View source for Asher

{{short description|Biblical figure and son of Jacob and Zilpah}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Asher
| native_name        = {{Script/Hebrew|אָשֵׁר}}
| native_name_lang   = he
| image              = Asher (Francisco de Zurbarán).jpg
| caption            = Painting by [[Francisco de Zurbarán]] (from ''[[Jacob and his twelve sons]]'', c. 1640–45)
| pronunciation      = Asher
| birth_date         = 2 [[Shevat]] or 20 [[Shevat]]
| death_date         = (aged 123)
| father             = [[Jacob]]
| mother             = [[Zilpah]]
| spouse             = * Adon (first wife)
* Hadurah (second wife)
| children           = {{Collapsible list
| title = {{nobold|''Sons through Hadurah'':}}
|Imnah (son)
|Ishvah (son)
|Ishvi (son)
|Beriah (son)
|[[Serah]] (daughter)<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|46:17}}</ref>
}}
| relatives          = {{Plainlist|
* [[Reuben (son of Jacob)|Reuben]] (half brother)
* [[Simeon (son of Jacob)|Simeon]] (half brother)
* [[Levi]] (half brother)
* [[Judah (son of Jacob)|Judah]] (half brother)
* [[Dan (son of Jacob)|Dan]] (half brother)
* [[Naphtali]] (half brother)
* [[Gad (son of Jacob)|Gad]] (brother)
* [[Issachar]] (half brother)
* [[Zebulun]] (half brother)
* [[Dinah]] (half sister)
* [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]] (half brother)
* [[Benjamin]] (half brother)
}}
}}
{{Lead too short|date=October 2021}}
'''Asher''' ({{langx|he|אָשֵׁר}} ''’Āšēr''), in the [[Book of Genesis]], was the younger of the two sons of [[Jacob]] and [[Zilpah]], and Jacob's eighth son overall. He was the founder of the [[Israelites|Israelite]] [[Tribe of Asher]].

==Name==
The text of the [[Torah]] states that the name אָשֵׁר ''Asher'' means "happy" or "blessing", implying a derivation from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] term ''osher'' in two variations: ''beoshri'' (meaning ''in my good fortune''), and ''ishsheruni''. The [[Bible]] states that at his birth, Leah exclaimed, "Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy: so she called his name Asher", meaning "happy" (Genesis 30:13).<ref name=genesis-30>{{bibleverse||Genesis|30:13|HE}}</ref> Indeed, the name אָשֵׁר ''Asher'' is a typical Semitic name, deriving from the Hebrew root ''ʔ-š-r'' "to be happy"<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Albright |first=W. F. |date=1954 |title=Northwest-Semitic Names in a List of Egyptian Slaves from the Eighteenth Century B. C. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/595513 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=74 |issue=4 |pages=222–233 |doi=10.2307/595513 |issn=0003-0279|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and the stative nominal stem.

==Biblical narrative==
Asher and his four sons and daughter settled in [[Canaan]].<ref>{{cite book
  | last1 = Metzger
  | first1 = Bruce M. 
  | last2 = Coogan 
  | first2 = Michael D.
  | title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible
  | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]
  | year = 1993
  | location = Oxford, UK
  | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458
  | isbn = 0-19-504645-5
  }}</ref> On his deathbed, Jacob [[Blessing of Jacob|blessed]] Asher by saying that "his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties" (Gen. 49:20).<ref name=Gen49-20>{{bibleverse||Genesis|49:20|HE}}</ref>

Moses said of Asher: "May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil." (Deuteronomy 33:24). <ref name=Deuteronomy33-24>{{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|33:24|HE}}</ref>

Asher was the eighth son of the patriarch Jacob and the traditional progenitor of the tribe Asher.

Asher is represented as the younger brother of [[Gad (son of Jacob)|Gad]], these two being the sons of Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah (Genesis 35:26). The Biblical account shows Zilpah's status as a handmaid changed to an actual wife of Jacob (Genesis 30:9).<ref name=Gen30-9>{{bibleverse||Genesis|30:9|HE}}</ref> Some [[biblical criticism|biblical scholars]] regard this status as indicating that the authors saw the tribe of Asher as being not of entirely Israelite origin; they believe that Asher consisted of certain clans affiliated with portions of the Israelite tribal confederation, but which were never incorporated into the [[body politic]].<ref name="JEnc">''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref>

