The Asherah, the Menorah and the Sacred Tree
Asherim were the cultic representations of the goddess Asherah found in association with mass ebôt at Canaanite high places. They are usually thought to have been wooden objects. However, new evidence may indicate that asherim were in fact living trees, cut and pruned into a particular cultic form....
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1995
|
| In: |
Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 1995, Volume: 20, Issue: 66, Pages: 29-54 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Asherim were the cultic representations of the goddess Asherah found in association with mass ebôt at Canaanite high places. They are usually thought to have been wooden objects. However, new evidence may indicate that asherim were in fact living trees, cut and pruned into a particular cultic form. They were therefore both natural and artificial, both planted and made. If asherim were living trees they would have been fitting symbols for a goddess who personified the life principle. The shape of the Temple menorah, which appeared like a cut and pruned almond tree, may have been based on the form of an asherah, perhaps one associated in particular with Bethel. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1476-6728 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/030908929502006602 |