dizzying Inca Rope Bridges Were Grass-Made Marvels of Engineering. One possibility is that in royal circles, especially in the southern capital city of Jerusalem, the cult of Asherah was particularly attractive to the kings mother. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. Burial inscription from Khirbet el-Quom, 8th cent. 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. The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. Israels association of Asherah with sacred trees is repeated over thirty times in the Bible; many of these citations are stereotypically used by the biblical writers to describe sites of idolatrous worship, implying that the worship of Asherah was an apostate behavior in Israel and improper for followers of YHWH. 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). What does it mean that God is a jealous God? Inscription: Uriyahu the prince wrote it: Blessed be Uriyahu by Yahweh and his Asherah, for from his enemies he has saved him." Wiggins, Steve A. 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. Archaeologists speculate that it is an image of an Asherah pole. Were the pre-exilic Israelites and Judeans polytheistic ? 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. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. (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. (NLT). In a break with previous rulers, Sargon didnt appropriate the highest religious office but instead appointed his daughter as high priestess of the moon god. I've have been recently studying Cast Out Bible Books like for example Enoch an in Enoch 1 The Book of Watchers (200 Evil-Angel), Enoch was given a grand tour of Heaven accompanied by some good Angels He made it all the way to the throne room of God and made known The Holy Trinity I AM Yahweh, The Holy One and The Elect One Who is Christ the Reedemer in fact Enoch bears witness in Heaven watching The Ancient of Days going by an The Son of Man Christ follows close behind with 10000 Angels accompanying them both. 10 Reasons Why the Trial of Jesus Was Illegal. This is one of the helpful points that the Puritan John Owen made in his work The Mortification of Sin. And nowhow much close can be Yahweh to Baal ? I just have found that there were discovered cylinders from XIV century B.C. Right on Elizabeth F inscriptions that mention YHWH and his Asherah (meaning YHWHs companion [consort? It was essentially a phallic symbol. The statue appears such that she totally *could* be carved out of a single (yet giant) tree. Ibid. ( 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. Scripture does tell us however that the Asherah or groves were usually set up near Baal images, and that Asherah and Baal together symbolized both male and female sexual properties. Lovelock Cave: A Tale of Giants or A Giant Tale of Fiction? As much as the ruling elite tried to inhibit Asherah and Yahwehs marriage, their union appears solidified in an ancient blessing seen with some regularity at a number of excavation sites in the region. Asherah Asherah 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. This is stretching it a bit. How then did they worship? 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. WebIn Judges 6, a sacred pole of Asherah is said to have stood beside the altar of the Canaanite storm god, Baal. [8] This role gave her a similarly high rank in the Ugaritic pantheon.