59:
71:
555:
31:
543:
382:
Biblical archaeologists have suggested that until the 6th century BC the
Israelite peoples had household shrines, or at least figurines, of Asherah, which are strikingly common in the archaeological remains. Thus, the pro-Yahwist prophets and priests were the "innovators" whilst Asherah worshippers
355:
your God" or as living trees: "You shall not plant any tree as an
Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God which you shall make". That Asherahs were not always living trees is shown in 1 Kings 14:23: "their asherim, beside every luxuriant tree". However, the record indicates that the Jewish
441:
Ronald Hendel argues a middle ground is possible, where the
Asherah pole is a symbol of the eponymous goddess but is believed to be the mediator between the worshipper and Yahweh, where she becomes the "effective bestower of blessing".
295:; no word that may be translated as "poles" appears in the text. Scholars have indicated, however, that the plural use of the term (English "Asherahs", translating Hebrew
483:
438:
pairs Yahweh with
Asherah. Scholars believe Asherah is merely a cultic object or temple but others argue that it is a generic name for any consort of Yahweh.
393:’s iconography can be traced to representations of a sacred tree, possibly “based on the form of an asherah, perhaps one associated in particular with
398:
424:
Due to its role in Iron Age
Yahwism, some suggest they were embodiments of Yahweh himself. Evidence for the latter includes pro-Yahwist kings like
453:, many Near Easterners believed symbols and cult images, like the Asherah pole, were reflections of the divine and the divine themselves in their
1059:
1413:
730:, p. 402 – "Which would be odd if the Asherim were themselves trees", noting that there is general agreement that the
989:
960:
885:
841:
755:
449:) were built on the awareness that Yahweh had a consort, from the perspective of many Israelites. With the exception of
910:
428:
not destroying
Asherah poles, despite violently suppressing non-Yahwist cults. In addition, the Yahwist inscription of
1434:
1052:
684:
587:(Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press) 1949; the connection of the pillar figurines with Asherah was made by
307:) provides ample evidence that reference is being made to objects of worship rather than a transcendent figure.
1439:
950:
446:
1479:
1464:
1444:
1045:
292:
1454:
1449:
533:
1489:
1403:
872:(Volume 381 of Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series, Illustrated). London:
368:
reforms in the late 7th century BC included the destruction of many
Asherah poles (2 Kings 23:14).
1484:
1474:
1469:
1459:
49:. A tree incised on the facade and flanked by two female figures is thought to represent Asherah.
17:
374:
34:13 states: "Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their
Asherim ."
1494:
877:
747:
The Bible
Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Sacred Texts
831:
1009:
Day, John (September 1986). "Asherah in the Hebrew Bible and
Northwest Semitic Literature".
865:
124:
and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate.
1504:
984:. Orbis biblicus et orientalis. Vol. 263. Fribourg: Academic Press. pp. 134–135.
861:
814:, may have been based on the form of an asherah, perhaps one associated in particular with
526:
679:, Second Extensively Revised Edition, pp. 99-105, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
445:
Stéphanie Anthonioz says that early references to Asherah poles in the Hebrew Bible (i.e.
348:
whether rendered as poles: "Do not set up any Asherah beside the altar you build to the
8:
1377:
1299:
1221:
1153:
1068:
361:
212:
151:, and thus objects of contention among competing cults. Most English translations of the
38:
868:
Jerusalem in ancient history and tradition: Conference in Jordan on 12 - 14 October 2001
583:, (Belnap Press, Harvard) 2004, p. 418; a book-length scholarly treatment is W.L. Reed,
1398:
1026:
857:
593:
511:
409:
255:
224:
113:
1372:
1329:
1242:
1191:
1146:
1102:
985:
956:
906:
881:
866:
837:
801:
751:
702:
are translators' interpolations in the text, which makes no such characterization of
680:
357:
1499:
1324:
1171:
1082:
1018:
793:
547:
454:
232:
1408:
1309:
745:
554:
521:
478:
435:
430:
140:
30:
833:
The Menorah, the Ancient Seven-armed Candelabrum: Origin, Form, and Significance
610:(Oxford: Tempus Reparatum), 1996; Kletter gives a catalogue of material remains.
