what does an asherah pole look like

The branch He mentions is probably an Asherah, a tree or a wooden pole that stood for the fertility goddess. In the above article the author mentions Asherah as being the mother of the 70 gods of the Canaanite pantheon. The "asherahs" were usually upright wooden objects, often standing beside altars, and in at least eight instances they are described as carved. I watched a documentary on this made by PBS which is now on You Tube if i may say the name ? So I wonder how much close that myth can be to the literary insciptions found in the Bible, and how much Asherah can be understood as Astarte, as both of those goddesses are goddesses of love, war and fertility. 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). Jewish Women's Archive. 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. 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. Put simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. Atlanta: 1988. The Bible also connects sacred poles with the high places (open-air cult sites?) From Israels inception, God commanded His people not to worship idols or any other false gods (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). 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). What is an Asherah Pole (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. 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? During the reign of Josiah, the priest Hilkiah purged the images of Asherah from the Temple (2 Kings 23:6). Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. 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. 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. 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. Send us your question and well respond within 24 hours. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. So it seems they were not merely wooden poles, but probably quite large carved images. (1930) by Russian esoteric Christian Nicholas Roerich. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. What is an Asherah pole The Lord God Jehovah is perfect, man is not. The presence of Asherahs cult in Israel also raises questions about the nature of the monotheistic confession that is often assumed to be a core principle in Israelite faith. geographic south pole. The word itself is pronounced Ash-Ruh. Ash, like the stuff you have in the bottom of your fireplace, and ruh like the first part of Scooby-Doos ruh-roh. But what is it and what is the significance of it? 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). Under You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. ), 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. What does it mean that God is a jealous God? 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. Her principal epithet was probably She Who Walks on the Sea.. None the less, they were and have been instructed not to do this by the WORD of . Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. 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. 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 ). Like a pole or tree, they can be said to be planted, stood up, or erected. Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. You bet. 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. 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 ). WebAsherah poles were a representation of a Asherah, a Canaanite fertility goddess and consort of the gods. What does an asherah pole look like? - Answers (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. Upon entering the region, the ancient Israelites soon adopted her and gave her the Hebrew equivalent name of Asherah. 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. But by God we do not mean a general belief in his existence. The extra-biblical information we have concerning Asherah comes from the city of Ugarit from the 14th-12th-centuries B.C.E. 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. 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. 31 December 1999. 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. Asherah Ugaritic and other Canaanite materials further associate Asherah with lions (indicating power), serpents (representing immortality or healing), and sacred trees (signifying fertility). In the Authorized Asherah poles do not make an appearance. In Christ, we see the fullness of God made manifest. 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. 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. WebThe image of Asherah was a tree used by the Pagan Canaanites and Phoenicians. 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. This is because southern royal ideology typically described the kings metaphorical father as YHWH. 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. In Ugaritic literature, she was called Lady Asherah of the Sea.. (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. You so want to say God (Yaweh) had a wife. 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. 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. Archaeologists argue that these statues depict the goddess Asherah. the cross is a representation of Jesus to Christians. Does it make any difference? Asherah cannot provide what she promises. 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. ). 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. After all, Asherahs place in the pantheon is alongside Yahwehs, the supreme deity. The Queen Mother and the Cult in Ancient Israel. Journal The Sacred Poles. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? You have proven without doubt the disobedience of the chosen people of , to run after the gods of other nations. What, then, was an Asherah pole? 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. http://www.transoxiana.org/0108/roberts-enheduana.html, He will bruise your head and you will bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15). Put simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. This can easily happen in either the old Hebrew or the Aramaic script. There is some debate on whether these were actual living trees or wooden figures in the shape of trees. Wiggins, Steve A. Scant referrals in the Bible alert to the presence of a vilified female deity destined to be banished into oblivion. 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. WebFor instance the carved Asherah, also a pagan monument, represented female properties because it was carved to resemble the pagan goddess Ashtaroth (Astarte). How do we know? Lachish ewer dedicated to Asherah is decorated with images of sacred trees. Asherah 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) . Trees were revered as symbols of life and nourishment in arid regions and so became associated with Asherah and her cult. 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). Your email address will not be published. There is some biblical evidence that does see women as particularly attracted to goddess cults (for example, womens role in the cult of the queen of heaven, according to Jer 7:18 and 44:1719, 25), and the various female figurines found in domestic contexts at multiple Israelite sites might also suggest this, assuming, as many scholars do, that women played an especially important role in family-centered religious activities. It was closely associated with the worship of Baal: The Israelites did evil in the LORDs sight. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. In fact, the very notion of polytheism is inherent in the quest for Asherah. It could be that Astarte was a wife of Baal, or they are just praised together. 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. 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. Have We Turned Our Favorite Preachers and Teachers into Idols? These cult objects are generally described as being in the shape of a pole or stylized tree. 