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Glite Dictionary
👸 Ancient goddess 🪵 Religious object
Asherah

Asherah

1 9.9
A wooden pole or sacred tree used for worship of a mother goddess in the ancient Near East
  • noun
  • /ˈæʃərə/
  • Specialized
: Asera
  • Archaeologists discovered a carved Asherah pole used in ancient religious ceremonies.

Examples

  • The Asherah was often placed beside altars as a focus of veneration in religious rituals.

  • Archaeologists discovered an Asherah pole at the site.

  • The ancient temple contained a large Asherah standing near the altar.

  • Scholars debate the exact role of the Asherah in Canaanite religious practices.

  • Some believe the Asherah represented both a goddess and her sacred symbol.

  • The ancient Israelites worshipped the Asherah alongside Yahweh.

  • In ancient Canaanite worship, the Asherah symbolized fertility and the sacred feminine.

Synonyms

teraph
vsAsherah
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small statue families kept in their homes and worshipped for protection long ago

is a larger communal sacred wooden object tied to a specific goddess

Surface Forms

Asherah singular
Asherahs plural

Etymology

Asherah was also the name used for a wooden pole or 'sacred tree' kept in temples to represent that goddess, so an Asherah can mean both the goddess herself and the carved pole or tree used in worship.