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The sacred pole of Samaria, moreover, which was erected during the reign of King Ahab (reigned 873852 B.C.E. Despite these and other references associating Asherah with apostasy, contemporary discoveries have further indicated that, at least in the opinion of some ancient Israelites, YHWH and Asherah were appropriately worshipped as a pair. 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. 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. But who was Asherah to the ancient Israelites? This fact suggests that Jehu perceived the sacred pole as appropriate in the worship of YHWH. Who was the Beelzebub/Beelzebul that the Pharisees attributed Christ's work to? Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. 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). Asherah is represented many times in various forms scattered throughout the region. (Viewed on March 4, 2023) . The wonderful possession I have reserved for you will slip from your hands. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. It's kind of like Seatlle, but windier and with more trees. Answer. ), 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. WebPut simply, an Asherah pole is a wooden idol (likely in the shape of a tree) used to worship the goddess Asherah. They are not the last word, only the Bible . And how do you even pronounce it? What we need is a living encounter with God. (Keller, Counterfeit Gods, 155). Right on Elizabeth F We see her worship in the form of a tree and right next to the altar. She is often placed beside the chief male deity. 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. ]. Burial inscription from Khirbet el-Quom, 8th cent. They portray a woman clutching her exaggerated breasts as if offering them to a nursing child. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Two Millennia b.c.e. But is removal and uprooting all that is required? There is some debate on whether these were actual living trees or wooden figures in the shape of trees. (2022, November 28). The ruling elite propagandized against goddess worship by integrating the story of the fall of mankind to the tree which was clearlyassociated with Asherah. That usage reflects a chain of associations. We will consider what/who is Asherah and the significant role it plays within the biblical narrative. If you mean pieces of wood set up beside pagan altars on high hills, then that seems to have been pretty rooted out. "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" What does asherah pole mean? 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. The Bible also connects sacred poles with the high places (open-air cult sites?) By what? This is always the remedy for idolatry. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about 7,500-year-old Juniper Stump Is Believed Oldest Goddess Asherah Idol, about Tracing The Footprints Of The Philistines To Minoan Knossos On Crete, about The Resurrection of Asherah, Mother-Goddess of Humankind, about Goddess NinkharsagAncient Powerful Mother who Faded into The Holy Ghost, about Unravelling the Roots of Hera, the Wrathful Goddess of Marriage, Dizzying Inca Rope Bridges Were Grass-Made Marvels of Engineering. 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. Cut them down. Information and translations of asherah pole in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. 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? 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. Predominantly, the pillar figurines were found in private homes, suggesting their domesticity. 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. The statue appears such that she totally *could* be carved out of a single (yet giant) tree. In Deuteronomy 16:21 they are forbidden to plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the LORD your God. This would have been syncretizing Israelite worship with the worship of this pagan goddess. of Biblical Literature 112 (1993): 385401. Seven years shall Baal fail, eight the Rider of the Clouds. We want to believe that what we do can move the heavens. In the Scriptures, the Hebrew word for Asherah is used both for the goddess herself and for the poles erected in her honor. When northern Israel was dispersed into the nations by the Assyrians in 722 BCE, they carried this "tree" custom with them. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. It makes a great difference to God! (2Ki 21:7) Manasseh was disciplined by being taken captive to Babylon and, upon his returning to Jerusalem, showed he had profited from that discipline and cleansed Jehovahs house of idolatrous appendages. The Canaanite association of Asherah with sacred trees is also found in Israelite tradition. 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. 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). BC., Museum of Israel. Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. Ackerman, Susan. She was occasionally called Elath (Elat), the Goddess, and may have also been called Qudshu, Holiness.. The branch He mentions is probably an Asherah, a tree or a wooden pole that stood for the fertility goddess. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Phallic Symbol 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). Its our plight that moved the heavensit is the LORD Himself who would come and rescue us. In ancient times these altars were typically built under green trees. Most people have that, yet their souls are riddled with idols. This does not necessarily denote a church steeple wherein its purpose was to set the building apart from others as a place of worship and not an item to be worshiped. 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. 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. By the time of the New Testament, idolatry seems to have taken a different flavor. He was offended by what was going on. 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. Tradition has it that Abraham chased the calf until it led him to the Cave of Macpelah which he later purchased from the Hittites, and they also worshipped a storm god that they borrowed from the Hurrians, Teshub. Literature has been divided into two camps as a result of the relation between literary allusions to an asherah and archaeological discoveries of Judaean pillar-figurines. The Sacred Poles. Sacrificial feasts were held in the sacred GROVES of Asherah in Jerusalem according to Apion." Asherah was one of the chief deities of the ancient world. