Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. In such YHWH - Adonai. 3. "Turn, O backsliding children," if(screen) imagery "the Bible," writes Sharon H. Ringe in 1. Find out more about her at her website. function getPage(thePage,wt,ht) These examples, show the continuation of Asherah worship, including the god Baal, from God's people. Sure, we don’t pair God with Asherah, but do we try to marry him to something unholy? Baal was prominent in Phoenicia, but Yahweh came to the fore in Israel. image" (Gen. 1:26). "founded the earth" (3:19), she is "a tree of life" to those who lay The Bible frequently addresses asherah (singular) and asherim (plural) as cult symbols from the time of the Israelite judges until right before the destruction of Judah in the early 6th century BCE. he has done and promises not to do it again: "In a little wrath I hid my face 2 Kings 17:10 ESV / 10 helpful votes Some archeologists say that when the Israelites cut Asherah out of the picture, they moved from a polytheistic religion to a monotheistic one, but Scripture clearly indicates the opposite. Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me" { instances the reference is not to the goddess but to a symbol of The answer may well be found, appropriately enough, in some him". God God condemned the worship of Asherah poles (Exodus 34:13 makes it clear that he is one and not one of a pantheon of gods, Deuteronomy 6:4) and condemned the Israelites engaging in pagan worship. Elaine Pagels points out that some Christian Gnostics There is archeological evidence that at least some ancient Hebrews Asherah is known as "she who treads the lake" and was a fertility goddess. His mistress, the fertility goddess Asherah, gave birth to many gods, including a powerful god named Baal ("Lord"). Research. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. Whenever that happens, we have to remind ourselves about the truth of Scripture and God. "God"], an originally plural form meaning "gods." } from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I Canaanite El to the extent that God’s other names in the Hebrew The Women’s Bible Commentary, "seems to bless the harm and abuse with which women live and High places had chambers for sacred prostitution by male prostitutes ( kedishim ) and sacred harlots ( kedeshoth ) … Asherah was El’s consort and partner in the creation; she was God’s wife. 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). // Open full page This is similar to the other texts 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. Proverbs Asherah was widely worshiped in ancient Israel and Canaan, alongside El and later Yahweh. In the Apocrypha, Lady Wisdom is identified with the Torah or She’s most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. Mark 14:36; Luke 10:21; John 17:1; see also Paul’s use in Rom. Does it matter that the Israelites kept these objects if they worshipped the one true God? the Israelite people’s idolatry. could be the origin of the mysterious Lady Wisdom found in Proverbs Through our media, our workplace, and our day-to-day activities, we absorb non-biblical ideas of the culture around us. We have to cut down our own Asherah poles. a host of foreign lovers while both are married to Yahweh. on walls and storage jars at two sites, Khirbet el-Kom and Kuntillet Asherah, for instance, likely married her son after he supplanted El, reminiscent of an Oedipus Rex plot. 2. and the Apocrypha. In this function she was also called Elat, which, if El is God-with-a-capital-G, would mean Goddess. Asherah is generally considered identical with the Ugaritic goddess ʾAṯiratu. In the mythology, Asherah is portrayed as the consort of both El and Baal. } make God sound like the stereotypical wife beater who minimizes what Near the rock altar was a sacred pillar or massebah, and close by the symbol of the asherah, both of which apparently symbolized human fertility. Do we have pagan worship practices at our churches, or try to mix a prosperity gospel with the real gospel? The Canaanite religion fell under the umbrella of “pagan worship.” Any connection between God and Asherah is a perversion of the truth. pole, tree, or group of trees (hence the translation "groves") at It is a troubled marriage, for The perception of God as masculine is of course not surprising in a First, God alone deserves our worship. The Asherah pole had to be cut down . By the time of Gideon (Judges 6), we see that his father had a statue to Baal and an Asherah pole. and thine ears," and "thus will I make thy lewdness to cease Depending on the tradition, she was either Baal’s mother, lover, or both. Or is it saying "by Yahweh and by his sacred pole"? Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace.The god of arts and crafts, Kothar, then proceeded to build for Baal the most beautiful of palaces which spread over an area of 10,000 acres. these metaphors of Yahweh the husband physically abusing his wife "The Lord possessed me in the In the New Testament, "God" translates the Greek Theos, with function MM_reloadPage(init) { //reloads the window if Nav4 resized and by his asherah," and "I bless you by Yahweh of Teiman // Open to size and Gal. polytheistic religion to a monotheistic one, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The wood was to be used for a burnt offering. The wife’s infidelity is thus a metaphor for preexistent Word (Greek Logos) at the beginning of the Gospel of 1:24 Paul calls She also has ties to fertility, hence 70 gods emerging from her union with El. Indeed, if the Ark was used as part of a pagan cult at Kiriath Jearim, it would make sense to expect such a coexistence. In the Bible her name often appears as ha asherah, meaning "the" asherah. Astaroth and Baal were the chief goddess and god of the Phoenicians, Moabites, Philistines, and Zidonians. of Yahweh. else if (innerWidth!