1176:
1111:
1087:
873:
797:
516:
390:
386:
371:
315:
228:
220:
216:
208:
144:
98:, appear on her thighs. The figurine may have been held by women in childbirth.
1428:
1393:
1345:
1314:
1139:
805:
619:
W.G. Dever, "Asherah, Consort of Yahweh? New Evidence from Kuntillet ʿAjrûd"
588:
450:
404:
236:
502:, orthostat, or standing stone: upright stone, typically from the Bronze Age
628:
311:
204:
152:
87:
927:
1237:
811:
559:
132:
784:
Taylor, Joan E. (1995). "The Asherah, the Menorah and the Sacred Tree".
715:
1319:
1304:
1252:
1196:
1107:
1030:
472:
314:
suggests that the poles were made of wood. In the sixth chapter of the
259:
1037:
810:
The shape of the Temple menorah, which appeared like a cut and pruned
952:
Remembering Abraham: Culture, Memory, and History in the Hebrew Bible
772:
Did God have a Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel
631:, "God Male and Female in the Old Testament: Yahweh and his Asherah"
319:
46:
34:
1022:
1211:
1206:
1186:
1163:
1129:
1124:
1097:
977:
488:
136:
1216:
1201:
1134:
1119:
283:
117:
83:
1339:
1294:
1273:
982:
Ishtar / Astarte / Aphrodite : Transformation of a Goddess
815:
499:
494:
466:
394:
365:
323:
148:
91:
1367:
1289:
1268:
1181:
1092:
505:
273:
263:
42:
905:(1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 44–49.
1362:
1247:
623:,1984; D.N. Freedman, "Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah",
425:
334:
327:
109:
95:
608:
The Judean Pillar-Figurines and the Archaeology of Asherah
484:
Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology
356:
people often departed from this ideal. For example, King
326:
to cut down an Asherah pole that was next to an altar to
135:
related to the worship of Asherah, the consort of either
377:
647:
645:
635:, 1987; J.M. Hadley "The Khirbet el-Qom Inscription",
621:
Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
531:
743:
642:
744:Finkelstein, Israel; Silberman, Neil Asher (2002).
606:Summarized and sharply criticized in Raz Kletter's
198:
978:"Astarte in the Bible and her Relation to Asherah"
716:Various translations of Deuteronomy 16.21 compared
491:, sacred pillar (Hebrew Bible) or Jewish headstone
421:So far, the purpose of Asherah poles are unknown.
925:
903:The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel
721:
657:
1426:
407:identified the pillar figurines with Asherah in
330:. The wood was to be used for a burnt offering.
120:. The relation of the literary references to an
82:13th-century BC statuette depicting the goddess
856:
27:Canaanite sacred tree or pole honouring goddess
675:van der Toorn, Becking, van der Horst (1999),
1053:
969:
926:Smoak, Jeremy; Schniedewind, William (2019).
677:Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible
508:, stone or wooden slab erected as a monument
302:
296:
249:
240:
190:
182:
176:
170:
162:
156:
286:
1060:
1046:
955:. Oxford University Press. pp. 3–30.
786:Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
975:
750:. Simon and Schuster. pp. 242, 288.
116:religious locations to honor the goddess
829:
29:
1067:
94:. Her symbols, the sacred tree and the
14:
1427:
948:
900:
783:
1041:
378:Asherah poles in biblical archaeology
318:, God is recorded as instructing the
1008:
727:
663:
651:
241:
239:. The term often appears as merely
183:
163:
24:
942:
894:
25:
1516:
254:) referred to as "groves" in the
585:The Asherah in the Old Testament
553:
541:
401:finds this hypothesis unlikely.
199:References from the Hebrew Bible
69:
57:
980:. In Sugimoto, David T. (ed.).
