Astarte Egyptian goddess. The image of the goddess Astarte in different cultures. Wooden Temple of Truth in Pattaya

Astarte Egyptian goddess.  The image of the goddess Astarte in different cultures.  Wooden Temple of Truth in Pattaya
Astarte Egyptian goddess. The image of the goddess Astarte in different cultures. Wooden Temple of Truth in Pattaya

) personified the hostile forces of nature that subject people to disaster and death and must be appeased by terrible sacrifices and self-torture. Virgin Astarte, "goddess of the castle", the stern mistress of Sidon, holding a raised spear in her hand, depicted with the horns of a bull, like Moloch, and related to him, the sun god, moon goddess, demanded self-service through chastity and renunciation of sensuality. There is news that sometimes virgin girls were sacrificed to her; but if this was done, it was very rarely. Usually, the goddess was content with the fact that the priestesses who kept the sacred fire in her temples took a vow of eternal virginity. Just as the good goddess Asherah was the female complement of the good Baal, so Astarte “complemented” Moloch. Since the concept of Ashtoreth was related to the concept of Asherah, these two goddesses often merged into one.

A figurine of Astarte with a crescent sign on her head. III century BC – III century. according to R.H.

But the savage Phoenicians, if they did not sacrifice people to Astarte, then introduced another kind of madness into her cult. To mortify bodily lust in the priests and servants of her temples, the chaste goddess demanded that they be castrated with their own hands, so that they themselves would make themselves like women. At her temples there were thousands of castrated priests and servants, called Gauls; they walked in fantastic processions around the country. At the great festivals of the “Syrian goddess”, with the thunder of cymbals, tambourines and double pipes, with the wild voluptuous dancing of a crowd of priests, religious passion reached the point of ecstasy, and the young men, in madness, castrated themselves with the sword of the goddess, devoting themselves to serving her.

When Greek stories about gods and heroes and myths of various tribes with which the Phoenicians became acquainted in their colonies were added to the Phoenician myths and beliefs, the tales of the moon goddess Astarte riding on a lion or bull grew into an extensive cycle of myths. Tales of her distant wanderings, confusing the original legends about her with Hellenic myths about And about, Europe, Cadme, with the Carthaginian legend of Dido and so on, depict in a symbolic form the history of Phoenician colonization. Goddess of the vanishing moon, she disappears from Thira, founds cities on her wanderings and finally connects with the god of Tyre, Melqart, who was looking for her. As the founder of the colonies, she is the patron goddess of Carthage; there they honored her under the name Dido of Astarte, and in a magnificent grove a large temple was built to her.

Astarte

The number of those who castrated themselves on the holidays of Astarte to serve her Gauls Over time, it became so large that whole crowds of them walked in fantastic processions around the country with noisy music, collecting alms. In the middle of the procession they led a donkey, on which was a veiled symbol of Astarte and a beggar's bag hanging. Memories of a similar cult formed the basis of the plot of Apuleius’ famous novel The Golden Ass.

“They are dressed in colorful, dirty women’s dresses,” an ancient writer says about the Gauls Lucian. – Their heads, also like women’s, are wrapped in yellow linen or silk bandages; others wear white clothing, decorated at the front with flowing strips of red cloth. Their arms are open right up to the shoulder; in their hands they have large swords, axes, whips, rattles, pipes, tambourines, tambourines; they walk along the road with the thunder of wild music, dancing. Having reached the village, they begin to perform their absurdities. The scene begins with howling. After that, they spin and run one past the other, bowing their heads low to the ground, so that their loose hair drags in the mud; at the same time, they first bite their hands, and then cut them with the swords that they carry with them. After that, a new scene begins. One of them, surpassing all in madness, begins to prophesy with groans and cries (like the priests of Baal, 3rd Book of Kings, XVIII, 29): he confesses his sins in front of everyone, takes a whip with knots - the Gauls carry such whips with them, - beats himself on the back with it until it bleeds, cuts himself with swords so that blood flows from his wounded body. The end of everything is begging. Some throw copper coins onto their clothes, some also throw silver coins; others bring them wine, milk, cheese, flour; they greedily grab it all, put it in the bag designated for it, put it next to the goddess on the back of a donkey, and go to the next village; there the whole ceremony is repeated again. In the evening, having arrived at the hotel, they reward themselves with a feast for the bloody self-torture of that day.” The Gauls live with women, notes Lucian, and these women have a strong attachment to them.

