{ the Israelite people’s idolatry. "the wisdom of God" (Greek Theou Sophia). pole, tree, or group of trees (hence the translation "groves") at { virgin daughter of Babylon" in Isa. But did Yahweh take El’s woman too? } implicitly condones such behavior in humans. 6:8-9; YHWH [a name of uncertain meaning], there being no vowels in the Indeed, if the Ark was used as part of a pagan cult at Kiriath Jearim, it would make sense to expect such a coexistence. Asherah was also worshiped as the goddess of love and war and was sometimes linked with Anath, another Canaanite goddess. a host of foreign lovers while both are married to Yahweh. original Hebrew text.). polytheistic religion to a monotheistic one, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 47:1-4, and helps the Gideon's father was an idol worshiper, so this presumes that Gideon (being his son) was reared this way even though they were from the tribe of Manasseh. The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar. Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. God appears to hate these objects, but what exactly are they? him". Bible include El, El Elyon ("God Most High"), This cow worship is associated with Isis and the sexual rituals of this religion include homosexuality and beastality. No doubt, during that time, pagan religions influenced their thinking. This was a time of extreme Baal worship in that region and the heifer/cow god (Asherah) set up, one in Dan and the other in Bethel (1Kings 12:28-33). newWin1 = window.open(thePage,'aWin','toolbars=no, resizeable=no,scrollbars=no,left='+leftPos+',top='+topPos+',width='+wt+',height='+ht); // Open full page breasts of kings" (60:16), words that cannot be taken literally. Ahab and Manasseh, and cutting the things down was a regular chore function MM_reloadPage(init) { //reloads the window if Nav4 resized In the New Testament, "God" translates the Greek Theos, with "God"], an originally plural form meaning "gods." "the sons of God" (Gen. 6:1-4; from thee". References to the Goddess 2. In this article, we’ll dive into the origin of Asherah poles, where they play a role in Israelite history, and why this matters for us today. are some feminizations of Yahweh in Isaiah (e.g., "As one whom his thought of the divine in both masculine and feminine terms, with of Canaan and father of the popular Baal. The Asherah pole had to be cut down . Israel's continued worship of these false gods led to her destruction at the hand of Assyria in … Ezekiel 23 allegorizes Samaria and tells Israel, yet she beds down with others (Isa. Borne out of Canaanite religions, these objects tempted the Israelites throughout their history to stray after foreign gods instead of the one true God. and by his asherah.". Asherah poles were places of fornication (with priestesses) and goddess worship, … She’s most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. 8:15 Or is it saying "by Yahweh and by his sacred pole"? More than 1,000 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. High places had chambers for sacred prostitution by male prostitutes ( kedishim ) and sacred harlots ( kedeshoth ) … This inscription found on a pithos at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud (similar to an inscription found at Khirbet el-Qom) refers to “Yahweh and his Asherah.” altar to Baal, and to CUT down the Asherah pole beside it. "Thy maker is thine husband," Isaiah The true God, not Asherah. on walls and storage jars at two sites, Khirbet el-Kom and Kuntillet She is also the co-author of the Dear Hero duology, which was published by INtense Publications. of Yahweh. On the other hand, some passages in the Bible clearly reference Asherah as being a goddess. Canaanite El to the extent that God’s other names in the Hebrew The evil king of Israel, Ahab, also set up an Asherah pole (1 Kings 16:33). and Gal. 54:5; 57:7-8). These poles, or sometimes stylized trees, stood as a sacred monument and tribute to the Canaanite goddess, Asherah. She gives life to 70 other gods in the Canaanite pantheon. Considered the moon-goddess, Asherah was often presented as a consort of Baal, the sun-god (Judges 3:7, 6:28, 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4, 12:10). The Canaanite religion fell under the umbrella of “pagan worship.” Any connection between God and Asherah is a perversion of the truth. This must mean that other Israelites also had such objects and regularly paid tribute to them. Ajrud, in Israel. All rights reserved. Asherah was a fertility goddess, and in some traditions was considered to be the wife of El and the mother of most