asherah
|a-she-rah|
/əˈʃɛrə/
Canaanite mother goddess / sacred cult pole
Etymology
'asherah' originates from 'Hebrew', specifically the word 'ʾašerāh' (אֲשֵׁרָה), which is closely related to the Ugaritic goddess name 'Athirat'.
'asherah' changed from the Ugaritic word 'Athirat' and passed into Biblical Hebrew as 'ʾašerāh', later appearing in Greek and Latin translations of the Bible and finally entering modern English as 'asherah'.
Initially, it referred primarily to the proper name of a goddess (and her cult), but over time the term also came to denote the physical cult object (a pole or sacred tree) associated with her worship.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a Northwest Semitic/Canaanite mother or fertility goddess (often identified with Ugaritic Athirat), worshiped in the ancient Near East and mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
In some ancient inscriptions, asherah is invoked alongside other deities as a mother goddess.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a sacred wooden pole, tree, or stylized tree-like cult object used in worship in ancient Israel and neighboring cultures; often called an 'Asherah pole'.
Archaeologists found postholes and inscriptions suggesting the presence of an asherah at the site.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/28 04:16