919:
850:
823:
777:
764:
737:
469:, type of sacred standing stone
1011:Journal of Biblical Literature
928:"Religion at Kuntillet ʿAjrud"
709:
689:
669:
613:
600:
581:Religions of the Ancient World
573:
360:placed an Asherah pole in the
333:Deuteronomy 16:21 states that
13:
1:
976:Anthonioz, Stéphanie (2014).
566:
203:Asherim are mentioned in the
901:Sommer, Benjamin D. (2011).
383:were the "traditionalists".
293:New Revised Standard Version
7:
460:
303:
297:
250:
191:
177:
171:
157:
155:translate the Hebrew words
10:
1521:
1002:
938:(3): 211 – via MDPI.
798:10.1177/030908929502006602
625:The Biblical Archaeologist
416:
274:
264:
45:designed in the form of a
41:, Tel Aviv: a rectangular
1404:Mekhilta le-Sefer Devarim
1386:
1355:
1282:
1261:
1230:
1162:
1075:
836:. BRILL. pp. 38–39.
830:Hachlili, Rachel (2001).
579:Sarah Iles Johnston, ed.
475:, raised place of worship
242:
184:
164:
139:or, as inscriptions from
1435:Ancient Israel and Judah
112:or pole that stood near
949:Hendel, Ronald (2005).
287:
195:) to "Asherah poles".
50:
862:Jayyusi, Salma Khadra
734:were man-made objects
527:Judean pillar figures
364:(2 Kings 21:7). King
291:, and "poles" in the
33:
1440:Hebrew Bible objects
447:Deuteronomy 16:21–22
258:, which follows the
1480:Books of Chronicles
1465:Book of Deuteronomy
1445:Levantine mythology
1378:Papyrus Rylands 458
1300:Gathering of Israel
1069:Book of Deuteronomy
858:Thompson, Thomas L.
633:Theological Studies
227:, and the books of
39:Eretz Israel Museum
1399:Deuteronomy Rabbah
770:William G. Dever,
654:, pp. 401–04.
594:The Hebrew Goddess
512:Trees in mythology
410:The Hebrew Goddess
337:(rendered as "the
256:King James Version
225:Book of Chronicles
86:nursing the twins
51:
37:exhibition at the
1455:Trees in religion
1450:Religious objects
1422:
1421:
1373:Papyrus Fouad 266
1330:Deuteronomic Code
991:978-3-525-54388-7
962:978-0-19-978462-2
887:978-0-567-08360-9
843:978-90-04-12017-4
757:978-0-7432-2338-6
637:Vetus Testamentum
455:anthropomorphized
16:(Redirected from
1512:
1490:Book of Jeremiah
1414:Textual variants
1325:Ten Commandments
1222:V'Zot HaBerachah
1062:
1055:
1048:
1039:
1038:
1034:
996:
995:
973:
967:
966:
946:
940:
939:
923:
917:
916:
898:
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871:
854:
848:
847:
827:
821:
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761:
741:
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719:
713:
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693:
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655:
649:
640:
617:
611:
604:
598:
577:
558:
557:
546:
545:
544:
537:
431:Kuntillet ʿAjrud
354:
353:
343:
342:
306:
300:
290:
277:
276:
267:
266:
253:
247:
246:
244:
207:in the books of
194:
189:
188:
186:
180:
174:
169:
168:
166:
160:
141:Kuntillet ‘Ajrud
73:
72:
61:
60:
21:
1520:
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1515:
1514:
1513:
1511:
1510:
1509:
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1424:
1423:
1418:
1382:
1351:
1310:Jewish holidays
1278:
1257:
1226:
1158:
1071:
1066:
1023:10.2307/3260509
1005:
1000:
999:
992:
974:
970:
963:
947:
943:
924:
920:
913:
899:
895:
888:
874:T & T Clark
864:, eds. (2003).
