Goddess of hunting Canaan
Gods and Goddess Reference
Astar'te. See Ashtoreth.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
By Dr. William Smith.Published in 1863
Astarte
(Α᾿στάρτη), the Greek form of the Heb. ASHTORETH or ASHERAH SEE ASHERAH (q.v.), Gracized also Astroarche (Α᾿στροάρχη, Herodian, v, 6, 10), the chief Syrian deity (Lucian, De dea Syr. 4), being the goddess of the Sidonians (1Ki_11:5; 1Ki_11:33), also introduced (from the Tyrians, see Josephus, Apion, i, 18) among the Philistines (1Sa_31:10), and worshipped by the apostate Israelites (2Ki_23:4; Mic_5:13). She was likewise adored by the Phoenician colony at Carthage (Augustine, Qucest. in Jud. xvi; comp. Creuzer, Symbol. ii, 270 sq.), among whom her name appears as a component of common appellations of individuals (Gesenius, in the Hall. Encycl. 21:98: comp. Abdastartus [i.e. "servant of Astarte"], in Josephus, Apion, i, 18). She was also worshipped in Phrygia and at Hierapolis (Creuzer, Symbol. ii, 61). She is usually named in connection with Baal (Jdg_2:13; Jdg_3:7; Jdg_10:6; 1Sa_7:4; 1Sa_12:10; 1Ki_18:19; 2Ki_23:24, etc.), and corresponds to the female (generative) principle, otherwise called Baaltis (Βααλτίς, worshipped especially at Bylus, see Philo, in Euseb. Praep. Evang. i, 10), the chief goddess of the Phoenicians and Syrians ("Astarte the Great," Sanchoniath. Frag. ed. Orelli, p. 34), and probably the same with the "queen of heaven" (Jer_7:18; Jer_44:17; comp. 2Ki_23:4). Many (Creuzer, Symbol. ii, 65 sq.) identify her with Atergatis (q.v.) or Derceto (comp. Herod. i, 105); but this latter, as a fish-goddess, hardly agrees with the description of Ashtoreth (q.v.) by Sanchoniathon (Frag. ed. Orelli, p. 34; and in Euseb. Prep. Ev. i, 10), nor does Astarte appear in this form on coins (see Montfaucon, Antiq. expliq. II, ii, 386; Eckhel, Doctr. Numor. I, iii, 369 sq., comp. 372; Gesenius, in the Hall. Encycl. xxi, 99). The Greeks and Romans, according to their usual method in treating foreign divinities, compare her to Venus, i.e. Urania (comp. Cic. Nat. Deor. iii, 23; Euseb. Prep. Ev. i, i0; Theodoret, iii, 50; Nonni Dionys. iii, 110); sometimes with Juno (Augustine, Quaest. in Jud. xvi; comp. Creuzer, Symbol. ii, 270); and sometimes with Luna (Lucian, De dea Syria, 4; comp. Herodian, v, 6, 10). She also appears as the Mylitta of the Babylonians (Herod. i, 131, 199), the Alytta of the Arabians and Armenians (of Anaitis, Strabo, 15:806), a general representation of the goddess of love and fruitfulness (Herod. i, 144; Bar_6:43; Euseb. Vit. Constant. iii, 55; Val. Max. ii, 6, 15; comp. 2Ki_23:7; see Creuzer, Symbolik, ii, 23 sq.). Some also find traces of the name in the Persic and Syriac terms of the Sabian religious books (Nordberg, Onom. p. 20 sq.). Under the form Asherah (אֲשֵׁרָה) it appears to designate the goddess of good fortune (from אָשִׁר, to be happy). SEE MENII. (See generally Selden, Dz diis Syris, ii, 2; Gruber, in the Hall. Encycl. 4:135; Gesenius, Comment. z. Jesa. ii, 338; Thes. Heb. p. 1082 sq.; Hase, in the Biblioth. Brem. 8:707 sq.; also in Ugolini Thesaur. xxiii; Fourmont, Reflexions critiques sur les histoires des anciens peuples, ii, 301 sq.; Graff, Beitrige z. richtig. Beurth- ilung d. Hauptmonmente in d. alten Gesch. d. Assyrier, Babylonier, u. Meder, Wetzlar, 1828; Hug, Myth. p. 118 sq.; Movers, Phonizier, i; Miinter, Rel. d. Karthaeger; Stuhr, Relig. des Orients, p. 439; Vatke, Relig. d Alten Test. p. 372 sq.; Dupuis, Origine des Cultes, i, 181 sq.; iii, 471 sq.; Schwenk, Mythol. deri Semiten, p. 207; Van Dale, De oragine idolatries, p. 17 sq.)-Winer, i. 108. SEE ASHTORETH; SEE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.