Re: Eschera vs. Ashera? Cult "furniture" for Greeks & Hebrew?

Sorry, for some reason I thought that word began with an aspirant!


--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "George" <historynow2002@...>
wrote:

> List members,
>
> I've recently stumbled across this word in the
> Perseus.org lexicons:
>
> @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
> Eschara , Ion. eschar-arê [a^], hê, Ep. gen. and dat. escharophin
> (ap' esch- Od.7.169, ep' esch- 5.59 , 19.389):
> 1. Hearth, fire-place, like Hestia, Hom. (esp. in Od.), hê men ep'
> escharêi hêsto Od.6.52 ;
> hêstai ep' escharêi en puros augêi ib.305 ;
> of suppliants, hezet' ep' escharêi en koniêisi 7.153 .
> 2. pan of coals, brazier, Ar.Ach.888, V.938, cf. Poll.10.94, 95.
> 3. Trôôn puros escharai watch-fires of the camp, Il.10.418.
>
> II. Sacrificial Hearth (hollowed out in the ground and so dist.

from

> bômos, structural altar, St.Byz. s.v. bômoi, Phot.; used esp. in
> heroworship, Neanth.7J.), Od.14.420, S.Ant.1016 : but freq. used
> generally, altar of burnt-offering, pros escharan Phoibou
> A.Pers.205 ; ep' escharai puros Id.Eu.108 ; hêmenas ep' escharais
> ib.806 ; Puthikê E.Andr. 1240 ; at Eleusis, D.59.116, cf.
> Lycurg.Fr.37 ; Hêrakleidôn e. IG2.1658 (iv B.C.) ; so bômioi

escharai

>
> structured altars, E.Ph.274 ; sometimes movable, X.Cyr.8.3.12,
> Callix.2, PCair.Zen.13 (iii B.C.).
>
> III. Fire-Stick (bored with the trupanon, q. v.), Thphr.HP5.9.7,

Ign.

> 64.
>
> IV. Platform, Stand, Basis, Ph.Bel.92.13, Ath.Mech.32.10,
> Vitr.10.11.9.
> @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
>
> I am struck by the employment of this term
> in comparison to how the term "Ashera" is employed
> in the bible.
>
> Naturally, one has to decide on one of the following
> scenarios:
>
> 1) coincidence;
> 2) Greek use followed Hebrew use;
> 3) Hebrew use followed Greek use.
>
> What can we conclude about the roots of the Greek
> Eschera? Does it have a long history? Or does it
> appear, "deus ex machina", out of nowhere, somewhere
> after Greek contact with Hebrew culture? I myself
> tend to see the Hebrew use of the term as a recent
> innovation... perhaps to "de-mystify" a Palestinian
> interest in the goddess Asherat (in other words,
> turn the goddess into a piece of Greek furniture!).
> But I'm just guessing at this point.
>
> Information about the roots of the Greek term
> would obviously be very important in order to
> reduce the "guess-work".
>
> Looking forward to thoughts on this.
>
> George