855:
851:
844:
828:
824:
782:
778:
769:
765:
758:
742:
738:
726:
722:
714:
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694:
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674:
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658:
650:
643:
618:
614:
605:
601:
578:
574:
569:
564:
552:
542:
540:
532:
522:Boaz and Jachin
479:Ceremonial pole
463:
436:Sinai Peninsula
419:
399:Rachel Hachlili
380:
351:
349:
340:
338:
201:
102:
101:
100:
99:
79:
78:
77:
74:
70:
66:
65:
62:
58:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1518:
1508:
1507:
1502:
1497:
1492:
1487:
1485:Book of Isaiah
1482:
1477:
1475:Books of Kings
1472:
1470:Book of Judges
1467:
1462:
1460:Book of Exodus
1457:
1452:
1447:
1442:
1437:
1420:
1419:
1417:
1416:
1411:
1406:
1401:
1396:
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1234:
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1228:
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1225:
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1214:
1209:
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1199:
1194:
1189:
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1168:
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1144:
1137:
1132:
1127:
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1117:
1105:
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1095:
1090:
1085:
1079:
1077:
1073:
1072:
1065:
1064:
1057:
1050:
1042:
1036:
1035:
1017:(3): 385–408.
1004:
1001:
998:
997:
990:
968:
961:
941:
918:
912:978-1107422261
911:
893:
886:
849:
842:
822:
776:
763:
756:
736:
720:
708:
688:
668:
666:, p. 401.
656:
641:
612:
599:
571:
570:
568:
565:
563:
562:
550:
530:
529:
524:
519:
514:
509:
503:
497:
492:
486:
481:
476:
470:
462:
459:
451:Deuteronomists
418:
415:
391:temple menorah
387:Joan E. Taylor
379:
376:
316:Book of Judges
221:Books of Kings
200:
197:
145:Khirbet el-Qom
81:
80:
75:
68:
67:
63:
56:
55:
54:
53:
52:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1517:
1506:
1503:
1501:
1498:
1496:
1495:Book of Micah
1493:
1491:
1488:
1486:
1483:
1481:
1478:
1476:
1473:
1471:
1468:
1466:
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1432:
1430:
1415:
1412:
1410:
1407:
1405:
1402:
1400:
1397:
1395:
1394:Deuteronomist
1392:
1391:
1389:
1385:
1379:
1376:
1374:
1371:
1369:
1366:
1364:
1361:
1360:
1358:
1354:
1348:
1347:
1346:Shema Yisrael
1343:
1341:
1338:
1336:
1333:
1331:
1328:
1326:
1323:
1321:
1318:
1316:
1315:Song of Moses
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1272:
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1260:
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1249:
1246:
1244:
1243:Kadesh–barnea
1241:
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1229:
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983:
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904:
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883:
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853:
845:
839:
835:
834:
826:
819:
817:
813:
807:
803:
799:
795:
792:(66): 29–54.
791:
787:
780:
773:
767:
759:
753:
749:
748:
740:
733:
729:
724:
717:
712:
705:
701:
697:
692:
686:
685:0-8028-2491-9
682:
678:
672:
665:
660:
653:
648:
646:
638:
634:
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622:
616:
609:
603:
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589:Raphael Patai
586:
582:
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433:
432:
427:
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414:
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411:
406:
405:Raphael Patai
402:
400:
396:
392:
389:suggests the
388:
384:
375:
373:
369:
367:
363:
359:
347:
336:
331:
329:
325:
321:
317:
313:
308:
305:
299:
294:
289:
285:
281:
271:
262:rendering as
261:
257:
252:
238:
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226:
223:, the second
222:
218:
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206:
196:
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159:
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115:
111:
107:
97:
93:
89:
85:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
19:
1344:
1335:Asherah pole
1334:
1147:
1140:
1112:
1014:
1010:
981:
971:
951:
944:
935:
931:
921:
902:
896:
867:
852:
832:
825:
809:
789:
785:
779:
771:
766:
746:
739:
731:
723:
711:
703:
699:
695:
691:
676:
671:
659:
636:
632:
629:Morton Smith
624:
620:
615:
607:
602:
592:
584:
580:
575:
444:
440:
429:
423:
420:
408:
403:
397:.” However,
385:
381:
370:
345:
332:
312:Hebrew Bible
309:
279:
269:
205:Hebrew Bible
202:
153:Hebrew Bible
133:cult objects
128:
126:
121:
108:is a sacred
106:Asherah pole
105:
103:
1505:Iconography
1356:Manuscripts
1238:Mount Sinai
1177:Va'etchanan
1076:Deuteronomy
812:almond tree
362:Holy Temple
213:Deuteronomy
1429:Categories
1320:Tabernacle
1305:Israelites
1253:Mount Nebo
1197:Ki Teitzei
876:. p.