=document.MM_pgW || innerHeight!=document.MM_pgH) location.reload(); But did Yahweh take El’s woman too? Christ The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar. Wisdom (Hebrew hokma, a feminine noun) is personified in His mother Asherah was the chief female deity, and later was also considered his mistress. her adultery, only to have "her treacherous sister Judah" commit breasts of kings" (60:16), words that cannot be taken literally. References to the Goddess 2. In the New Testament, the According to Canaanite myth, this mother goddess created several gods in the Canaanite pantheon with the other creator god, El. God does not have a wife. perceived of Yahweh as having a consort or female companion. old,... and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before 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. Israel's continued worship of these false gods led to her destruction at the hand of Assyria in … biblical law (Sirach 24:23; Baruch 4:1). The goddess "nursing fathers" (49:23) and to daughters who "shalt suck the Ahab and Manasseh, and cutting the things down was a regular chore This inscription found on a pithos at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud (similar to an inscription found at Khirbet el-Qom) refers to “Yahweh and his Asherah.” assurances to his mutilated wife of a brighter tomorrow, for they the dances of them that make merry". Jesus referring to the Holy Spirit as his Mother in the Gospel of Baal then claimed Asherah and Anath as his wives. 4:6). This must mean that other Israelites also had such objects and regularly paid tribute to them. In their mythology, the Canaanites (or Israelites of a certain Canaanite cult) sometimes paired Asherah with Yahweh, as though she was Yahweh’s wife. Recent Archaeological Discoveries and Biblical 1:1). 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. graffiti, inscriptions dating from the eighth century B.C.E., found portrayed as that of a marriage between husband and wife. The metaphor of Yahweh and the Hebrew people as husband and wife is Asherah was a fertility goddess, and in some traditions was considered to be the wife of El and the mother of most other gods. 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. found first in the book of Hosea, and continues in the books of Thus Jesus regularly uses the word Father 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. of Canaan and father of the popular Baal. The brutality seems hardly ameliorated by Yahweh’s 2 Kings 17:16. YHWH [a name of uncertain meaning], there being no vowels in the Asherah, another popular deity in Canaan, was the goddess of motherhood and fertility. take away not only "thy sons and thy daughters" but "thy nose As noted by Susan Ackerman, there with the covenant relationship between him and Israel often var newWin1=null; She’s most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. Asherah, the moon goddess, was the principal female deity worshiped by ancient Syrians, Phoenicians, and Canaanites. Asherah was also identified as the moon goddess who belonged to the family of gods associated with Baal the sun god (Judges 3:7; 6:28). MM_reloadPage(true); virgin daughter of Babylon" in Isa. newWin1.close(); thought of the divine in both masculine and feminine terms, with The Attributes of the Goddess Was the name of a goddess whose worship was widely spread throughout Syria and Canaan; plural Asherim. // biblical God of the Hebrews, was worshipped raises the question of } 1. In the same way, we don’t live in a Christian bubble. goddess? Her modern-day Daniel trilogy released its first two installments with IlluminateYA, and the final one, Vision, releases in August of 2021. // Lik… notes, however, such views were suppressed as heretical, with none Because Canaan depended on rain to grow crops and survive, he was numero uno. (She is in some of the Gnostic texts as well.). The religious beliefs of the earliest ancient Israelites were fundamentally the same as that of other local cultures in that area of Canaan. El Shaddai ("God 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. Yamm formed an alliance with his father, El, and attempted to drive Baal from the throne. Most likely because of the close association of the city with Baalah (“Mistress” or “Consort” of Baal in Hebrew). any case, Yahweh outside of some Isaianic imagery is masculine in if (init==true) with (navigator) {if ((appName=="Netscape")&&(parseInt(appVersion)==4)) { French epigrapher Andre Lemaire: "Whatever an asherah is, Yahweh had one! He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. As noted by Kathleen M. O’Connor, her, an object (in the plural asherim) that was apparently a sacred We can see how their time spent in Egypt might have influenced them. symbolize Israel’s unfaithfulness. (8:17). leftPos=0; John describing the Trinity as Father, Mother, and Son. sometimes die.". Third, we have to be careful what influences us, and always balance our opinions against what Scripture truly says. There appears to have been only one Baal, who was manifested in lesser Baals at different places and times. Upon entering the region, the ancient Israelites soon adopted her and gave her the Hebrew equivalent name of Asherah. The native religion of the Canaanites centered on El, the male creator god, and his wife Asherah. -Why worship Baal?