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. 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. From the site of Kuntillet Ajrud, in the eastern Sinai, come three ninth- or eighth-century B.C.E. The account of the visitation by angels at the terebinth of Mamre (cult shrine centered on a sacred tree) has its parallel in the Tale of Aquat, who like Isaac, was blessed by a divine entity. In the Kabbalah it is the attribute referred to as Binah, means understanding; God founded the earth with wisdom and established the heavens with understanding (Binah) (Proverbs 3:19); In a possible reference to the goddess; Say to Wisdom, You are my sister, and proclaim Understanding (Binah) a kinswoman (Proverbs 7:4). 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). Hezekiah also cut down the Asherah but Manasseh, his wicked son, rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed andmade an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done (2 Kings 21:3). The painting on the jar depicts a pole with thin branches in the shape of a stylized tree. The Moora Mystery: What Happened When a Girl Stepped into the Moor 2,500 Years Ago? This is because southern royal ideology typically described the kings metaphorical father as YHWH. In the time of Hezekiah, there was a similar revival to that of Asa. 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. showing cannanite gods Baal and Astarte. Fairchild, Mary. An Asherah pole, like the ones found here, often represented trees associated with this mother goddess, but some archeologists believe they used living trees for these objects of religion. Atlanta: 1988. A Hebrew word occurring frequently in the Bible (R. V.) and signifying, except in a few late passages noted below, a wooden post or pole planted near the altars of various gods. The Lord God Jehovah is perfect, man is not. The Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole found near Canaanite religious sites in honor of Asherah, a Canaanite mother goddess who is Els consort. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. Gen 2:4b3:24 may further suggest the association of Asherah with sacred trees, since the way that Eve, the mother of all living (3:20), is described in the Eden story mimics in certain respects the role of the Canaanite mother goddess Asherah. But have you ever wondered how god created male and female in his image? 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. 10 Reasons Why the Trial of Jesus Was Illegal. 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. Some scholars believe that asherim were not poles, but living trees (like the one depicted on the Tanaach Cult Stand). Is the Bible Trustworthy? How then did they worship? A modest proposal is that they were originally living trees but eventually became wooden poles. While Ashtoreth appears to have figured as the wife of Baal, Asherah may also have been so viewed. And Ahab made an Asherah. When I read that verse my first instinct is to say, I sure hope he had a tissue. Is an Asherah a good thing, or a bad thing? ). "Who Is Asherah in the Bible?" 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. Based on the study of artwork and drawings from the ancient Near East, biblical scholars suggest that some images of plain and carved poles, staffs, a cross, a double ax, a tree, a tree stump, a headdress for a priest, and several wooden images could be illustrations representing the goddess Asherah. Asherah worship turned good people into sex addicts. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. 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.) Baruch haba bshem Adoni YAHUAH. WebIts symbol was the stem of a tree deprived of its boughs, and rudely shaped into an image, and planted in the ground. Webcrimecon 2022 speakers. The bible itself denounced the Israelites several times for their polytheistic tendencies they worshipped the idols left by both Gideon and Moses (Moses brazen serpent), An article on the slow change among the Israelites going from saying, "Our god is the best god" to "Our god is the only god" would probably go well with this one, There is a footnote on the explanation of this thesis. Do we still have Asherah poles today? 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. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever. (NLT). According to Giovanni Pettinato in Archives of Ebla; An Empire Inscribed in Clay (p.278-279), it is suggested that the word nesi referred to ruler in ancient Ebla and is related to the Egyptian term nsw or king (of upper Egypt) and the Sumerian term ensi or ruler and that these terms were imposed into the vocabulary of Sumer and Egypt when the Canaanite exerted their influence over them. 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. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. : Monotheism in Ancient Israel and the Veneration of the Goddess Asherah (Biblical Seminar ) by Bob Becking, Meindert Dijkstra, Marjo C. A. Korpel, Karel J. H. Vriezen, Sheffield Academic Press 2001, p. 117. They are idols that must be rooted out of Israelite worship. Asherah Journal ( 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. Reassessment of Asherah: A Study According to Textual Sources of the First ( The Met ). For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, What is Shambhala? 2006, p.64). 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. 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. One of the primary reasons Israel fell to the Assyrians was because of Gods anger over their worship of Asherah and Baal (2 Kings 17:523). In their minds, they thought it did not make any difference; it was not hurting anyone. Asherah worship was deeply sensual, involving illicit sex and ritual prostitution. 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. WebDramatically initiate end-to-end niches . A number of modern Bible translations, though, have rendered the original-language word as sacred pole(s) [or post] but transliterated it when the reference is apparently to the goddess. like that of a bar magnet, with the north pole at earth's Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Calvary.". At times, to appease Baal and Asherah, human sacrifices were made. 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. