Astarte

Astarte




 * Other Names:**

Ashtoreth, Asherah, Attoret


 * Titles:**

"Lady of Battle"

"Mother of the Gods"

"Mistress of Horses"

"Queen of Heaven"

"Lady of the Sea"


 * Family:**

Astarte was thought to be a daughter of Ra or Ptah, and the wife of Set, Baal, or Aah.

Astarte was a goddess of Canaanite or Semitic origin who was absorbed into the Egyptian pantheon during the 18th Dynasty. A warrior goddesses, Astarte's primary association was with horses and chariots. On the stela set up by Amenhotep II celebrating his prowess, Astarte is described as delighting in the impressive equestrian skill of the monarch when he was still only crown prince.

Astarte was worshiped as a loving mother and sexual goddess, and was related to Hathor and Isis. She was credited with defeating the sea-demon Yamm. Temples of Astarte were built in Thebes and Tanis. In her iconography Astarte was pictured as a woman riding on horseback, sometimes with the head of a lioness, brandishing a shield and spear. She was also pictured as a sphinx, and wore the Atef Crown or the horns of a bull.


 * Outside of Egypt:**

There are many biblical references to Astarte, and the Bible tells us that even King Saul, the first Hebrew king, worshiped Astarte. Her cult was popular among the Hebrews, and she was a major competitor with Yahweh for the affections of the Israelites. "And they forsook the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth" (Judges 2:13) "And the People did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, forgetting the Lord their God, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths" (Judges 3:7)

So popular and well-established was the cult of Astarte that it flourished in the Egyptian Delta well into Christian times.

Egyptian Deities - A