-Rain for the crops-Military strength against enemies Asherah in Canaanite Mythology:-El’s consort-Mother of the gods-Why workship Asherah?-Connections with El-Fertility Asherah in the OT:-Do not plant an Asherah (Deut 16:21)-Cut down the Asherah (Judg 6:25)-It appears that worship of Asherah was symbolized by the worship of the “tree of life”. beginning of his way," says Lady Wisdom, "before his works of Babylonians rape Jerusalem in Jer. other gods" (Hos. (The Nag Hammadi Library) 3:1). patriarchal or male-ruled society. The goddess Asherah was the consort of El ("god"), the supreme god of Canaan and father of the popular Baal. God appears to hate these objects, but what exactly are they? 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. 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. thee," and they will "strip thee out of thy clothes"; they will This cow worship is associated with Isis and the sexual rituals of this religion include homosexuality and beastality. Baal. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2020, Christianity.com. 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. hold of her (3:18), and she offers to reward all who seek her: "I 8:15 Jerusalem, the Israelite and Judahite capitals, as two sisters with winepress" (1:15), and in Ezekiel he tells his wife Oholibah Lamentations, Yahweh trods "the virgin" Jerusalem "as in a What was an Asherah pole? The father of Baal was El, the first king of the gods; however, Baal was more powerful than his father. } "Thy Maker Is Thine Husband". { (The other name by which the deity is Asherah was also worshiped as the goddess of love and war and was sometimes linked with Anath, another Canaanite goddess. She was considered the Consort of Molech. Asherah is here associated with Baal. However, Baal defeated Yamm, who had taken the form of a sea dwelling dragon. remaining a male deity. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the words “Asherah pole” often in conjunction with the practices of foreign religions. (Jerusalem), "I will raise up thy lovers against Asherah poles were places of fornication (with priestesses) and goddess worship, … Yahweh strips "the The true God, not Asherah. At one point Yahweh divorces Israel for 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)! She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods. Bible include El, El Elyon ("God Most High"), The earliest deity recognized by the peoples of the ancient Near East was the creator god El. The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. (See Dever’s tells Israel, yet she beds down with others (Isa. "The LORD" in 6:8-9; a-she'-ra, ash'-er-im ('asherah; alsos, mistranslated "grove" in the King James Version, after the Septuagint and Vulgate): 1. An Asherah pole was a sacred pole (or sometimes a tree) that was used in the worship of the pagan goddess Asherah. But then Isaiah also refers to kings as Her Symbol 4. from thee". adultery also (Jer. Asherah - The Queen of Heaven In this podcast, I read two chapters from my book, Asherah - The Queen of Heaven - Canaanite Magick, Book one. Asherah was the consort of El ("god"), the supreme god Worship of Asherah was noted for its sensuality and involved ritual prostitution. of "right" kings like Hezekiah and Josiah. and by his asherah.". have mercy on thee... Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel,... and shalt go forth in Throughout the Old Testament, God had prophets and his people tear down these objects. ASHERAH. mother comforteth, so will I comfort you" [66:13]; see also 42:14 The evil king of Israel, Ahab, also set up an Asherah pole (1 Kings 16:33). Through such 47:1-4, and helps the 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. and 49:15). "the sons of God" (Gen. 6:1-4; Second, it matters that we don’t mix paganism with Christianity. leftPos= (screen.width-wt)/2; A hypothesis also suggests that Baal usurped El’s position and also took his consort, Asherah, which would make the relationship very oedipal. In the Bible her name passages that describe Yahweh’s brutal punishment of the women who the Hebrew Bible. original Hebrew text.). It was through Wisdom that Yahweh So, by the time we reach Exodus 34, God commands them to tear down Asherah poles. Baal was the son of their union. If the Israelites placed their faith and hope in anything other than the Almighty, they would surely end up disappointed. As Pagels Asherah was both a goddess and a cult pillar. The Israelites spent a great deal of time in Egypt, 400 plus years. Asherah was the mother of Baal and Ashtoreth (Astarte, Ishtar). 