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles (Judges 3:7, NLT ). discord packing lines vendeur in french masculine or feminine streptococcus spp high in stool symptoms jeremy alters berman. Inscription: Uriyahu the prince wrote it: Blessed be Uriyahu by Yahweh and his Asherah, for from his enemies he has saved him." ( Looklex Encyclopaedia ), Top Image: Veiled Mother of the World (Deriv.) 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). 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. New York: 2000. WebAsherah the Name of a Syrian Goddess. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. (NLT). 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. Every Green Tree: Popular Religion in Sixth-Century Judah. This can easily happen in either the old Hebrew or the Aramaic script. 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. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. 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. You have proven without doubt the disobedience of the chosen people of , to run after the gods of other nations. In Ugaritic literature, she was called Lady Asherah of the Sea.. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. 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. Jewish Women's Archive. It was essentially a phallic symbol. 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. But the gospel teaches something different. Manasseh, King of Judah, followed the despicable practices of the pagan nations. Perhaps surprisingly, Asherah is mentioned in the early Hebrew Bible some forty separate times, although most often as an object of derision. 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. A famous Asherah pole stood in Samaria in the days of King Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:6). Asherah worship was deeply sensual, involving illicit sex and ritual prostitution. Plaque depicting Asherah. 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! Asherah cannot provide what she promises. 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. This is stretching it a bit. Josiah reversed this course and took all of these pagan symbols out of the temple. You have it right! A That's all I have for now this was a very exciting Article to read thanks for Posting it much appreciated. In Christ, we see the fullness of God made manifest. And the prophets began to exalt the fullness of the Lord and they would do so at the idols expense. From what i know Asherah is a false god(dess) which the Children of Israel worshiped and abandoned God for. 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. For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. WebAsherah was often associated with carved trees. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Learn Religions, Nov. 28, 2022, learnreligions.com/asherah-in-the-bible-6824125. During the reign of Josiah, the priest Hilkiah purged the images of Asherah from the Temple (2 Kings 23:6). The Queen Mother and the Cult in Ancient Israel. Journal 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. Scripture also references carved images of Asherah (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 21:7). Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. 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. 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). Is an Asherah Pole Ever Mentioned in the Bible? Prior to this, we have abundant evidence that other gods and goddesses were worshipped in Israel in addition to (or sometimes instead of) YHWH. (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. 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.. Evidence suggests that Asherah was observed in ancient Israel and Judah as early as the 12th century BC, to a few decades before the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah (587-588 BC), a time known as the pre-exilic period. Atlanta: Another translation of carved Asherah pole is graven image of the grove (KJV). Trees were revered as symbols of life and nourishment in arid regions and so became associated with Asherah and her cult. | 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. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. (From Forerunner Commentary). The goddess Asherah was the Canaanite deity of fertility. He (Abraham) saw a light radiating from the cave, so there he prayed, and there the blessed Holy One spoke with him. Yet despite these and other references associating Asherah with apostasy (for example, Exod 34:13; Deut 7:5; 12:3; Judg 3:7; 1 Kgs 18:19), and despite the fact that the Israelites are explicitly forbidden in Deut 16:21 to erect one of Asherahs sacred poles beside an altar of YHWH, there are multiple indications in biblical tradition that many in ancient Israel did regard Asherahs cult icon as an appropriate sacred symbol within the religion of YHWH. (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. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. In Exodus 34:12-14 the Asherim are specifically mentioned as needing to be cut down once the Israelites enter the land, so as not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and begin worshipping their gods. Canaanite goddess Asherah, 13th century BCE. The degraded worship of Asherah came to be practiced in the very temple of Jehovah. In a related sense, an asherah could refer to a wooden pole, effectively an indoor stand-in for a tree. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Generally speaking, biblical scholars assume that full-blown, radical, or philosophical monotheism came to Israel fairly late in its history, during the time of the exile in the sixth century b.c.e. 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. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. But do we still have God-substitutes? (b) a construction similar, to the admittedly much later, Song of Songs 1:6 karmi elli. : But the most abundant of these are her pillar figurines which were popular from the 10th through the 7th centuries BC. So it seems they were not merely wooden poles, but probably quite large carved images. That's essentially all I'm aware of The Holy Spirit the wife of God. Does it make any difference? [8] This role gave her a similarly high rank in the Ugaritic pantheon. Most believe she was the wife of the supreme god El and the mother of Baal. 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: I am reading aerato lamo assuming: (a) an original r got corrupted to d (see Cross-Freedman ibid. 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 ). If you only try to uproot them, they grow back; but they can be supplanted.