Astarte

West-Semitic goddess of love, sexuality and war.
Astarte was worshipped by Jews, Hebrew, Isrealites and Fenicians (the canaanites in the bible). Her cult is the cradle of the cypriotic Aphrodite and Adonis and her rituals resemble those of Cybele and Attis. She is also conneted to the Mesopotamian Isjtar, where her name emurged from.
"Astarte" is the Greek form of the West-Semitic name Asjtart or Ashtart. In the myths of Ugarit her name is spelled as 'Athtart' or 'Athartu'. She is also called 'the Strong One'. Other names are 'Baalat' (Lady), Queen of Heaven, Urania (Heavenly One) and Athirat (Sea Lady). She is sometimes combined with the Fenician/Puic goddess Tanit. As she is the goddess of passion, sexuality and fertility she is also called 'Great Womb'. Her title was 'Qadashu' (Saint). In the bible she is refered to as 'Astoroth' or 'Astoreth'. The latter is a misspelling with a negative tone: it means 'shame'.

Her companion is Baal-Hadad, the god of storms, mostly shown as a bull. Astarte was therefor also called "Shem B'l" (name of Baal). Her Holy trees were groves, which are reffered to in the bible as well: Exodus 34:13; Judges 6:25; 1 Kings 16:33; 2 Kings 23:6.
Astarte is well represented on mythical texts on clay tablets from the Syrian Ras Sjamra (Ugarit). In the Ugaritian mythology she has a minor role as a helper of Anat and Baal in their battle against Mot and Yammu.
However, Astarte was a major goddess in Fenician religion, mainly in Sidon and Tyrus. Several queens and kings carried the name 'priest(ess) of Astarte'. She was also the main goddess in the city of Byblos, where she was called Baalat (Lady). She was important for fertility and sexuality. Orgiastic rituals were part of her worship - just as they were at Cybeles'. In her temples dwelled both male and femail hierodules (holy prostitutes). The male were called Kalbu and the female Qodesja.
She is often presented with a lion and a cup in which she offers drink to her lover. Lions, flowers and snakes belong to her rituals.

According to he prophet Jeremiah, essence offers were made for the heavenqueen, which is a name for Astarte. This implicates that monotheism was not always a fact in jewish religion. Astartes cult was wide spread in Palestine. Hunderds of her statuettes were excavated. She is presented with lillies or snakes, with her hands before the genitals, pregnant, in a pilar form and many more. The statuettes are dated in the middle bronze ages (2000 - 1500 BCE) until the early iron age (900 - 600 BCE) - the end of the Israelitic monachy.

Lucianos of Samosate tells after a visit to the temple of Sidon in Fenicia that Astarte was the same as the Greek Moongoddess called Selene or Europa (meaning 'full moon). The priest he spoke to told him that Europas' temple was from the royal house of Agenor, who was taken to Crete in by Zeus who had take the form of a bull. The same myth was told in Tyrus. It is not certain what was the original story. The Fenician territory has had many other inhabitants, like the Minoic and the Mycene.
Fenicia/Canaan was the most important sea faring trade nation in the Mediterrenean, their influence on other cultures can not be discarded.

Isjtar