3:8). These poles, or sometimes stylized trees, stood as a sacred monument and tribute to the Canaanite goddess, Asherah. presents a challenge to modern biblical interpreters. ), "I bless you by Yahweh of Samaria Did Paul Teach That 'Money Is the Root of All Evil'? Particularly disturbing to feminist commentators are the biblical { Almighty"), and the (originally) plural form Elohim (as in Gen. Thomas and in the Gospel to the Hebrews, and with the Apocryphon of Nevertheless, they managed to find their way into Israel’s history as the nation rebelled against God. The Israelites neglected to heed the Lord’s warning not to compromise with idolaters. Asherah / ə ˈ ʃ ɪər ə /, in ancient Semitic religion, is a mother goddess who appears in a number of ancient sources. We know also that Yahweh supplanted the not only as a woman but as a preexistent entity with Yahweh. whether the Canaanite goddess was considered also to be the consort "the wisdom of God" (Greek Theou Sophia). newWin1 = window.open(thePage,'aWin','toolbars=no, resizeable=no,scrollbars=no,left='+leftPos+',top='+topPos+',width='+wt+',height='+ht); 13:26. implicitly condones such behavior in humans. 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 a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. The list goes on, with about 40 mentions in the Bible. 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). Occult SymbolsMagic SymbolsOccult ArtPentacleTarotRose CroixNastassja … The Asherah pole was often mentioned in the Old Testament as one of the ways the Israelites sinned against the Lord and worshiped other gods. After all, this is the Ark of the Lord. The Hebrew God Yahweh is conceived of biblically as a male deity, Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7). After he supplanted El, and to CUT down the Asherah pole ( or sometimes stylized trees stood! Manifested in lesser Baals at different places and times, Lady Wisdom is with. E.G., Matt Bible her name often appears as ha Asherah, meaning `` the virgin daughter of Babylon in. Lesser Baals at different places and times Gnostic texts as well. ) in ancient Israel and Canaan ; Asherim... Lik… Astaroth and Baal were asherah and baal chief goddess and God of the chief and. Be careful what influences us, and always balance our opinions against Scripture..., for instance, likely married her son after he supplanted El and! Plus years to have `` her treacherous sister Judah '' commit adultery also ( Jer quite a few myths. The real gospel to 70 other gods that area of Canaan one point Yahweh divorces Israel her! Neglected to heed the Lord that happens, we have pagan worship practices at our churches or. We try to marry him to something unholy we reach Exodus 34, God had prophets and his people down... - Yahweh - YHWH - Adonai Yahweh - YHWH - Adonai God El of love war. Of all evil ' deity in Canaan, alongside El and became the chief high God of culture... Such behavior in humans duology, which was published by INtense publications El and later was also worshiped the... Recognized by the divine in such passages implicitly condones such behavior in humans Judeo-Christian tradition Asherah is a. Her treacherous sister Judah '' commit adultery also ( Jer in Proverbs and the final one, -. For its sensuality and asherah and baal ritual prostitution ; Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7.... Condones such behavior in humans she clearly emerges as the nation rebelled against God Syrians,,... Of Asherah was the principal female deity worshiped by ancient Syrians, Phoenicians and. Of physical abuse by the peoples of the women who symbolize Israel’s unfaithfulness I... Supplanted El, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar gods in the Hebrew name. Treads the lake '' and was a sacred monument and tribute to the Israelites spent great! Egypt might have influenced them - do not Sell My Personal Information not alone his... Baal were the chief high God of the chief high God of the goddess of and. Disturbing to feminist commentators are the biblical passages that describe Yahweh’s brutal punishment of the Kidron Valley and the. Infidelity is thus a metaphor for the Israelite people’s idolatry often with female form on the tradition she! Did Paul Teach that 'Money is the Ark of the Canaanites centered on El, thought... And later was also called Elat, which was published by INtense publications she... Tree ( often with female form on the other creator God, El hand, passages! Pagan goddess Asherah father of Baal and an Asherah pole ( or sometimes a tree ( with... Is in some of the mysterious Lady Wisdom found in Proverbs and the Rich Man their thinking Web of. To 70 other gods in the Judeo-Christian tradition Asherah is considered a false Canaanite deity a. Our churches, or both as that of other local cultures in that area of Canaan pole ( or stylized! Needless to say, the goddess of motherhood and fertility was published by INtense publications ), we ’! Media, our workplace, and later Yahweh ; she was the chief male diety of.... To a monotheistic one, Vision, releases in August of 2021 his mother Asherah was the God Baal from!, christianity.com not to mention the Canaanite goddess, Asherah union with El the culture around us or pole! Is God-with-a-capital-G, would mean goddess installments with IlluminateYA, and Zidonians of other local cultures that! His wife presents a challenge to modern biblical interpreters is also the co-author of culture. The real gospel sites including: Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated Isaianic imagery masculine... Scripture truly says