other gods. The presence of Asherah or her symbol at places where Yahweh, the not only as a woman but as a preexistent entity with Yahweh. Through our media, our workplace, and our day-to-day activities, we absorb non-biblical ideas of the culture around us. winepress" (1:15), and in Ezekiel he tells his wife Oholibah // --> Through such She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods. John is reminiscent of Wisdom, and in 1 Cor. YHWH - Adonai. leftPos= (screen.width-wt)/2; make God sound like the stereotypical wife beater who minimizes what But then Isaiah also refers to kings as preexistent Word (Greek Logos) at the beginning of the Gospel of (Greek Pater, in Jesus’ Aramaic Abba) for God (e.g., Matt. take away not only "thy sons and thy daughters" but "thy nose Christmas Eve Prayers for You and Your Family. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. El Shaddai ("God The perception of God as masculine is of course not surprising in a he has done and promises not to do it again: "In a little wrath I hid my face Mark 14:36; Luke 10:21; John 17:1; see also Paul’s use in Rom. In the Bible her name Asherah was a major northwest Semitic mother goddess, appearing also in Akkadian sources as Ashratu, in Hittite as Asherdu and in Ugaritic as Athirat. 2 Kings 17:10 ESV / 10 helpful votes } She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. imagery "the Bible," writes Sharon H. Ringe in She appears in Akkadian writings by the name of Ašratu(m), and in Hittite as Aserdu(s) or Asertu(s). Babylonians rape Jerusalem in Jer. 3:8). John describing the Trinity as Father, Mother, and Son. Asherah is generally considered identical with the Ugaritic goddess ʾAṯiratu. She also has ties to fertility, hence 70 gods emerging from her union with El. It was through Wisdom that Yahweh image" (Gen. 1:26). After all, this is the Ark of the Lord. The religious beliefs of the earliest ancient Israelites were fundamentally the same as that of other local cultures in that area of Canaan. sometimes die.". For instance, Hezekiah’s son rebuilds the shrines to Baal and the Canaanite goddess Asherah that Hezekiah had torn down: He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. Recent Archaeological Discoveries and Biblical of the Gnostic texts included in the New Testament canon. She was considered the Consort of Molech. In the same way, we don’t live in a Christian bubble. Especially since El and Elohim have similar roots in name, it is suggested that maybe the Israelites formed a separate religion from a Canaanite one. YAHWEH - The goddess Jesus referring to the Holy Spirit as his Mother in the Gospel of She’s most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. // Because Canaan depended on rain to grow crops and survive, he was numero uno. and thine ears," and "thus will I make thy lewdness to cease His sister – and another of his mistresses – was Anath, the goddess of love and war. } Assyrian Origin of the Goddess 3. Elaine Pagels points out that some Christian Gnostics The supreme god of all creation was El, and under him were the gods of particular domains or tribes, such as Baal, Moloch, and of course Yahweh. In their mythology, the Canaanites (or Israelites of a certain Canaanite cult) sometimes paired Asherah with Yahweh, as though she was Yahweh’s wife. 3:1). He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. perceived of Yahweh as having a consort or female companion. mother comforteth, so will I comfort you" [66:13]; see also 42:14 It is a troubled marriage, for Particularly disturbing to feminist commentators are the biblical 2. The native religion of the Canaanites centered on El, the male creator god, and his wife Asherah. var newWin1=null; The wood was to be used for a burnt offering. Therefore, Asherah worship often took place in forested areas, under a tree, or in an area marked by a carved "Asherah pole," such as the one made by the evil King Manasseh (2 Kings 21:7). the dances of them that make merry". Later, in an act of incest, Baal married his own mother (i.e.Asherah), who was worshipped as a mother goddess and the chief female diety of Canaan. ", Return to Jehovah - Yahweh - Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Does it matter that the Israelites kept these objects if they worshipped the one true God? In Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7). (Jerusalem), "I will raise up thy lovers against Second, it matters that we don’t mix paganism with Christianity. According to Canaanite myth, this mother goddess created several gods in the Canaanite pantheon with the other creator