The first image of Divinity created by man was that of the Universal Mother. This is confirmed by all archaeologists and historians. Symbolic images related to the Mother Goddess have appeared since Paleolithic times: these are the moon, dove and snake, which have accompanied the cult of the Mother for centuries.

The Moon represents emotionality, fertility, abundance and various aspects of the feminine principle, the highest expression of which is the Moon Goddess: it is also the luminary that gives light at night and allows us to illuminate the lunar channel of our soul, i.e. Yin according to Chinese tradition. On a more subtle level, the Moon symbolizes the Spirit, since this luminary reflects the light of the sun, just as the Spirit reflects the light of God in man.

The snake, the unconscious image of Kundalini, is the power of the Mother. Drawings of spirals in the prehistoric past are images of Kundalini. All goddesses discovered a connection with the snake. Opponents of the cult of the goddess transformed this symbol into the principle of evil, thereby rejecting the veneration of the goddess and, unknowingly, Kundalini.

The power of Mother's grace is symbolized by the dove. His flight allows him to escape the earthly world and soar into eternity. The dove is one of the symbols that remained even after the goddess was removed from religious life. It is he who symbolizes the Holy Spirit. It was the dove that was chosen as a symbol of peace in the 20th century. The dove symbolizes two dimensions of spiritual life. Firstly, it is a bird - a word meaning dvija in Sanskrit, i.e. twice born: once in the egg, and again coming out of the egg; this is the moment when her true life begins. The same is true for a person who, before realizing his true Self, is like a bird in an egg. Self-realization is his second birth, which opens him to external reality and allows him to take flight to connect with infinity and eternity. Secondly, the dove is the only pure white bird whose flight is vertical: two qualities symbolizing chaste ascension. Thus, the dove is the second symbolic image of Kundalini.

The war that the Aryans and Semites started, including against the cult of the goddess, violated the tradition of worshiping the Mother Goddess, which had developed since ancient times. God the Father took the main place. But despite this, the goddess will retain her supporters throughout the entire period of antiquity. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Celts of this period revere the goddess and her cult dominates all other forms of worship, despite the fact that God the Father is now at the top of the religious pantheon.

Astarte is an ancient goddess, she was revered by various Semitic peoples of Mesopotamia, Syria and Eretz Israel under the name Ishtar. The cult of Ishtar is of Sumerian-Akkadian origin.

It was first mentioned by the Phoenicians in the 15th century. BC e. in the city of Ugarit. The cult of Astarte was especially revered in Sidon and Beirut.

In a myth of Israelite origin, known from Egyptian sources, Astarte was the messenger of the gods to the god Iammu; Wed in the Ugaritic cycle, her appeal to Bal with a request not to kill the messengers of Iammu; She also reproaches Bala for killing Iammu.

Astarte was also revered in Carthage. where her image influenced ideas about Tinnit. and in Cyprus.

Among the Jews

Astarte is mentioned in the Bible more often than any other goddess. The Baals often appear in the context of Astarte.

The word “Astarte” also became a common noun, denoting offspring in the herd “Deut. 7:13; 28:4, 18, 51.”

In Ancient Israel, the cult of Astarte is associated with the influence of Sidon. King Joshua destroyed the altars of Ashtoreth, erected by Solomon. Apparently, Ashtoreth is the queen of heaven, according to the prophet Jeremiah. worshiped by the women of Judah. Astarte is one of the most important goddesses mentioned in the texts of Ugarit, where her role, however, is somewhat obscured by the goddess Anat. Astarte, like Anat, is a fierce, warlike companion of Baal, but at the same time a goddess of sexual love, fertility and fertility. Like Ishtar, Astarte is also an astral deity, closely associated with the morning and evening star.

