Because trees
are rooted in the earth and reach toward the sky, many ancient religions worshiped
them in sacred groves and imagined spirits inhabiting them. In early Israelite
history, the Patriarchs erected pillars (mazzevot) in the cult of God;
the practice was clearly considered legitimate; Jacob, for example, erected
a mazzevah at Beth-El to be used in the service of God.
Similar to the erection
of mazzevot was the planting of trees for the service of God. Abraham
encountered three angels at Elonei Mamre -- the Terebinths of Mamre --
and planted a tamarisk tree which he dedicated to God in Beersheva. We are not
told why Abraham planted the tree; there is no suggestion that the place had
any prior sanctity, nor did the patriarch make use of other existing cultic
objects.
Prof. Nahum Sarna
throws light on the phenomenon of the sacred tree, in his commentary on
a reference to another spot where the terebinths, Elonei Moreh,
grew. "Abraham passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem,
at the Terebinths of Moreh. The Caananites were then in the land."
(Genesis 12:6)
"The Terebinth
of Moreh, in Hebrew 'elon moreh, was undoubtedly some mighty tree
with sacred associations. Moreh must mean "teacher, oracle
giver." This tree (or a cluster of such trees) was so conspicuous
and so famous that it served as a landmark to identify other sites in
the area.
The phenomenon of
a sacred tree, particularly one associated with a sacred site, is well
known in a variety of cultures. A distinguished tree, especially one of
great antiquity, might be looked upon as the "tree of life"
or as being "cosmic," its stump symbolizing the "navel
of the earth" and its top representing heaven. In this sense, it
is a bridge between the human and the divine spheres, and it becomes an
arena of divine-human encounter, an ideal medium of oracles and revelation.
Trees may have also
symbolized the protection or fertility the worshiper hoped to receive
from a deity. Fertility cults flourished in connection with such trees,
and this form of paganism proved attractive to many Israelites."[1]
While sacred plantings
continued for some time, they were eventually forbidden by the official
religion of Israel, as they were a common practice among the Israelites'
Canaanite neighbors. "You shall not set up a sacred post [asherah]
any kind of pole [etz] beside the altar of the Lord your
God that you may make..."
Prof. Jeffry Tigay,
in his commentary on the book of Deuteronomy (JPS Translation) differentiates
between the two types of sacred posts: "An asherah was a standing
wooden object at a place of worship, and its significance is uncertain.
Not all objects of this type were inherently idolatrous: Abraham worshiped
the Lord at a tamarisk, and there were trees in the sanctuary of the Lord
at Shechem and in the Temple. The book of Deuteronomy most likely bans
objects of this type from sanctuaries of the Lord because they were associated
with Canaanite deities and might eventually have led the Israelites to
blur the distinctions between Israelite and Canaanite religion.
The second term in this
verse, etz, refers to any treelike object, whether a natural tree, an
artificial one, or a pole. This broad definition of a sacred post prevents anyone
from claiming that the prohibition covers only certain objects of this type
and that others are legitimate; such a distinction could lead to a confusion
that can only be prevented by a comprehensive ban."[2]
|
[1]
Nahum M. Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, Philadelphia: Jewish
Publication Society of America; 1989 p. 91. [back]
[2]
Jeffrey H. Tigay, The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, Philadelphia:
Jewish Publication Society of America; 1996; pp. 161-62 [back]
|
TREES
Table of Contents
|