Asherah pole

Asherim 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 , () referred to as "groves" in the King James Version, which follows the Septuagint rendering , pl. alsē, and the Vulgate , and "poles" in the New Revised Standard Version; no word that may be translated as "poles" appears in the text. Scholars have indicated that the plural use of the term provides ample evidence that reference is being made to objects of worship rather than a transcendent figure. 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 shophet 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. Deuteronomy 16:21 states that Yahweh hated Asherim: "You shall not set up a sacred post—any kind of pole beside the altar of your God (the Tetragrammaton) that you may make—or erect a stone pillar; for such your God detests." That Asherim were not always living trees is shown in 1 Kings 14:23: "They too built for themselves shrines, pillars, and sacred posts on every high hill and under every leafy tree[.]" However, the record indicates that the Israelites often departed from this ideal. For example, King Manasseh of Judah placed an Asherah pole in Solomon's Temple (2 Kings 21:7). King Josiah's reforms in the late 7th century BC included the destruction of many Asherah poles (2 Kings 23:14). Exodus 34:13 states: "Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherim [Asherah poles]." ==Asherah poles in biblical archaeology==

Biblical archaeologists have suggested that until the 6th century BC the Israelite peoples had household shrines, or at least figurines, of Asherah, which are strikingly common in the archaeological remains. Thus, the pro-Yahwist prophets and priests were the "innovators" whilst Asherah worshippers were the "traditionalists". Joan E. Taylor suggests the temple menorah’s iconography can be traced to representations of a sacred tree, possibly “based on the form of an asherah, perhaps one associated in particular with Bethel.” However, Rachel Hachlili finds this hypothesis unlikely. Raphael Patai identified the pillar figurines with Asherah in The Hebrew Goddess. == Purpose ==

So far, the purpose of Asherah poles is unknown. Due to their role in Iron Age Yahwism, some suggest they were embodiments of Yahweh himself. Evidence for this includes pro-Yahwist kings like Jehu not destroying Asherah poles, despite violently suppressing non-Yahwist cults. In addition, the Yahwist inscription of Kuntillet ʿAjrud in the Sinai Peninsula pairs Yahweh with Asherah. Scholars believe Asherah is merely a cultic object or temple, but others argue that it is a generic name for any consort of Yahweh. Ronald Hendel argues a middle ground is possible, where the Asherah pole is a symbol of the eponymous goddess, but is believed to be the mediator between the worshipper and Yahweh, where she becomes the "effective bestower of blessing". Stéphanie Anthonioz says that early references to Asherah poles in the Hebrew Bible (i.e. ) were built on the awareness that Yahweh had a consort, from the perspective of many Israelites. With the exception of Deuteronomists, many Near Easterners believed symbols and cult images, like the Asherah pole, were reflections of the divine and the divine themselves in their anthropomorphized forms. ==Origin==

Agrarian and hunter-gatherer societies had a need to keep track of the seasons for survival purposes, to predict when to move, or plant and harvest. The earliest systems for tracking seasonal change was a simple pole or tall, narrow rock installed at the highest open hill or open plain, with a semi-circle of similar poles or stones to track the shadow of the sun throughout the year to determine solar solstices. These structures eventually took on additional meanings and became places of social gatherings and events, to include religious worship and sacrifice throughout the millennia. In some locales this led to what became later known as Asherah. ==See also==