There is reason to believe that the so-called “Astarte tablets” and clay figurines depicting the mother goddess. well known from archaeological sites in Israel. were a generally accepted image of this goddess among the Jewish people.

During the period of polytheism among the Jews, it was believed that Astarte’s wife was Yahweh. For example, the inscription from Kirbet el-Kom says: “Uriah. his inscriptions Blessed be Uriah Yahweh - he freed him from his enemies by his Asherah. He and I". Thus, Asherah belonged to Yahweh.

Astarte in the form of a sphinx

That the word Asherah also served as a symbol of Astarte is confirmed by the Phoenician inscription Ma-suba, dating back to 221 BC. On an Assyrian cuneiform tablet compiled in the fifteenth century BC, the name of one Phoenician-Canaanite prince is given, Abad-Asratum, i.e. slave of Asherah. Holy Scripture does not provide any information about images of Astarte in human form. The sensual nature of the goddess was personified in the image of her nakedness; The Greeks found such “naked” figurines among the Phoenicians, especially in Cyprus, and mistook them for Aphrodite. Another stern and stern image of Astarte, which the Greeks associated with Hera, Artemis or Athena, found expression in the Assyrian goddess Ishtar. As queen of the city, she wears, as can be seen on many Phoenician coins, a battlemented crown on her head. In her left hand she holds a cross with a handle, which since ancient times was considered a symbol of life in the East. On the staff in the right hand there is a crescent moon, who is in many ways a goddess akin to Astarte.

Goddess Astarte

Astarte - in West Semitic mythology, the personification of the planet Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, and warrior goddess. Astarte is an ancient Semitic deity, which corresponds to Ishtar in Assirovylonian mythology and Astar. Astarte was apparently considered the wife of the West Semitic Astara. In Ugarit, her cult occupies a large place, but she is hardly mentioned in myths. A. plays an important role in the struggle of the gods with Yammu. In a myth of Palestinian origin, known from Egyptian sources, Astarte is the messenger of the gods to Iammu; Wed in the Ugaritic cycle, her appeal to Bal with a request not to kill the messengers of Iammu; She also reproaches Bala for killing Iammu. In Ancient Egypt, Astarte was sometimes identified with Sekhmet and was considered the daughter of Pa, the wife of Set. Astarte was also revered in Carthage and Cyprus. The features of Astarte and Anat later merged in the image of Atargatis. During the Hellenistic period, Astarte was identified with the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Juno. According to Hellenized myth, Astarte fell in love with Adonis and, when he died, followed him to the lower world. Damascus, in his essay “On First Principles,” cites a myth about how A. pursued Eshmun with her love, who, having died, was resurrected thanks to the life-giving warmth of the goddess. There are known images of A. in the form of a naked horsewoman shooting from a bow. During the formation of Jewish monotheism, the prophets waged a fierce struggle with the cult of Astarte.

Astarte Phoenician goddess of war

Astarte - in West Semitic mythology, the personification of the planet Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, and warrior goddess. Astarte is an ancient Semitic deity, which corresponds to Ishtar in Assirovylonian mythology and Astar. Astarte was apparently considered the wife of the West Semitic Astara. In Ugarit, her cult occupies a large place, but she is hardly mentioned in myths.

A. plays an important role in the struggle of the gods with Yammu. In a myth of Palestinian origin, known from Egyptian sources, Astarte is the messenger of the gods to Iammu; Wed in the Ugaritic cycle, her appeal to Bal with a request not to kill the messengers of Iammu; She also reproaches Bala for killing Iammu. In Ancient Egypt, Astarte was sometimes identified with Sekhmet and was considered the daughter of Pa, the wife of Set. Astarte was also revered in Carthage and Cyprus. The features of Astarte and Anat later merged in the image of Atargatis. During the Hellenistic period, Astarte was identified with the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Juno. According to Hellenized myth, Astarte fell in love with Adonis and, when he died, followed him to the lower world. Damascus, in his essay “On First Principles,” cites the myth of how Astarte pursued Eshmun with her love, who, having died, was resurrected thanks to the life-giving warmth of the goddess. There are known images of Astarte in the form of a naked horsewoman shooting from a bow.

