A single stone column, sometimes inscribed, used in worship of false gods and often located on high places.
About Sacred Pillar
The sacred pillar was a column that was usually made of a single stone. It could sometimes be inscribed with some memorial of an event that had happened at the place where the stone stood. Such monuments could be made of a single stone or a pile of stones.
Key References
Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,
So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
All Scripture References (21)
Exodus (2)
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.
Leviticus (1)
“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy (3)
Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.
and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
1 Kings (1)
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
2 Kings (6)
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.
They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.
They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.
They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.
2 Chronicles (2)
And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.
Jeremiah (1)
He will demolish the sacred pillars of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”
Ezekiel (1)
The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.
Hosea (3)
For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.
Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.
Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.
Micah (1)
I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.