The Torah states that Asher had four sons and one daughter, who were born in Canaan and migrated with him to [[Egypt]],<ref name=Gen46-17>{{bibleverse||Genesis|46:17|HE}}</ref> with their descendants remaining there until [[the Exodus]];<ref>''[[Book of Exodus]]''</ref> this seems to be partly contradicted by Egyptian records (assuming a late Exodus date), according to which a group named ''Aseru'', a name from which Asher is probably derived,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-DkyAQAAMAAJ&dq=Asher+aseru&pg=PA662 ''Jewish Encyclopedia,'' "Israel, People of."]</ref> were, in the 14th century BC, living in a similar region to Asher's traditional territory, in Canaan.<ref name=JEnc/> Asher's daughter, [[Serah]] (also transliterated as Serach), is the only granddaughter of Jacob mentioned in the [[Torah]] (Gen. 46:17).<ref name=Gen46-17/> 

Her mother is not named. According to [[classical rabbinical literature]], Serach's mother was named ''Hadurah'' and was a descendant of [[Eber]]. Although Hadurah was a wife of Asher, it was her second marriage, and Serach's father was actually Hadurah's first husband, who had died.<ref>''[[Sefer haYashar (midrash)|Sefer ha Yashar]]''</ref> In [[classical rabbinical literature]], Hadurah's marriage to Asher was his second marriage as well, his first having been to ''Adon'', who was a descendant of [[Ishmael]].<ref name=JEnc/> The [[Book of Jubilees]] contradicts this, arguing instead that Asher's wife was named ''Ijon'' (which probably means ''dove'').<ref name=JEnc/>

Asher's sons were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, and Beriah.

==In rabbinical literature==
Asher was the very one whose endeavor it had always been to reconcile the brothers—especially when they disputed which of them was destined to be the ancestor of the priests (''[[Sifre|Sifre Deuteronomy]]'' 355). In Asher 5 of the ''[[Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs]]'', Asher is regarded as the example of a virtuous man who, with singlemindedness, strives only for the general good. According to classical rabbinical literature, Asher had informed his brothers about [[Reuben (Bible)|Reuben]]'s [[incest]] with [[Bilhah]]. As a result, Asher was on bad terms with his brothers. Once Reuben confessed to incest, the brothers realised they had been unjust towards Asher.<ref name=JEnc/> Asher's motivation is described by classical rabbinical sources as being entirely innocent of evil intent and always in search of harmony between his brothers.<ref name=JEnc/> 

Asher was born on 20 [[Shevat]] 2199 (1562 BCE) and, according to some accounts, died on 2 Shevat.

Asher married twice. His first wife was [[Adon]], a great-granddaughter of [[Ishmael]]; his second was [[Hadurah]], a granddaughter of [[Eber]] and a widow. By her first marriage, Hadurah had a daughter named [[Serah]], whom Asher treated as if she were his own.<ref>"Sefer ha-Yashar, Wayesheb"</ref> According to the [[Book of Jubilees]] 34:20, Asher's wife was named Iyon (probably, "dove").

Asher's descendants, in more than one regard, deserved their name ("Asher" meaning "happiness"). The tribe of Asher was the one most blessed with male children,<ref>''Sifre'', l.c.</ref> and their women were so beautiful that [[Kohen|priests]] and princes sought them in marriage.<ref>''Genesis Rabba'' 71</ref> The abundance of olive oil in the land possessed by Asher so enriched the tribe that none of them needed to hire a habitation.<ref>''Genesis Rabba''.</ref> The soil was so fertile that, in times of scarcity, especially in the [[Shmita|Sabbatical year]], Asher provided all of Israel with olive oil.<ref>''Sifre'', l.c.; ''[[Menachot]]'' ([[Talmud|Babylonian Talmud]]) 85b; ''[[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan|Targum Yerushalmi]]'' (Talmud Pseudo-Jonathan) on Deuteronomy 33:24</ref> The Asherites were also renowned for wisdom.<ref>Babylonian Talmud, ''Menachot'' 85b. .J. Sr. L. G. {{Huh|date=April 2017}}</ref>

== Tomb ==
A [[Samaritans|Samaritan]] tradition recorded in the late 19th century considered Neby Toba near [[Tubas (city)|Tubas]] to be the burial place of Asher.<ref>Conder and Kitchener, 1882, SWP II, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp02conduoft#page/219/mode/1up 219]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline}}

{{sons of Jacob}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Founders of biblical tribes]]
[[Category:Children of Jacob]]
[[Category:Book of Genesis people]]
[[Category:Book of Jubilees]]
[[Category:Tribe of Asher]]