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Asherah, Lady-of-the-Sea.
1$6R1
[to Whom the fifth day of December, day 339, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Syria; Canaanite; Palestine. The Hebrews probably took over worship of the Great Mother Goddess from the Canaanites. There is mention of Her as least as early as 14th. cent. BC.
Linguistic Note: {the meaning given for Her name may be incorrect, or Her description as given in some sources -- Lady Asherah of the sea -- may be tautological}.
Description: Kindly, bountiful Great Motherly household Goddess of heaven, the moon, the sea, enchantment and divination; Mother (some say Wetnurse) of all the Deities; in wisdom Mistress of the Deities; Earliest Goddess known to have been worshipped by the Children of Israel; Asherah of Tyre; Elath of Sidon; Promoter of fertility in women; Facilitator of childbirth.
She had a plural quality like Anath, Strength-of-Life.
Women wove houses for Asherah, Lady-of-the-Sea. These were perhaps vestments for the Goddess's image like the peplus of Athene, a new one of which was woven annually.
To Whom Sacred: tree (groves); donkey (Her mount); cattle (sacrifice); sheep (sacrifice); high hills (on which She had Her tree grove sanctuaries); the number 70 (number of Her children); ritual dance around a tree (Asherah's image? see iconography below); Qedeshim (sacred male -- but perhaps both sexes -- prostitution in Her temples).
Her worship took place when the moon was new.
Iconography: an Asherah was perhaps an image carved from a tree trunk the base of which was implanted in the ground; clay figurines in which She is depicted naked, holding Her breasts.
Male Associates: consort, El, Lord, (also called Shu-nem, ----). Sons, Baal, ----, (also called Hadd, ----), and Mot, ----. Baal is sometimes called Her consort. (She bore seventy Deities altogether).
Asherat
.
Ashertu
.
Ashratum
, ----. Probably an earlier form of Her name.
Atharath
, 13*R13, ----.
Elath
, Goddess.
Geography/Culture: ?
{Note: am not at all sure this is the place for the Triple Goddess below}
Geography/Culture: Semitic.
Description: {Probably} Mother Goddess.
Male Associate: Consort: Anu.