עַשְׁתֹּרֶת

n.pr.deae. ʿAštōreth, ʿAštart, ʿAštéreth (v. infr.) (MI17 עשתר כמש; Ph. עשתרת (+ often in n. pr.), n. pr. עבד עשתר Cook Acad. Jan. 18, 1896 Sab. n. pr. dei עתֿתר v. especially OsZMG xx (1866), 279 f. DHM ib. xxxvii (1883), 376 FellSab. Götternamen, ZMG liv (1900), 231 ff., especially 237 ff.; Assyrian Ištar; Old Aramaic Palm. עתר (= עתֿתר) in n. pr.; in Egyptian ʿastirati WMMAs. u. Eur. 313; Gk. Ἀστάρτη; on other Gk. equivalents (e.g. Ἀφροδίτη) cf. LewyFremdw. 148, 186 f. 250);——ֶֹ prob. artificial, to suggest בֹּשֶׁת, orig. -תַּרְתְּ, -תֶּרֶת, cf. Ištar, Ασταρτη, etc.; ע׳ 1 K 11:5 + 2 times; pl. -תָּרוֹת Ju 2:13 + 3 times + -רֹת 1 S 7:4; 1 S 31:10 read prob. sg. (Dr al.);—ʿAštart, ʿAštereth (Ασταρτη, pl. Ασταρται, but Ju 10:6; 1 S 7:4 Ασταρωθ), ancient Sem. goddess (with male counterpart in Moab., Sab. and appar. Ph.); Phoenician diety, עשׁתרת אֱלֹהֵי צִדֹנִים 1 K 11:5, 33, ע׳ שִׁקֻּץ צ׳ 2 K 23:13; so prob. בֵּית ע׳ 1 S 31:10 (reading sg.; v. especially Dr); elsewhere pl., of various local goddesses, called עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (cf. Assyrian ilâni u ištarat = gods and Ištars (i.e. goddesses), usually + בעל(ים), as Canaanitish deities Ju 2:13; 10:6; 1 S 7:4; 12:10; ‖ אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר 7:3.—Vid. especially Dr Ashtoreth in HastDB; on Ištar JastrRel. Bab. pass. especially 202 f.; on ʿAthtar BaeRel. 117 f.; on Ph. ʿAštart Pietschm Gesch. Phön. 184 f.; on ʿAshtoreth Barton JBL x (1891), 73 ff. GFM Ency. Bib.