Ashtoreth

Ashtoreth is the name of the moon goddess of the Phoenician people. She was their main female deity, representing all that was passive and tranquil in nature. She was also considered a possible consort of the sun god Baal, their chief male deity.

Another name associated with Ashtoreth is Ashtoroth, which is either a different individual or a modification of the same one.

As well as the Phoenicians, the Zidonians, Accadians or Assyrians and the Greeks worshipped her as part of their pantheon of gods. Evidence has been found of a temple dedicated to this goddess among the Philistines during the reign of Saul I.

It was however Solomon who initiated her as a goddess and introduced her worship. 400 of Jezebel's priestly class were worshippers and she was known as the "queen of heaven". Her worship often involved sacrifice of chastity or hair by women among the Zidonians.

Among the Phoenicians, Ashtoreth had temples in the colonies of Citium and Paphos, and from Cyprus her cult expanded to Corinth and other parts of Greece, Sicily and Italy.

North Africa knew Ashtoreth as Tanith or Dido and her worship involved obscene rites.

Babylonians and Assyrians knew her as Ishtar, the goddess of sexual love and fertility.

Arabian people knew her as Athtar and in some parts she was transformed into a male deity, representative of the father and the mother of mankind.