'Yahweh and His Asherah': Kuntillet Ajrud

The claim

The prophets and the books of Kings repeatedly condemn Israelites for worshiping Asherah alongside the Lord.

What archaeology found

Ze'ev Meshel's excavations (1975–76) at Kuntillet Ajrud, a remote way station in northeastern Sinai, found storage jars with blessings 'by Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah' and 'Yahweh of Teman and his Asherah'. A similar phrase appears in a tomb inscription at Khirbet el-Qom near Hebron.

Where it was found

Kuntillet Ajrud, SinaiView on OpenStreetMap

Sources

1. Ze'ev Meshel, Kuntillet 'Ajrud (Horvat Teman): An Iron Age II Religious Site on the Judah–Sinai Border, Israel Exploration Society (2012)

Verdict history

• Nov 10, 2026SupportedInitial verdict.