'Symbols' in the Bible
It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us forth out of Egypt."
But you shall tear down and destroy their [pagan] altars, smash in pieces their [sacred] pillars (obelisks, images) and cut down their Asherim
“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments [which are symbols of their office], and the anointing oil, and the bull for the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;
then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring as an offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it [the symbols of favor and joy], because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a memorial grain offering, a reminder of [the consequences of] wickedness.
You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead.
But this is how you shall deal with them: you shall tear down their altars and smash to pieces their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherim (symbols of the goddess Asherah), and burn their carved or sculpted images in the fire.
Fix these words of mine into your mind and being, and tie them as a reminder on your hands and let them be symbols on your forehead.
“The Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger.
For they also built for themselves high places [to worship idols] and sacred pillars and Asherim [for the goddess Asherah]. These were on every high hill and under every luxuriant tree.
They set up for themselves sacred pillars (memorial stones) and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.
He removed the foreign altars and high places and tore down the [pagan] pillars (obelisks, memorial stones), and cut to pieces the Asherim [the symbols of the goddess Asherah].
We do not see our symbols;There is no longer any prophet [to guide us],Nor does any among us know for how long.
And he will not have regard for the [idolatrous] altars, the work of his hands,Nor will he look to that which his fingers have made,Neither the Asherim (symbols of the goddess Asherah) nor the incense altars.
Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols. Indeed, you depart from me and go up and invite them into bed with you. You purchase favors from them, you love their bed, and gaze longingly on their genitals.
As they remember their children,So they remember [in detail] their [pagan] altars and their AsherimBeside green trees on the high hills.
“I will root out your Asherim (symbols of the goddess Asherah) from among youAnd destroy your cities [which are the centers of pagan worship].
and above the ark were the [golden] cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but we cannot now go into detail about these things.