History

The word “asherah” occurs 40 times in the Old Testament—33 of these occurrences refer unambiguously to a sacred object used in Canaanite or heterodox Israelite worship. The object was something that was made (עָשָׂה, asah) or built (בָנָה, vanah), and constructed or carved from wood (1 Kgs 14:15, 23; 16:33; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3). Judges 6:26 describes an asherah pole being used to fuel a fire, and it is depicted as being destroyed by hewing (גָדָע, gada'; Deut 7:5), burning (שָׂרַף, saraph; Deut 12:3; 2 Kgs 23:6), cutting down (כָרַת, kharath; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4) and uprooting (נָתַשׁ, nathash; Mic 5:14). Deuteronomy 16:21 prohibits planting (נָטָע, nata') an “asherah tree,” which may indicate that a natural tree could also serve as an asherah.

Asherah poles were located at sacred sites (בָּמוֹת, bamoth). They are often mentioned in the context of Canaanite worship on “every high hill and under every luxuriant tree” (1 Kgs 14:23; 2 Kgs 21:7; Jer 17:2). An asherah pole is sometimes explicitly related to an altar of Baal—a Canaanite fertility deity (Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3–4). They are mentioned alongside “altars” (מִזְבֵחַ, mizveach), “sacred pillars” (מַצֵּבָה, matstsevah), and “idols” (פָּסִיל, pasil; Deut 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; 2 Kgs 23:15; 2 Chr 14:3; 17:6; 31:1). This last association may distinguish the asherah from “idols” (פָּסִיל, pasil), which imitated a deity’s appearance. An asherah may have been made to represent a deity rather than to look like it. A pithos (a large pottery jar) found at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud depicts a pole with thin branches in the shape of a stylized tree. Judith Hadley argues that this is probably an icon of an asherah symbol (The Cult of Asherah, 152). William Dever notes that it is rather phallic in shape (Did God Have a Wife?, 163), perhaps suggesting another connection with fertility worship. Second Kings 21:7 accuses Manasseh of placing an asherah image (פֶסֶל, phesel) in the temple in Jerusalem, suggesting its use in syncretistic Israelite practices as well.

Until the discovery of the texts at Ras Shamra—in modern-day Syria—the consensus that the word “asherah” (אֲשֵׁרָה, asherah) in the Bible only referred to a sacred object was accepted. These Ugaritic texts depict a goddess “Athirat” as one who holds a high position in the divine hierarchy. The Ugaritic Ba’al myth (KTU 1.4:II:3–11) depicts this goddess as busy with domestic affairs like spinning, washing cloth, and charming El—the chief god (Korpel, “Asherah Outside Israel,” 131). Because of language differences between Ugaritic and Hebrew, “Athirat” appears as “Asherah” in the Bible.

Seven occurrences of the word “asherah” in the Bible can be viewed as references to the goddess herself. The grouping of Asherah with Ba’al and other Canaanite deities indicates that it is a divine name (Judg 3:7; 1 Kgs 18:19; 2 Kgs 23:4). In one synoptic passage in Kings and Chronicles, the queen mother is said to have made an image (מִפְלֶצֶת, miphletseth) for Asherah (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). As John Day notes, it does not make sense to make one object for another object—this must be a reference to the goddess (Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses, 44). Likewise, as noted above, Manasseh put a carved image (פֶסֶל, phesel) of Asherah in the temple (2 Kgs 21:7). Second Kings 23:7 tells of women in the temple precincts weaving for Asherah during the time of Josiah. This corresponds to the Ugaritic texts, which mention the goddess in connection with weaving.

Hadley writes, “The idea that a cultic object can bear the same name as the deity which it represents is not necessarily a foreign concept to the people of the ancient Near East, to whom the worship of the symbol of a god or goddess was identical with the worship of the deity represented.” Additionally, an Egyptian seal shows the goddess Nut standing next to a tree, and the name “Nut” written on both the tree and the goddess (The Cult of Asherah, 7).