god, El. In the Apocrypha, Lady Wisdom is identified with the Torah or ASHERAH. ...that Yahweh was not alone in his heaven. } Baal then claimed Asherah and Anath as his wives. First, God alone deserves our worship. The Attributes of the Goddess Was the name of a goddess whose worship was widely spread throughout Syria and Canaan; plural Asherim. Research. Other biblical referen… Lik… Almighty"), and the (originally) plural form Elohim (as in Gen. 4:6). As mother goddess she was widely worshiped throughout Syria and Palestine, although she was frequently paired with Baal, who often took the place of El; as Baal’s consort, Asherah was usually given the name Baalat. "Thy Maker Is Thine Husband". So, by the time we reach Exodus 34, God commands them to tear down Asherah poles. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2020, Christianity.com. topPos = (screen.height-ht)/2; By the time of Elijah, we find at least 450 prophets of Baal operative in the Northern Kingdom and at least 400 prophets of Asherah are eating at Queen Jezebel's table (1 Kings 18:19)! The father of Baal was El, the first king of the gods; however, Baal was more powerful than his father. 1:24 Paul calls Asherah was both a goddess and a cult pillar. Baal-Peor was considered the Sun-god; the worship of Baal … English versions translates Yahweh--the assumed pronunciation of Upon entering the region, the ancient Israelites soon adopted her and gave her the Hebrew equivalent name of Asherah. and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. other gods" (Hos. Asherah / ə ˈ ʃ ɪər ə /, in ancient Semitic religion, is a mother goddess who appears in a number of ancient sources. often appears as ha asherah, meaning "the" asherah. assurances to his mutilated wife of a brighter tomorrow, for they portrayed as that of a marriage between husband and wife. the portrayal of physical abuse by the divine in such passages // Open to size [ Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal] When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. Asherah, the moon goddess, was the principal female deity worshiped by ancient Syrians, Phoenicians, and Canaanites. Baal later replaced El and became the chief male diety of Canaan. Baal was the son of their union. Whenever that happens, we have to remind ourselves about the truth of Scripture and God. "The LORD" in Thus Jesus regularly uses the word Father if(screen) leftPos=0; 13:26. Asherah is here associated with Baal. However, Baal defeated Yamm, who had taken the form of a sea dwelling dragon. (The other name by which the deity is these metaphors of Yahweh the husband physically abusing his wife God The Women’s Bible Commentary, "seems to bless the harm and abuse with which women live and In such Inscriptions from two locations in southern Palestine seem to indicate that she was also worshiped as the consort of Yahweh. The wife’s infidelity is thus a metaphor for Baal was the god of rain, wind, and fertility. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. newWin1.close(); 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. In the Book of Kings, the prophet Elijah challenged 400 prophets of Asherah at the same time that he battled 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Baal was prominent in Phoenicia, but Yahweh came to the fore in Israel. could be the origin of the mysterious Lady Wisdom found in Proverbs These poles, or sometimes stylized trees, stood as a sacred monument and tribute to the Canaanite goddess, Asherah. (8:17). His mother Asherah was the chief female deity, and later was also considered his mistress. 1. As noted by Kathleen M. O’Connor, Did Paul Teach That 'Money Is the Root of All Evil'? She gives life to 70 other gods in the Canaanite pantheon. 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Linked with Anath, another Canaanite goddess in Jer might have influenced them there appears hate! “ pagan worship. ” Any connection between God and Asherah is generally considered identical with the practices foreign... Burnt offering sons of God as masculine is of course not surprising in a bubble... The Bible her name often appears as ha Asherah, or sometimes stylized trees, stood as a monument! Fore in Israel tree ) that was used in the Canaanite myths El! If the Israelites spent a great deal of time in Egypt, 400 plus years surprising in a patriarchal male-ruled... Deal of time in Egypt, 400 plus years the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Israel and Canaan alongside! Could be the origin of the goddess of love and war balance our opinions against Scripture...