ASHDOTH PISGAH (5sh'doth-piz'gah), (Heb. ash-doth' Ita-fiis-gaw', springs of Pis gah), the water courses, spurs and ravines of Mount Pisgah (Dent. iii:17; iv:49; Josh. xii:3; xiii:2o).
ASHER (5sh'er), (Heb. aw-share', happi ness).
1. One of the sons of Jacob by Zilpah, the hand maid of Leah (Gen. xxx:13; xxxv:26; xlix:2o), and founder of one of the twelve tribes (Num. xxvi: Asher had four sons and one daughter (Gen. xlix:2o; Deut. xxxiii:24; r Citron. vii:3o).
(1) Tribe of Asher. On quitting Egypt the number of adult males in the tribe of Asher was 41,500, which made it the ninth of the tribes (excluding Levi) in numbers—Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin only being below it. But before entering Canaan an increase of ',goo—an in crease exceeded only by Manasseh—raised the number to 53,400, and made it the fifth of the tribes in population (Comp. Num. i:4o, 41 ; xxvi :47).
(2) Inheritance. The inheritance of this tribe lay in a very fruitful country, on the seacoast, with Lebanon north, Carmel and the tribe of Issa char south, and Zebulun and Naphtali east. It is usually stated that the whole of the Phoenician territories, including Sidon, were assigned to this tribe. But there are various considerations which militate against this conclusion (Num. xxvi:24; Josh. xix:24; Judg. i:31), and tend to show that the assigned frontier-line was drawn out to the sea south of Sidon. The strongest text for the inclu
sion of Sidon (Tyre was not then founded) is that in which it is mentioned to the reproach of the Asherites that they did not drive out the Sidoni ans (Judg. i:31).
(3) Among the Canaanites. The Asherites were for a long time unable to gain possession of the territories actually assigned them, and 'dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land' (Judg. i:32); and, 'as it is not usual to say of a larger number that it dwells among the smaller, the inference is that they expelled but compara tively few of the Canaanites, leaving them, in fact, a majority of the population' (Bush, note on Judg. i:32).
2. The name of the tribe descended from Asher, and also of that part of Canaan in which they dwelt (Num. i: 13; ii:27: xxvi: 44, 47; xxxiv :27; Josh. xix: 24, 31, 34; xxi: 6, 3o; Judg. is 31; v: 17; vi: 35; vii: 23; r Kings iv: 16; t Chron. vi: 62, 74; Ezek. XiViii: 2, 3. 34).
3. A place that formed one boundary of the tribe of Manasseh on the south (Josh. xvii: 7). ASHERAH (a-she'rah). See ASHTORETH. ASHERITES (5sh'er-ites), descendants of Ash er (Judg. i: 32). (See ASHER).