The name Asherah translates as “she who moves across the water.” Pure and timeless, Asherah is the Spirit of God who was there in the beginning, moving upon the face of the deep and rejoicing over God’s handiwork (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 8:30).
She is the Queen of Heaven mentioned in Revelation 12:1. She is represented in Scripture by her namesake Sarah— her name being a variation and archetype of Asherah. However, by the time we get to the prophets, we see a whole new pattern emerging, that of a people committing spiritual harlotry, characterised by the prostitute Gomer being pursued by her faithful husband Hosea. This image is further perpetuated by the Canaanite belief that Asherah was constantly cheating on her husband El with his arch-nemesis Baal, the god of the storms; this story mirroring the strange and erratic behavior of the gods in the ancient world.
However, whatever this is, it is my firm conviction that this is not behavior that is becoming of an Israelite goddess! Something about this scenario just does not sit quite right with me. It almost seems as if Asherah has had her dignity stripped of her by the very people she represents, not the fertility rituals that have come to characterize and mar Her image.
She is the Queen of Heaven mentioned in Revelation 12:1. She is represented in Scripture by her namesake Sarah— her name being a variation and archetype of Asherah. However, by the time we get to the prophets, we see a whole new pattern emerging, that of a people committing spiritual harlotry, characterised by the prostitute Gomer being pursued by her faithful husband Hosea. This image is further perpetuated by the Canaanite belief that Asherah was constantly cheating on her husband El with his arch-nemesis Baal, the god of the storms; this story mirroring the strange and erratic behavior of the gods in the ancient world.
However, whatever this is, it is my firm conviction that this is not behavior that is becoming of an Israelite goddess! Something about this scenario just does not sit quite right with me. It almost seems as if Asherah has had her dignity stripped of her by the very people she represents, not the fertility rituals that have come to characterize and mar Her image.
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