Sources: vk.com, cyclowiki.org, ru.wikisource.org, vitalpower.name, mirmystic.com

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In many ancient cultures, Astarte was revered - the goddess of love, beauty and military exploits. Her image reflected ancient matriarchal traditions. In Judaism and Christianity, the image of a powerful deity was demonized.

Great Mother

The first written evidence of the cult of the Great Mother arose in Mesopotamia. They coincide with the very appearance of writing in these territories. The tradition of worshiping the Queen of Heaven originated much earlier.

What did Astarte symbolize?

  • love and passion;
  • motherhood;
  • physical attractiveness and youth;
  • soft feminine power: cunning, seductiveness, ability to persuade - all these qualities were combined in the image of an ancient deity;
  • fertility;
  • courage in battle;
  • good luck in hunting matters.

Her name comes from the word "astar". In ancient Semitic times, this word meant the planet Venus. The deity combined the features of a gentle, enchanting woman, a queen and a merciless warrior. Such a multifaceted character could only arise in territories where matriarchy flourished in the past.

The Babylonian, Sumerian and Akkadian rulers did not like the fact that their subjects were still tied to ancient traditions. The kings considered the strengthening of the patriarchal system to be the key to their power. The priests helped implement this strategy of the rulers. In the pantheons of the peoples of Mesopotamia, the importance of the goddess gradually decreased.

The role of deity in ancient cultures

The myths and legends of each people inhabiting the territory of Mesopotamia reflected their own special vision of the Great Mother, so the patroness of love and war had many names.

In Akkadian mythology she was called Ishtar or Ashtar.

The peoples of Scandinavia revered Freya, a deity who had much in common with the Mother of the Babylonians and Sumerians.

The pantheon of the ancient Romans had its own “double” Ashtar - the patroness of love, Venus.

Thanks to the Phoenicians, the worship of the great deity spread throughout the Mediterranean and the lands of North Africa. There are symbols of Ashtar.

  1. Octogram (star with 8 rays). This sign is the embodiment of harmony between the material and spiritual aspects of human life.
  2. Ankh. A shape in the shape of the letter “T”, at the top of which there is a circle. An ancient Egyptian sign symbolizing immortality.
  3. Crescent. Among the Phoenicians, the ancient Mother was depicted as a stately woman riding a horse. The deity's head was decorated with horns resembling a crescent moon. The great warrior was completely naked, and in her hands she clutched a drawn bow.

To the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, the image of the deity seemed more gentle and feminine. Among these peoples, the Mother of the Universe was depicted with a baby in her arms. Sometimes you come across images of the Queen of Heaven engulfed in flames. For many ancient peoples, fire symbolized vital energy and home, so one of the attributes of Ashtar was fire.

Ritual prostitution was associated with the cult of Ishtar. In Ancient Babylon, public copulation between a priestess and a representative of the royal dynasty was practiced. This ritual was performed on the Day of Ishtar. The unusual festival took place on the day of the spring solstice.

Phoenician traditions

The Phoenicians treated the image of a female deity with particular reverence. Representatives of this ancient nomadic people considered Astarte to be the personification of Mother Nature. According to Phoenician mythology, she was the wife of Baal, the king of the gods. The image of a female deity was associated with two heavenly bodies: the Moon and Venus.

The Great Mother was almost always depicted as grieving. According to legend, this sadness is caused by the death of the son of the goddess Tammuz.

It is curious that in Phoenician frescoes the female deity was often depicted with interesting attributes. In one hand, the Mother of the World clutched a cruciform staff, and in the other, a cross. For the Phoenicians, the cross was a symbol of the intersection of life's roads. The cross-shaped staff symbolized power. Arbiter of Fates and protector of kings - this is how the supreme deity of the Phoenician pantheon appears before us.

The Phoenicians contributed to the spread of the cult of the divine woman, fair and loving. Thanks to the nomads, the Greeks became aware of Ishtar. There is every reason to believe that residents of other regions of mainland Europe learned about the powerful female deity from nomads.

The worship of the Foremother among the Phoenicians was peaceful. Cereals and fruits were sacrificed to her and her divine husband Baal. The descendants of the ancient nomads - the Carthaginians - could not avoid cruelty in their ritual actions.

