I was at breakfast the other day with Scott. He had a question about Asherah Poles. They have been mentioned numerous times in our reading as we journey through Biblical history.
“What are they?”
Without getting too verbose, here are a couple of tidbits of info: The central figure in the Canaanite religion is the male creator god “El.” He was married to a consort, Asherah. They had a son named Baal. Baal later replaced El. In an act of incest Baal married his own mother, Asherah. She is worshipped as the mother goddess of the Canaanites. All sources concur that all forms of cult prostitution, both male and female, are central to Asherah and Baal worship.
As a form of irony, children are sacrificed to strengthen ones belief in the fertility gods. Poles as phallic symbols were cut, carved, and stood on end as places of worship. Pictures of various kinds can be found. As time went on, the female deity Asherah disappeared from the scene and the pole was just called an asherah pole to the male deity Baal. Baal worship at an asherah pole was considered one of the most vile to the True and Living God Yahweh.
As a twist of facts, two archaeological inscriptions in Southern Palestine have ascribed Asherah as the female consort to the Hebrew God Yahweh. Some would think two is enough to make a connection, however the preponderance of evidence to the contrary is much more overwhelming. No where in the Old Testament is there even a hint that this is true. So how the diabolical connection is made is anyone’s guess. The Lord commanded any and all worship to an asherah destroyed and obliterated.
Anything asherah is in exact opposite perspective and position as our Heavenly Father. Issues of life, dignity of life, respect for life, conception of life, etc. are all polar opposites.
