Asherah pole

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An Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the Ugaritic mother-goddess Asherah.[1]

Contents

[edit] References from the Hebrew Bible

Asherah poles are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy, Judges, the Books of Kings, the second Book of Chronicles, and the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah. The term often appears as merely אשרה, (Asherah) translated as "groves" in the King James Version and "poles" in the New Revised Standard Version; no word that may be translated as "poles" in the text. Scholars have indicated, however, that the plural use of the term (Asherahs, also Asherim or Asherot) provides ample evidence that reference is being made to objects of worship rather than a transcendent figure.[2]

The Hebrew Bible suggests that the poles were made of wood. In the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges, God is recorded as instructing the Israelite judge Gideon to cut down an Asherah pole that was next to an altar to Baal. The wood was to be used for a burnt offering.

The Hebrew Bible states that God hated Asherah poles; Deuteronomy 16:21, (NIV) reads: "Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God." The record indicates, however, that the Jewish people often departed from this ideal. King Manasseh for example is said to have placed an Asherah pole in the Holy Temple. (2 Kings 21:7) King Josiah's supposed reforms in the late 7th century BC included the destruction of many Asherah poles. (2 Kings 23)

[edit] Asherah poles in Biblical archaeology

Some Biblical archaeologists have suggested that until the 6th century BC the Jewish people had household shrines, or at least figurines, of Asherah, which are strikingly common in the archaeological remains; many of these seem to make clear that Asherah was seen as Yahweh's (i.e. God's) wife [3]. These claims about Biblical history are "not accepted by the majority of archaeologists and biblical scholars."[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Nelson's Compact Illustrated Bible Dictionary, pp. 25-26, Thomas Nelson Publishers (1964), ISBN 0-8407-5636-5
  2. ^ van der Toorn, Becking, van der Horst (1999), Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible, Second Extensively Revised Edition, pp. 99-105, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8028-2491-9
  3. ^ Finkelstein, Israel, and Silberman, Neil Asher, The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts, ISBN 0-684-86912-8
  4. ^ "Some scholars think David was a mythical king," Richard N. Ostling, The Associated Press, retreived from meta-religion.com on January 29, 2007

[edit] External links

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