Newborn lambs and babies of other domestic animals were sacrificed to the deity Baal and his wife, who was renamed Tanit. Human sacrifices were also made in Ancient Carthage.

Some accounts mention the sacrifice of newborn babies to Tanit. Tinit patronized war and virginity. In her honor, the priests publicly castrated themselves. In Carthage, Tinite was depicted as a deity with the head of a lion. This bloodthirsty image looks more like a demoness than a beautiful warrior.

The Mystery of Becoming a Duchess of Hell

According to ancient Egyptian mythology, Ashtaroth was the daughter of Ra, the ruler of the Universe. Her husband was Seth. The female deity personified fidelity and wisdom. Ashtaroth supported her majestic husband Seta in everything. She was depicted naked, holding a snake in her hands. In the minds of the Egyptians, it was already a symbol of fertility.

The center of the cult of Ashtaroth was the capital of Ancient Egypt - the city of Memphis, but in myths the name of this deity is rarely found. During the formation of the Assyro-Babylonian Empire, when a written culture was being formed, all the monuments of Ashtarot were destroyed. Libraries were destroyed. These were the consequences of numerous military campaigns.

Ancient legends show a respectful attitude towards Ashtar (Ashtaroth). As one legend says, the beauty and cunning of this female deity saved the supreme gods from the tyranny of the sea lord Yama. Having decided to reign both on earth and on land, the sea deity imposed a huge tribute on the other gods.

The celestials feared the revenge of the formidable Yama and did not dare to rebel against him. The gods persuaded Ashtar to take advantage of her extraordinary beauty to make the sea lord fall in love with her. Yam was captivated by the charm and wisdom of the goddess, so much so that he abolished taxes.

In later legends and poems (for example, in the Akkadian epic), Ishtar is depicted as treacherous, evil and dissolute. The main character of the poem, Gilgamesh, did not want to respond to the love of the divine person and reminded Ishtar of her sins (adultery with animals, revenge on her former lovers). The rejected lady sent a huge bull at the hero. When Gilgamesh and his friend defeated the monster, the vengeful Ishtar grieved.

In the cults of some peoples, the hypostases of Ashtar were replaced by male “analogues”: the patroness of justice, family and military exploits, Anna, revered by the inhabitants of ancient Babylon, was supplanted by the god Anu.

Myths reflect the economic and social aspects of the life of the people who create them. The more oppressed women were in Mesopotamia, the less rights and virtues mythology took away from the ancient goddesses. The patroness of great queens, hunters and warriors gradually turned into the personification of treason, meanness and prostitution.

Jewish and Christian interpretation of the image

The Old Testament prophets viewed with contempt and intolerance cults that exalted female deities. In the Jewish tradition, everything that was associated with the emancipation and sexuality of the fair sex was denied. Legends about human sacrifices made in honor of Tinit, about cases of “sacred prostitution” in honor of Ishtar served as the basis for the demonization of the Great Mother.

In Scripture, Ashtoreth is called the “abomination of Sidon.” The case is mentioned that King Solomon himself built a sanctuary for this deity in Jerusalem. Any hint of polytheism was abhorrent to monotheistic religions. The idea of ​​a single Father of the World could not gain a foothold in the minds of people who were attracted by the rituals of worship of ancient goddesses, so the Jewish prophets did everything possible to deprive the ancient deities of their attractiveness and greatness.

Ishtar's passion and fertility were not to the liking of the guardians of strict morality. In Kabbalistic writings she was portrayed as a demoness. The appearance of the deity changed beyond recognition. The female figure with snake legs symbolizes cunning.

Sanctuaries built in honor of the Mother of the World were destroyed, her images were destroyed. Her followers were persecuted.

Christianity continued to fight the cult of Ashtar. This deity was destined for the role of temptress and traitor. The image of the Heavenly Warrior turned into the demon Astaroth - one of the most powerful associates of Satan.

What does the demonic creature protect?

  • debauchery, orgies;
  • betrayal;
  • deceit;
  • cruelty.

