The Goddess

The Goddess

I was flipping through the bible one day and came across Astaroth's name - Ashtoreth. I looked up other versions (yes I have quite a few bible versions) and found other spellings such as Astarte, Asherah, and even Astaroth. There are many other spellings to her name, such as Ashtart, Ashratum, Atharath, Astoreth, Elath, and Eliat. So I looked up some information about the goddess (whom I devote this shrine to), Astarte.

Astarte was the supreme female divinity of the Phoenician nation, the goddess of fertility, war, and love. She was worshipped in the Middle East in Canaannite times, which existed since over 4000 years ago because she inspired great devotion, to whom people built household altars. Her aspects included bringing special blessings to the family and helping people achieve their goals and dreams. She was worshipped by King Solomon..

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians (Phoenicians)...
(1 Kings 11:5)

.. and was worshipped by the Hebrews (as well as Zidonians, Canaannites, etc.) until Josiah, a king of Israel, destroyed the temple and cult places to her.

And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians... and he (Josiah) brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
(II Kings 22: 13-14)

Astarte was known as 'Qaniyatu Elima,' "She Who Gives Birth to the Gods," along with other titles such as 'Queen of Heaven,' 'Queen of the Morning Star,' and 'Queen of the Evening Star.' In the time when the God of Israel and Astarte were worshipped side by side, she was also the mother (or sometimes considered the sister) of the Goddess Anath, consort of Yahweh. She was the goddess of war and love, associated with Aphrodite, Selene, Artemis, and Pallas Athene in the Greco-Roman world, Isis and Hathor in Egypt, Ishtar in Babylon and Assyria, Innanna to the Sumerians, Atargatis in Aramaic terms, and others.

Astarte is considered the grandmother of Muslims, Jews and Christians even though the religion gradually died out and /or was supressed because of angry prophets castigating the people of Israel for "whoring" (literally) after foreign gods such as Ashtoreth. Hebrew scholars now feel that the goddess Ashtoreth was mentioned so often in the Bible is a deliberate compilation of the Greek name Astarte and the Hebrew word boshet, “shame,” indicating the Hebrew contempt for her cult. Ashtaroth, became a general term denoting goddesses and paganism.

Ashtaroth or Astaroth is the plural form of the Ashtoreth or Astarte. Her name appears in the Old Testament of the Bible in the plural form until the time of King Solomon (10th century BC) did the singular form appear.

Her corresponding male divinity and husband was Baal, who symbolized maleness in all its aspects while she symbolized the female principle. Jezebel, wife of Ahab, employed 450 prophets or priests in the service of the "queen of heaven." In her worship, the people...

Astarte is usually depicted naked, wearing a lapis-lazuli necklace and carrying a spear or a bow. Sometimes she is shown with crescent-Moon horns, and sometimes she is shown walking on a lion skin.

Her aspects include bringing special blessings to the family and helping people achieve their goals and dreams.

On ABC7, the movie Solomon just came on. I was watching because I love the story itself, and then they mentioned Astarte twice and made me flip. In the movie, Solomon's wives encouraged him to pay attribute to the shrine of Astarte. At first, he refused, but the wives brought memories of Sheba (right? ugh, forgot) to him about love and children, and he offered worship. I still think Astarte is one of the awesome goddesses, with seduction and good fortune to all women like that, I think she's the best anyday.