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Bible Dictionaries
Ashtaroth
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Ashtaroth (ăsh'ta-rŏth), Astaroth (ăs'-tâ-rŏth). 1. A city of Bashan, east of the Jordan, Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 9:10; Joshua 13:31; the same as Beesh-terah, Joshua 21:27; probably Tell-Ashterah, in Jaulan. 2. Ashtoreth, sing.; Ashtaroth, plur. and more usual. An idol called the goddess of the Sidonians, Judges 2:13, much worshipped in Syria and Phœnicia. Solomon introduced the worship of it. 1 Kings 11:33. The Greeks and Romans called it Astarte. The 400 prophets of the Asherah which ate at Jezebel's table, mentioned 1 Kings 18:19, R. V., were probably employed in the service of Asherah, the female deity. The worship of Ashtoreth was suppressed by Josiah. The goddess was called the "queen of heaven," and the worship was said to be paid to the "host of heaven." Her name is usually mentioned in connection with Baal. Baal and Ashtoreth are taken by many scholars as standing for the sun and the moon respectively.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Ashtaroth'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/a/ashtaroth.html. 1893.
