Who was the goddess Asherah/Ashtoreth?

from the old testament

• Asherah worship was introduced to Israel during the period of the Judges and became entrenched by the time of King Solomon, who was led astray by his foreign wives to serve Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians (1 Kings 11:5).
• God commanded against serving gods beside Him (Exodus 20:2–3).
• In His covenant with Israel, God warned that if they disobeyed Him through idolatry, they would be scattered to foreign lands (Deuteronomy 4:25–31). He warned that “there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell” (Deuteronomy 4:28 ). But He promised that if they seek the Lord, He will have mercy on them.
• Worship to Asherah included sexual immorality, prostitution, divination, and fortune telling. Asherah worship was specifically prohibited in Deuteronomy 16:21.
• The prophets Elijah and Elisha contended against Asherah worship. Queen Jezebel imported this Canaanite cultic practice into Israel, promoting widespread idolatry (1 Kings 18:19).
• Asherah worship often took place in forested areas, under a tree, or in an area marked by a carved "Asherah pole," such as the one made by the evil King Manasseh (2 Kings 21:3, 7).
• Notable actions against Asherah included Gideon, who tore down his father’s altar to Baal and the accompanying Asherah pole, replacing it with an altar to the Lord (Judges 6:25–27).
• King Asa and King Josiah made reforms to eradicate Asherah worship and return to monotheistic worship (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 23:6).

from the new testament

• Direct mentions of Asherah are absent in the New Testament, but the struggle against idolatry is a prevalent theme as the apostles confronted pagan worship in their missionary journeys and echoed the Old Testament prohibitions against idols, encouraging believers to turn away from these practices to serve the living God (Acts 17:29–31; 1 Corinthians 10:6–22; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 John 5:21).

implications for today

Asherah worship might seem like a distant, ancient practice, but it offers lessons for us today. The primary takeaway is the danger of idolatry. Today, idolatry extends beyond wooden statues or stone altars—it includes anything that takes the place of God in our lives, whether that’s money, power, pleasure, or even technology. Just as Asherah’s worship involved practices that led people away from God, today’s idols distract us from our relationship with Him and our commitment to living according to His will.

The Bible teaches that God is jealous for our attention and devotion (Exodus 20:4–6; Matthew 22:36–40; 1 John 2:15–17). The relentless pursuit of material wealth or personal success can be just as damaging to our spiritual health as the worship of Asherah was for the Israelites. We need to recognize these idols and address them, not with physical destruction (as in Old Testament times), but by refocusing our hearts and minds on God through prayer, study of Scripture, and community with other believers.

The battle against idolatry isn’t just a personal challenge; it's a community effort. Just as Gideon’s actions influenced his entire community, the choices of faithful believers encourage others to evaluate their own lives and what they truly worship. In a world filled with countless distractions, the church's role is to guide and support its members in focusing on the eternal rather than the temporal.

Reflecting on the story of Asherah worship helps us to better understand our own temptations and challenges, and pushes us to seek a closer, more genuine relationship with God.