Astaroth is subordinate to many entities: incubi and succubi. The "Duke of Hell" helps deceivers and adulterers in their wicked plans. During the Middle Ages, waning interest in the forgotten gods and demons of antiquity was revived. Sorcerers and even inquisitors sought to obtain new forbidden knowledge. In medieval witchcraft books, texts of rituals for summoning Astaroth appear.

"Hell Life" of Astarte and New Followers

Monotheistic religions could not completely erase the images of ancient deities. The prophets declared all significant gods and goddesses to be demons. Over time, the dark side of the deity became a given for the common man.

Soothsayers and sorcerers learned to see a kind of charm in the image of “evil Ishtar”. Against the background of the persecuted, eternally suffering Christian saints, demons sometimes looked bright and tempting. These creatures also possessed colossal strength.

In Christian interpretations, Ashtar appears in two forms.

  1. Wife of the hellish nobleman Astaroth.
  2. A separate demon capable of taking on both female and male forms.

A person who does not know the whole story of Ishtar takes on faith everything that is said in the sacred texts, but magicians and philosophers, experiencing an irresistible interest in the image of the Queen of the Universe, are in no hurry to believe the Christian interpretation of the image.

The dark hypostasis of the female deity attracted sorcerers no less than his light side. Stories of communication between people and the demoness are mentioned in magical books. A person who wanted to gain enormous power and victory in knightly competitions had to sacrifice a kid or lamb to his dark patroness. Before the sacrifice, the man uttered certain words. The corpse of a killed animal was perceived as a payoff to the forces of Evil.

People resorted to black magic rituals in order to enrich themselves and gain power. Representatives of the fair sex turned to the “hellish princess” when they wanted to punish their unfaithful husbands. She sent treacherous succubi to attack the victim. By copulating with a man, demonic entities undermined his vitality. In the end, the careless lover died.

Who should not communicate with the demoness:

  • timid and suspicious natures;
  • men and women who are debilitated by chronic illness;
  • religious people;
  • frivolous individuals who want to summon a demonic creature out of curiosity.

Some magicians claimed that they were lucky enough to hear the voice of Astaroth’s wife during the ritual. Whether this is true is unknown. One thing is clear - the demonic side of deity attracts many people.

Two faces of Power

Modern esotericists rarely give an unambiguous assessment of the images of ancient gods and demons. A force cannot be 100% good or evil. It all depends on who and why turns to her for help.

According to magicians, the image of the Mother of the Universe carries within itself not only the creative principle, but also chaos, the primitive energy of lust.

If a person wants to increase his attractiveness and sexuality, he can turn to the deity in his own words and ask him for help. If you need to punish an enemy or bewitch someone else’s betrothed, you should turn to the dark hypostasis. If you want the protection of demonic creatures, you must remember: they will charge you for their help.

The God of the Jews is Yahweh. But they live among idolaters, and the pagan cult, despite the wrath of the prophets, influences them.

Baal is one of the main gods of the Canaanite pantheon. He is responsible for the fertility of the fields and the fatness of the herds: he is revered by both the Canaanites and the Jews, who sacrifice wine, oil, and the first offspring of livestock to him. His cult also involves ritual meals and ecstatic dances and orgies. It is likely that the ancient Jews abandoned their stern God of Sinai in order to indulge in these ritual activities. The consistency and passion of the prophets' condemnation of idolatry testifies to how widespread these manifestations of pagan cult were even among the kings of Judah and Israel in all periods of the monarchy. Princesses, such as Jezebel, the daughter of the priest-king of Tire, Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah, worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth.

Ashtoreth was no less attractive to the Jews than Baal. Under the name Asherah, she is mentioned forty times in the Bible, in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. This name directly names the goddess or her image. Asherah is the wife of the god El, the main deity of Ancient Asia. She was often depicted as a pregnant but virginal woman. She is the goddess of sex life and war. Her temples were official sites of orgies: Jewish women joined Canaanite women to indulge in sacred prostitution. She was revered in southern Arabia and among the Amorites under the name “goddess of the sky.” This eastern Venus was depicted in numerous stone figurines in provocative nudity, with bare breasts, powerful thighs, a plump belly and a bold gaze.

