Abstract
It is proposed that the priestly story of Aaron's flowering staff (Num 17:16-26) is an etiology for the asherah in Solomon's temple (2 Kgs 21:3, 7; 23:4, 6, 7). The staff as described is closely similar both in form and in function to the asherah. This proposition accounts for the absence of hostility towards asherim in the priestly literature, and it generates a solution to the age-old problem of why Moses and Aaron were denied entry into the promised land (Num 20:1-13, 24; 27:14; Deut 32:51).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 33-45 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Vetus Testamentum |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2019 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Funding
This paper was prepared and published with the support of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture |
Keywords
- Aaron
- Asherah
- Kuntillet 'Ajrud
- Priestly
- Staff
- Tree