ASHERAH
Canaanite Mother Goddess
Also known as Atherat, Athirat, Elat
Mother Goddess, El's wife and mom of seventy-seven gods
Or was it eighty-eight? She seems to have lost count. But no-one has heard of most of them, so it probably doesn’t matter.
Known as ‘She Who Walks Upon The Sea’, Asherah is an important Mother Goddess and also the wife of Top God El. She was obviously held in very high esteem by her many worshipers in Biblical times. Wooden pillars erected in her honor were so numerous that even Yahweh himself felt a little threatened. These so-called ‘Asherah Poles’ are mentioned several times in the Old Testament — usually accompanied by the words ‘Thou shalt not’.
Despite her popularity, as usual with ancient Middle-Eastern deities, there is plenty of scope for confusion. The various spellings and regional changes of her name seem to lead everywhere and nowhere. And we still don’t know why she walks on the sea.
Asherah Facts and Figures
Name: Asherah
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Atherat, Athirat, Elat
Gender: Female
Type: Goddess
Area or people: Canaan, Phoenicia
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present
Role:
In charge of: Motherhood
Area of expertise: Mother
Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 10931
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Article last revised on May 19, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.