at ▁pla que ▁" a ▁triple - f usion ▁hyp ost asis ", ▁and ▁cons iders ▁Q ud sh u ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁ep ith et ▁of ▁Ath irat ▁by ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁elim ination , ▁for ▁A star te ▁and ▁An at ▁appear ▁after ▁Q ud sh u ▁in ▁the ▁ins cription . ▁ ▁In ▁Israel ▁and ▁Jud ah ▁ ▁Between ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁BC ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁their ▁ex ile ▁in ▁ 5 8 6 ▁BC , ▁poly the ism ▁was ▁normal ▁throughout ▁Israel ; ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁after ▁the ▁ex ile ▁that ▁worship ▁of ▁Y ah we h ▁alone ▁became ▁established , ▁and ▁possibly ▁only ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Mac c abe es ▁( 2 nd ▁century ▁BC ) ▁that ▁mon othe ism ▁became ▁universal ▁among ▁the ▁Jews . ▁Some ▁bib lic al ▁sch ol ars ▁believe ▁that ▁Ash er ah ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁was ▁wor sh ipped ▁as ▁the ▁cons ort ▁of ▁Y ah we h , ▁the ▁national ▁God ▁of ▁Israel . ▁There ▁are ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁numerous ▁gods ▁throughout ▁Kings : ▁Sol omon ▁builds ▁tem ples ▁to ▁many ▁gods ▁and ▁Jos iah ▁is ▁reported ▁as ▁cutting ▁down ▁the ▁stat ues ▁of ▁Ash er ah ▁in ▁the ▁temple ▁Sol omon ▁built ▁for ▁Y ah we h ▁( 2 ▁Kings ▁ 2 3 : 1 4 ). ▁Jos iah ' s ▁grand father ▁Man asse h ▁had ▁ere cted ▁one ▁such ▁statue ▁( 2 ▁Kings ▁ 2 1 : 7