567:References
473:High place
282:) and the
260:Septuagint
131:were also
64:Photograph
932:Religions
806:0309-0892
548:Mythology
344:") hated
320:Israelite
185:אֲשֵׁרוֹת
165:אֲשֵׁרִים
114:Canaanite
47:city gate
35:Tel Rehov
1387:Analysis
1212:Vayelech
1207:Nitzavim
1192:Shofetim
1164:Parashah
728:Day 1986
664:Day 1986
652:Day 1986
627:, 1987;
489:Matzevah
461:See also
366:Josiah's
358:Manasseh
233:Jeremiah
178:asheroth
147:attest,
1500:Asherah
1217:Haazinu
1202:Ki Tavo
1172:Devarim
1031:3260509
1003:Sources
732:asherim
704:Asherah
534:Portals
457:forms.
434:in the
417:Purpose
346:Asherim
304:Asherot
298:Asherim
284:Vulgate
272:), pl.
251:Asherah
245:
192:’ăšērōṯ
187:
172:’ăšērīm
167:
158:asherim
129:asherim
122:asherah
118:Asherah
84:Asherah
76:Diagram
18:Asherim
1340:Shedim
1295:Levite
1274:Joshua
1262:People
1231:Places
1029:
988:
959:
909:
884:
840:
816:Bethel
804:
774:, 2005
754:
696:Wooden
683:
639:, 1987
597:(1967)
500:Menhir
495:Xoanon
467:Baetyl
395:Bethel
372:Exodus
324:Gideon
322:judge
235:, and
229:Isaiah
219:, the
217:Judges
209:Exodus
149:Yahweh
92:Shalim
88:Shahar
1409:Sifre
1368:4Q122
1290:Kohen
1283:Terms
1269:Moses
1187:Re'eh
1182:Eikev
1154:33–34
1125:29–30
1120:26–29
1108:21–25
1103:16–21
1098:11–16
1027:JSTOR
517:Maqam
506:Stele
288:lucus
270:alsos
265:ἄλσος
237:Micah
175:) or
137:Ba'al
43:altar
1363:4Q41
1248:Moab
1093:7–11
986:ISBN
957:ISBN
907:ISBN
882:ISBN
838:ISBN
802:ISSN
752:ISBN
700:pole
698:and
681:ISBN
560:Asia
426:Jehu
335:YHWH
328:Baal
310:The
280:alsē
275:ἄλση
243:אשרה
143:and
127:The
110:tree
96:ibex
90:and
1088:3–7
1083:1–3
1019:doi
1015:105
878:139
794:doi
591:in
352:ORD
341:ORD
301:or
248:, (
104:An
1431::
1148:33
1141:32
1135:32
1130:31
1113:22
1025:.
1013:.
936:10
934:.
930:.
880:.
860:;
808:.
800:.
790:20
788:.
644:^
413:.
231:,
215:,
211:,
1116:)
1110:(
1061:e
1054:t
1047:v
1033:.
1021::
994:.
965:.
915:.
890:.
846:.
818:.
796::
760:.
718:.
706:.
536::
350:L
339:L
278:(
268:(
181:(
161:(
20:)
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