About

Asher Studies

Asher (אָשֵׁר) in Hebrew means “happy” and “blessed,” and was the name of one of Jacob’s sons from Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant. While Asher, the biblical character, played an uneventful role and was an indistinguishable tribe, he had good fortune according to the blessings he received.

When Leah saw that Zilpah had another son for Jacob, she exclaimed:

Happy am I! For the women will call me happy,” so she named him Asher. (Genesis 30:13)

She could not believe the divine blessings she received in providing additional sons for Jacob through Zilpah, her maidservant, who may have been elevated to a status of wife (אִשָּֽׁה; Genesis 30:9).

And before his deathbed, Jacob, his father, blesses him:

Asher’s food shall be rich, and he shall provide royal delicacies. (Genesis 49:20)

Asher, Part of Jacob and His Twelve Sons, Francisco de Zubarán, 1640-1645

This blessing continues with Moses, who declares:

Most blessed of sons be Asher;
    may he be the favorite of his brothers,
    and may he dip his foot in oil.
Your bars are iron and bronze,
    and as your days, so is your strength. (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)

What a beautiful name that is associated with so much joy, prosperity, and security.

This website was named Asher Studies so that anyone who comes to study Biblical Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible may come into this blessed happiness.

Samantha Joo, Ph.D.

Teacher, Mentor, Program Developer

Hi, welcome to Asher Studies.

I am currently the CEO and founder of a small nonprofit startup, Platform, which mentors youth and women for leadership in social activism, and the academic advising center coordinator and ADA accommodations officer at Iliff School of Theology. In my past life, I taught a range of Bible and religion courses at universities and theological graduate schools and founded Dding Dong, the LGBTIQ+ youth support Center in Seoul, Korea. I studied at Harvard Divinity School (Master of Theological Studies), Hebrew University in Jerusalem (year-long research), and Brandeis University (Ph.D. in Bible and Ancient Near East).

My community consists of my canine boys (Kimchi, Benji, and Cooper), niblings, siblings, most beloved friends, immigrant youth in the city of Aurora, and progressive Christians and spiritual Nones. I love to cook, travel, and walk everywhere and anywhere.

Please check out my Substack and list of publications on Academia.