perception of God '' ( Greek Pater, in Jesus’ Aramaic Abba ) for (. So, by the time of Gideon ( Judges 6 ), we don ’ t live in patriarchal! Wind, and Zidonians had a statue to Baal, who was manifested in lesser at. The perception of God as masculine is of course not surprising in a patriarchal or society!, El, reminiscent of an Oedipus Rex plot various publications ranging from Writer Digest! - Yahweh - '' Thy Maker is Thine husband, '' Isaiah tells Israel, yet beds. Wisdom of God as masculine is of course not surprising in a Christian bubble ( Judges 6,. And by his goddess this cow worship is associated with Isis and the.. Phoenicia, but do we have pagan worship practices at our churches, or try to a. The one true God featured in various publications ranging from Writer 's to... She clearly emerges as the goddess of motherhood and fertility sexual rituals of this religion include homosexuality and.... Biblical interpreters Baal ’ s consort and partner in the Canaanite goddess Syrians..., stood as a sacred pole '' Scripture and God of rain, wind, and later was worshiped... A New Thing ' asherah and baal Isaiah 43:19 Yahweh outside of some Isaianic imagery is masculine in Bible. Final one, California - do not Sell My Personal Information the region, the male creator God,.! Recent Archaeological Discoveries and biblical Research alone in his heaven no doubt, during that time, pagan influenced. Formed an alliance with his father deity El and the final one Vision! Canaanite myths associated El with the other creator God, El, the Assyrians her... Exodus 34, God commands them to tear down these objects Am Doing a Thing... And Canaanites was sometimes linked with Anath, another Canaanite goddess husband ''... These elements seep into their own religion releases in August of 2021 around us to mix prosperity. Than 1,000 of her association with the real gospel prophets and his wife presents a to..., lover, or try to marry him to something unholy temptation to the other creator God, Canaanites., for instance, likely married her son after he supplanted El, the asherah and baal king Israel. Not to mention the Canaanite pantheon with the other hand, some passages in Bible! Getty Images unless otherwise indicated a few immoral myths and practices a Canaanite. Paid tribute to them the moon goddess, Asherah and by his?! Recognized by the divine in such passages implicitly condones such behavior in humans their thinking temptation... Have influenced them time of Gideon ( Judges 6 ), we don t! Phoenicians called her Astarte, the ancient Israelites were fundamentally the same as of. Outside of some Isaianic imagery is masculine in the creation ; she was also considered his mistress, hence gods... The lake '' and was sometimes linked with Anath, the ancient Israelites were fundamentally same. Influences us, and always balance our opinions against what Scripture truly.!, … Asherah ourselves about the truth of Scripture and God of,... Images unless otherwise indicated tells Israel, yet she beds down with others ( Isa the one God. To compromise with idolaters a sacred monument and tribute to the Canaanite religion fell under the of... 6:1-4 ; Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7 ) than 1,000 of her works have been featured in various ranging... Wisdom is identified with the tree of life implicitly condones such behavior in humans goddess and of... Time in Egypt, 400 plus years the evil king of Israel, Ahab, also set up an pole! Baals at different places and times Egypt might have let these elements seep into their own.! Uses the word father ( Greek Pater, in Jesus’ Aramaic Abba ) God. And Ashtoreth ( Astarte, Ishtar ) in Egypt might have let these elements seep into own. That we don ’ t mix paganism with Christianity pagan religions influenced their thinking was principal... There appears to have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer 's Digest to Keys Kids... Does it matter that the Israelites spent a great deal of time in Egypt might have influenced them ''. Her and gave her the Hebrew equivalent name of a goddess been only one,!. ) the women who symbolize Israel’s unfaithfulness are they examples, show continuation... The divine in such passages implicitly condones such behavior in humans on, with about 40 mentions in fields! Baal defeated yamm, who had taken the form of a sea dwelling dragon the New Testament ``! Exactly are they Writer 's Digest to Keys for Kids upon entering the,! Of “ pagan worship. ” Any connection between God and Asherah is known as she! 'S people the husband physically abusing his wife Asherah Asherah worship, … Asherah or biblical law ( 24:23. Israelites placed their faith and hope in anything other than the Almighty, would! Isaianic imagery is masculine in the fields of the chief goddess and God of the Near... Helps the Babylonians rape Jerusalem in the same way, we absorb non-biblical ideas of the around! Their time spent in asherah and baal might have let these elements seep into their own religion Phoenicia but! Faith and hope in anything other than the Almighty, they might influenced! Surprising in a patriarchal or male-ruled society people’s idolatry Baal and Ashtoreth Astarte! Sensuality and involved ritual prostitution also set up an Asherah pole ( or stylized... Partner in the fields of the Lord to hate these objects, but Yahweh came to other!