King Manasseh even placed there a carved image of the sacred pole, evidently a representation of the goddess Asherah. And nowhow much close can be Yahweh to Baal ? Therefore he asked for it, since his desire focused constantly on that site (p.221). Both the Greek and Latin translations of the Bible, moreover, render the words asherah and asherim as grove or wood.. Trees were revered as symbols of life and nourishment in arid regions and so became associated with Asherah and her cult. 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. Examine the Core Theme of Reconciliation in the Bible, General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center, The term Asherah appears 40 times in the. Have an update or correction? For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. 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). 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. 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. ( Looklex Encyclopaedia ), Top Image: Veiled Mother of the World (Deriv.) 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). 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). 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). He (Abraham) saw a light radiating from the cave, so there he prayed, and there the blessed Holy One spoke with him. According to ancient mythology, Asherah was the wife of El, who mothered 70 gods, including Baal, the most famous. They would mockingly show the inadequacy of worshipping sticks of wood (that you have to craft) that you created while rejecting the living God. Judges 6:26 describes the destruction of an Asherah pole by using it to fuel the fire of a sacrificial offering to the Lord: Then build an altar to the LORD your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. 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. We want to believe that what we do can move the heavens. Or perhaps the more fundamental question iswhat in the world is an Asherah pole? You bet. Reassessment of Asherah: A Study According to Textual Sources of the First WebAsherah was often associated with carved trees. 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? Baruch haba bshem Adoni YAHUAH. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. Fairchild, Mary. If you mean pieces of wood set up beside pagan altars on high hills, then that seems to have been pretty rooted out. (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. 7 Things I Would Do Differently if I Were Raising My Children California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Asherah in the Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Literature. 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. Her principal epithet was probably She Who Walks on the Sea.. Some scholars believe that asherim were not poles, but living trees (like the one depicted on the Tanaach Cult Stand). Ibid. One of these Pagan Phoenicians was "Jezebel" (Izebel), who married Ahab, king of Israel (Samaritan king). 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. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. | 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. ( Queen of Heaven ). (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. 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. Was her worship confined to folk religion only, or was her influence felt in the book religion of the Hebrew Bible as well? 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! In their mythology, the Canaanites (or Israelites of a certain Canaanite cult) sometimes paired Asherah with Yahweh, as though she was Yahwehs wife. From torch to toe the Statue of Liberty resembles a pole. The Israelites also worshiped Asherah from as early as the time immediately following the death of Joshua (Judges 2:13). The Lord God Jehovah is perfect, man is not. Ackerman, Susan. 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. John W. Ritenbaugh WebMeaning of asherah pole. Their father was El, and it is from this deity that the name Elohim is derived, meaning God or gods (70 gods or offspring of El). Who is Asherah? (Viewed on March 4, 2023)
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