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. King Manasseh even placed there a carved image of the sacred pole, evidently a representation of the goddess Asherah. Even the angle at which she holds the torch is extraordinarily parallel much like a pole. For perhaps hundreds of years before Abraham migrated to what would become known as Israel, Asherah was revered as Athirat, Earth Mother and Fertility Two Millennia, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. The Ugarit excavation of 1928 put Asherah, the goddess, on the map again, after having lost her place for thousands of years. 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). 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. We will consider what/who is Asherah and the significant role it plays within the biblical narrative. Asherah 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. 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. She is often placed beside the chief male deity. This is always the remedy for idolatry. Olyan, Saul M. Asherah Two Millennia b.c.e. 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. of Biblical Literature 112 (1993): 385401. 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). But Israel disobeyed God and worshipped idols anyway, even bringing Asherah worship into the Temple in Jerusalem. The strategy for dealing with idolatry that we see employed in the minor prophets is that they are shown to be empty. Predominantly, the pillar figurines were found in private homes, suggesting their domesticity. The discussion of these texts revealed that scholars differ about the interpretation (of the Kuntillet el-'Ajrud inscriptions), reading either 'Asherata' or 'his Asherah' and also about the question whether only the sacred pole is implied. 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. Right on Elizabeth F 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: They would mockingly show the inadequacy of worshipping sticks of wood (that you have to craft) that you created while rejecting the living God. 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. I am reading aerato lamo assuming: (a) an original r got corrupted to d (see Cross-Freedman ibid. 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.. WebThe branch He mentions is probably an Asherah, a tree or a wooden pole that stood for the fertility goddess. 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. The year 1185 BC heralded a diaspora of the so-called Sea Peoples to the south-western coast of the Levantine. The full hymn reads: YHWH came from Sinai and shone forth. at his right hand his own Asherah.. (2022, November 28). (NLT). 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.) Totem Poles, Christmas Trees and Obelisks Part 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. A modest proposal is that they were originally living trees but eventually became wooden poles. 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. I can have my cake and eat it too. However, his son Amon resumed the degrading worship of Baal and Asherah, with its accompanying ceremonial prostitution. Plaque depicting Asherah. Examine the Core Theme of Reconciliation in the Bible, General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center, The term Asherah appears 40 times in the. WebAsherah was often associated with carved trees. [10] It was closely associated with the worship of Baal: The Israelites did evil in the LORDs sight. 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. and the Cult of Yahweh in Israel. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Ezekiel 8:17. Or perhaps the more fundamental question iswhat in the world is an Asherah pole? What causes infertility and how the IVF works? On occasion in Ugaritic myth, Asherah performs the maternal role of wet nurse. "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" Asherah worship turned good people into sex addicts. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? Most significant, though, in demonstrating Israels association of Asherah with sacred trees are biblical materials that describe the asherah (singular) or asherim (plural), the cult object(s) that are associated with the goddess Asherah more than thirty times in the Hebrew 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. Answer. When Asa reigned in Judah, He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. 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/Asherim: Bible." Source: northernway.org, By Mary Naples, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Weekly, Anya Leonard is the co-founder and Director of Classical Wisdom Weekly. (NLT). While there are voluminous artifacts identified as Asherah in the region, there are still pieces missing from the puzzle. Asherah of the Sea, as she is called there, was the consort of the old god El, the head of the pantheon, and she was the creator of the gods, their mother (Did God Really Have a Wife? by Shmuel Ahituv, BAR, Sept./Oct. Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. In the Bible, Asherah is both the Hebrew name of a pagan fertility goddess and the wooden cult object dedicated to her. She has an M.A. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Happy Womens History Month! Thus Asherahs children at Ugarit can be called her pride of lions; the goddess is called lady of the serpent in second-millennium B.C.E. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. God says that their wickedness was the same as sticking that idol (and what they were doing) right in His noseright in His face. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). A small votive statue of the Mother Goddess of Asherah. Asherah pole pole It surprises me to see so many people deny this information with fervor. And the history that we see of the Asherah pole is fitting for our own battle with idolatry. 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. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. It has been suggested that the poles represented the female principle, whereas the pillars represented the male principle. ( 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. New York: 2000. What does asherah pole But the gospel teaches something different. Therefore he asked for it, since his desire focused constantly on that site (p.221). Worship of Asherah in biblical times was widespread throughout Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. what does an asherah pole look like The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. inscriptions from the Sinai; the late-thirteenth-century B.C.E. Maybe you should read the Bible a little more for better understanding? Tim Keller says it well: idols cannot simply be removed. | 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. 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. Was Asherah Yahwehs wife, as many scholars now contend? It seems as well in 2 Chronicles, that the goodness or wickedness of a king is determined by what they did with the Asherim. ASHERAH Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. We see her worship in the form of a tree and right next to the altar. 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. ], 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). 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). Prior to this, we have abundant evidence that other gods and goddesses were worshipped in Israel in addition to (or sometimes instead of) YHWH. An eighth-century B.C.E. 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. She's within the Holy Trinity during the middle ages people used to say I baptize you in the name of The Father, The Son, and in the name of the Mother aka Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. Whether women, more generally, were more likely to be devotees of Asherahs cult is unknown. 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): The Bible also connects sacred poles with the high places (open-air cult sites?) Perhaps surprisingly, Asherah is mentioned in the early Hebrew Bible some forty separate times, although most often as an object of derision.

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