what does an asherah pole look like

The Canaanite association of Asherah with sacred trees is also found in Israelite tradition. Who was the Beelzebub/Beelzebul that the Pharisees attributed Christ's work to? 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). (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. What is an Asherah Pole Furthermore, the many artifacts representing Asherah and her cult from the region belies the biblical prohibition against the creation of idols. ], 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). 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. Rusty and rough looking. 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. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. They portray a woman clutching her exaggerated breasts as if offering them to a nursing child. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. (NLT). Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Calvary.". (2Ch 33:11-13, 15, 21-23) This made it necessary for righteous King Josiah, who succeeded Amon to the throne, to pull down the houses of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women were weaving tent shrines for the sacred pole.2Ki 23:4-7. 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). Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down. (NLT). You have proven without doubt the disobedience of the chosen people of , to run after the gods of other nations. what does an asherah pole look like 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. And the prophets began to exalt the fullness of the Lord and they would do so at the idols expense. Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. There is some debate on whether these were actual living trees or wooden figures in the shape of trees. inscriptions that mention YHWH and his Asherah (meaning YHWHs companion [consort? 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 year 1185 BC heralded a diaspora of the so-called Sea Peoples to the south-western coast of the Levantine. Under 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. It could be that all of the middleeastern goddesses of love, were very similiar in nature, together with Ishtar and Inanna. Christian Truth. The Bible also connects sacred poles with the high places (open-air cult sites?) 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. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. 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. 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. 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. what does an asherah pole look like 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. 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By and large, the biblical writers were unhappy that Asherah shared the same platform with their male deity, Yahweh, and repeatedly tried to dissuade their pairing. 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. 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. Prior to this, we have abundant evidence that other gods and goddesses were worshipped in Israel in addition to (or sometimes instead of) YHWH. That usage reflects a chain of associations. (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. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. 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. Wiggins, Steve A. 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. From torch to toe the Statue of Liberty resembles a pole. 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. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. Let us know. Asherah Another word for terebinth (alla) and two words for oak (elon and allon) are also closely related. She has an M.A. But this revival would only last about as long as Asaas only a short time thereafter Ahab made an Asherah and did more to provoke the LORDto anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.. 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). The branch He mentions is probably an Asherah, a tree or a wooden pole that stood for the fertility goddess. 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! Why Do We Need to Be Crucified with Christ? and the Cult of Yahweh in Israel. She was occasionally called Elath (Elat), the Goddess, and may have also been called Qudshu, Holiness.. ( Looklex Encyclopaedia ), Top Image: Veiled Mother of the World (Deriv.) He cut down her obscene pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley (1 Kings 15:1213, NLT; see also 2 Chronicles 15:16). Information and translations of asherah pole in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. In Christ, we see the fullness of God made manifest. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? In older translations, it will often be interpreted as grove. Their appearance in the Old Testament, as to be expected, is always in the negative. (NLT). Even if Asherah was no more than a sacred tree it's possible that it was worshipped alongside Yahweh. I just have found that there were discovered cylinders from XIV century B.C. For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Learn Religions, Nov. 28, 2022, learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. (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. 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. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever. (NLT). We see her worship in the form of a tree and right next to the altar. "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" Trees, often connected to fertility, had been considered a sacred symbol for the nurturing figure of Asherah. Totem Poles, Christmas Trees and Obelisks Part Asherah in the Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Literature. The Lord God Jehovah is perfect, man is not. 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. Learn Religions. In Hebrew, she is known as Asherah. 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.. 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! 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. The Ugarit excavation of 1928 put Asherah, the goddess, on the map again, after having lost her place for thousands of years. WebIf you look at the Statue of Liberty you will notice that near her feet the robe resembles a tree trunk. They must be replaced. The main reason Israel was exiled was because of her sins of idolatry: 2 Kings 17:16They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. Wife 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). 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. Asherah What Is an Asherah Pole and Does it Have Biblical Significance? AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Asherah Lachish ewer dedicated to Asherah is decorated with images of sacred trees. 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. Sacrificial feasts were held in the sacred GROVES of Asherah in Jerusalem according to Apion." They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles (Judges 3:7, NLT ). Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill. Lovelock Cave: A Tale of Giants or A Giant Tale of Fiction? Seven years shall Baal fail, eight the Rider of the Clouds. ( Queen of Heaven ). You so want to say God (Yaweh) had a wife. An eighth-century B.C.E. But Israel disobeyed God and worshipped idols anyway, even bringing Asherah worship into the Temple in Jerusalem. A little leaven would work through the whole lump and before long they were fully engaged in syncretic worship; having idols, like Asherah, in the very temple of YHWH. A famous Asherah pole stood in Samaria in the days of King Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:6). Asherah 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. This name brings to mind the founder of the Akkadian Empire, Sargon, or Sarukin (legitamate king) and his descendant on the throne who was the last functioning emperor, Sharkalisharri (king of all kings). Many scholars believe that Asherahs tree functioned in the Garden of Eden parable. 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. Was Asherah Yahwehs wife, as many scholars now contend? 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 ). In ancient times these altars were typically built under green trees. Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily? the cross is a representation of Jesus to Christians. What the Bible says about 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.. In the Authorized Nearly all instances of Asherah in the Bible refer to a sacred pole constructed by human hands and erected in honor of the fertility goddess. By way of contrast, the intellectual community in the metropolis produced a text, which was written entirely from the perspective of the upper or ruling classes. He even went so far as to put the Asherah within the house of the Lord. This is always the remedy for idolatry. Most people have that, yet their souls are riddled with idols. God says that their wickedness was the same as sticking that idol (and what they were doing) right in His noseright in His face. According to ancient mythology, Asherah was the wife of El, who mothered 70 gods, including Baal, the most famous. 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). Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. Source: northernway.org, By Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Weekly, Anya Leonard is the co-founder and Director of Classical Wisdom Weekly. One of these Pagan Phoenicians was "Jezebel" (Izebel), who married Ahab, king of Israel (Samaritan king). In fact, the very notion of polytheism is inherent in the quest for Asherah. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? This fact suggests that Jehu perceived the sacred pole as appropriate in the worship of YHWH. Have an update or correction? 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). The ruling elite propagandized against goddess worship by integrating the story of the fall of mankind to the tree which was clearlyassociated with Asherah. Have We Turned Our Favorite Preachers and Teachers into Idols? Josiah reversed this course and took all of these pagan symbols out of the temple. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Who Is Asherah in the Bible? 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. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, The Green Children of Woolpit: Legendary Visitors from Another World, Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals. BC., Museum of Israel. what does an asherah pole look like Reassessment of Asherah: A Study According to Textual Sources of the First Kevelaer, Germany: 1993. what does an asherah pole look like 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. Put simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. In their minds, they thought it did not make any difference; it was not hurting anyone. 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. Why is God jealous. They are not the last word, only the Bible . And how do you even pronounce it? Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. If Jezebel had the goddess Asherah Astarteas the one she worshiped.. One should know it was nothing to do with The Lord God most High Jehovah. He (Abraham) saw a light radiating from the cave, so there he prayed, and there the blessed Holy One spoke with him. It has been suggested that the poles represented the female principle, whereas the pillars represented the male principle. They must be uprooted. I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. Likewise, these writers do not always make a clear distinction between references to the goddess Asherah and the objects dedicated to her for worship. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. ASHERAH 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. 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