אֲשֵׁרָה Ashera: The Goddess in Our Midst

(20) Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God יהוה is giving you. (21) You shall not set up a sacred post—any kind of pole beside the altar of your God יהוה that you may make— (22) or erect a stone pillar; for such your God יהוה detests.

Any tree planted at the entrance of a house of G-d is called asheirah. Possibly because it directs people’s “steps” [to worship], it is called [asheirah] from the word ‘ashurai’ (my steps) have held fast to Thy paths.

Scripture thus admonishes not to plant a tree beside the altar of G-d for beauty and to think that it is an honor and glory to G-d’s altar. He prohibited it because it was a custom of the idolaters to plant trees at the entrances of their idol’s temples, as it is written, further, and throw down the altar of Baal that belongs to thy father, and cut down the asheirah that is by it.

Jeremiah further said to all the people and to all the women: “Hear the word of the LORD, all Judeans in the land of Egypt! (25) Thus said the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have confirmed by deed what you spoke in words:^-g ‘We will fulfill the vows which we made, to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour libations to her.’ So fulfill your vows; perform your vows!

(3) [Manasseh] rebuilt the shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he erected altars for Baal and made a sacred post, as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshiped them, (4) and he built altars for them in the House of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “I will establish My name in Jerusalem.”...

(7) The sculptured image of Asherah that he made he placed in the House concerning which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this House and in Jerusalem, which I chose out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My name forever.

(4) Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests of the second rank, and the guards of the threshold to bring out of the Temple of the LORD all the objects made for Baal and Asherah and all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and he removed the ashes to Bethel...

(6) He brought out the [image of] Asherah from the House of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and burned it in the Kidron Valley; he beat it to dust and scattered its dust over the burial ground of the common people. (7) He tore down the cubicles of the male prostitutes in the House of the LORD, at the place where the women wove coverings for Asherah...

(15) As for the altar in Bethel [and] the shrine made by Jeroboam son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin—that altar, too, and the shrine as well, he tore down. He burned down the shrine and beat it to dust, and he burned the sacred post.

Idolators who worship the mountains and the hills, even though [the mountains and hills] are permitted, their worshippers should be stoned. A person who is worshipped, even though he is permitted [to live], his worshippers are stoned. Which is the asherah? All which idolators worship and guard them and do not taste of their fruits.

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, There are three asherahs in Eretz Yisrael: a carob in Kfar Patam, and [a carob] in Kfar Pigshah, [and] a sycamore in Rani and in Karmel. They plant vegetables under an asherah in the rainy season but not in the dry season. Lettuce, neither in the dry nor in the wet season. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, not even seeds or vegetables in the rainy season, because the leaves fall and become manure [for the plants].

(4) In accordance with the Sabean theories images were erected to the stars, golden images to the sun, images of silver to the moon, and they attributed the metals and the climates to the influence of the planets, saying that a certain planet is the god of a certain zone. They built temples, placed in them images, and assumed that the stars sent forth their influence upon these images, which are thereby enabled (to speak) to understand, to comprehend, to inspire human beings, and to tell them what is useful to them. They apply the same to trees which fall to the lot of these stars. When, namely, a certain tree, which is peculiar to a certain star, is dedicated to the name of this star, and certain things are done for the tree and to the tree, the spiritual force of that star which influences that tree, inspires men, and speaks to them when they are asleep. All this is written in their works, to which I will call your attention. It applies to the "prophets of Baal," and the "prophets of Asherah," mentioned in Scripture, in whose hearts the Sabean theories had taken root, who forsook God, and called, "Baal, hear us" (1 Kings 18:26); because these theories were then general, ignorance had spread, and the madness with which people adhered to this kind of imaginations had increased in the world. When such opinions were adopted among the Israelites, they had observers of clouds, enchanters, witches, charmers, consulters with familiar spirits, wizards, and necromancers.