Bible Dictionaries
Obscene Object
Holman Bible Dictionary
REB translation for an object the queen mother Maacah erected for the worship of Asherah, a fertility goddess (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16 ). The precise nature of the image is unclear. The Vulgate or early Latin translation took the image to be a phallic emblem. Some recent interpreters have suggested a stylized palm tree as a symbol of fertility. Alternate translations include: idol (KJV); abominable image (NRSV); repulsive Asherah pole (NIV); and horrid image for Asherah (NAS). See Asherah; Fertility Cults.
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Obscene Object'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/o/obscene-object.html. 1991.