Asherah was an important Goddess recognized across Northwest Semitic cultures. However, particularly in the Hebrew Bible, the term asherah and sometimes asherot, came to be identified with cultic wooden objects, sometimes referred to as asherah poles.

Nov 28, 2022 · In the Bible, Asherah is both the Hebrew name of a pagan fertility goddess and the wooden cult object dedicated to her. Nearly all instances of “Asherah” in the Bible refer to a sacred pole constructed by human hands and erected in honor of the fertility goddess.

Jan 30, 2025 · Asherah, ancient West Semitic goddess, consort of the supreme god. Her principal epithet was probably “She Who Walks on the Sea.” She was occasionally called Elath (Elat), “the Goddess,” and may have also been called Qudshu, “Holiness.”

Aug 26, 2018 · Asherah figures prominently as the wife of El—the supreme god—in a treasure trove of cuneiform texts found in the second millennium port city of Ugarit (in today’s Northern Syria). 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.

Aug 28, 2023 · Asherah was the name of the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar, and the Philistines had a temple of Asherah (1 Samuel 31:10).

Jan 23, 2025 · Asherah is a significant figure in the pantheon of ancient Semitic religions, associated with fertility, motherhood, and creation. Her presence is documented across various cultures and regions, highlighting her role as a mother goddess and consort of prominent deities.

Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. Canaanites associated Asherah with sacred trees, an association also found in the Israelite tradition.

Sep 29, 2020 · Asherah is a Hebrew word for what was either a goddess or a cultic object or perhaps both. Although many see evidence for Asherah being an individual goddess known to the Israelites, some scholars believe...

Dec 7, 2024 · Asherah, a prominent figure in Canaanite religion, was revered as a mother goddess and a symbol of fertility. Often depicted as a nurturing figure, she was believed to be the consort of the chief god El, and later, Baal.

Asherah was the goddess of fertility, and thus represented the Babylonian Ishtar in her character as goddess of love and not of war.