The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah cover

The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah

by Judith M. Hadley

"Recent archaeological discoveries have encouraged scholars to reinvestigate the Israelite religion. In this book, Judith Hadley uses these discoveries, alongside biblical material and non-biblical inscriptions, to examine the evidence for the worship of Asherah as the partner of God in the Bible. By investigating the Khirbet el-Qom and Kuntillet 'Ajrud inscriptions, for example, where the phrase 'Yahweh (and) his asherah' is frequently in evidence, the author asks what the ancient Israelites meant by this, how they construed the relationship between Yahweh and Asherah, and whether in fact the term actually referred to an object of worship rather than to a goddess. The iconography of Asherah is also discussed, alongside female figurines from the Bronze and Iron Ages thought to represent her. As well as exploring the etymology and origins of Asherah, the author evaluates more recent scholarship to substantiate her conclusions."--BOOK JACKET.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?