Let us also mention the formidable god of the East, Moloch the King: he demanded that children be sacrificed to himself. In those areas where his cult was widespread, many skeletons of children were found, victims of terrible rites. The Book of Kings testifies to the introduction of the cult of Molech into Israel by King Manasseh. This God was worshiped by the Canaanites, and he, of course, found his adherents among the ancient Jews. King Josiah expelled this cult from the country, but his son Joachim again revived the worship of Molech, and the cruel rites continued to exist throughout the monarchical period. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were outraged by these monstrous sacrifices: the child's throat was cut or the parents burned him alive on the altar.

One of the most famous centers of the Moloch cult was located near biblical Jerusalem, in the Gehenna Valley, where the Romans later crucified the condemned. Hence the terrible reputation of this now flourishing place in the southeast of Jerusalem. Its name, which eventually became the name of hell - Gehenna, comes from the name of the ancient owner of the valley - Gynom.

Αστάρτη , Astártē) - Greek version of the name goddess of love and authorities Ishtar, borrowed by the Greeks from the Sumerian-Akkadian pantheon through the culture of the Phoenicians. Identical to Sumerian the goddess of love and fertility Inanna - the mother of heaven.

This is how D. G. Rossetti portrayed her in 1877

Her planet is Venus

Astarte is the same fundamental Goddess - the Mother of the World among all peoples, as the fundamental God - the Sun - among all peoples.
In Russia, she corresponds to the Goddess Makosh, who is the image of the ancient mother goddess, who is known as Venus. The most ancient goddess was the giver of life. Planet Venus- patroness of women, feminine nature, helps during childbirth, etc. Day - Friday, it is forbidden to work. So, dear men, Women's Day is not a Jewish holiday on March 8, but FRIDAY! ;)

The great Russian artist N.K. Roerich depicted the Mother of the World in 1924. like this:

But my opinion is that THIS is the most correct image

N.K. Roerich


“On the territory of Phenicia, she was revered as the main female deity. As the “Divine Mother”, the giver of life, Mother Nature, who has ten thousand names, was associated with fertility among different peoples, hence the veneration of Astarte as the giver of life. Among the Phoenicians, she was associated with the moon and Venus (and that’s right, I don’t know how Venus affects women, but it’s true that the moon is a faithful companion of the female body). Under the name of Astarte, they represented a woman with horns (there are photos taken at the beginning of the 20th century). Siberia with women with symbolic “horns” - months, in the form of a decoration on the head), symbolizing the crescent moon during the autumnal equinox, after the defeat of her husband (Sun - cf. Samson), defeated by the prince of darkness, and descended into Hades through the seven gates, to which she descended on outstretched wings." (from Wiki)
Here’s what’s interesting: “among the Syrians, Astaroth of Hieropolis was completely identified with the sparkling planet and was depicted as a majestic woman holding a torch in one hand and in the other a curved staff in the shape of an ansata (ankh) cross, corresponding to the attribute of the Egyptian Isis.” is an accurate description of the Statue of Liberty in America.
"Before the Phoenicians, the Babylonians worshiped Ishtar, linking her cult with Venus, who was the third in the astral triad Sun-Moon-Venus."

The desecrated goddess Ishtar.

The Sumerian period of history covered about one and a half thousand years and ended at the beginning of the second millennium BC. e.. During this time, the Goddess Ishtar transformed from the mother goddess into the Goddess of love and war.
An even more interesting role in the desecration of the Goddess Ishtar was played, of course, by the ubiquitous Jews. They not only distorted her role in their texts, portraying her as the “patron of prostitutes and gays,” but in their kingdom of Judah they violated the Goddess by turning the priestesses into temple prostitutes. " During the formation of Jewish monotheism there is a fight against the pantheon of old gods. The act of direct anthropomorphization left a rough imprint on the form of the cult of Astarte (Ishtar), which subsequently led to the overthrow of the image of the goddess to a purely physiological role. As a result, the divine marriage of king and high priestess in the Sumerian-Akkadian cities, and later in the Canaanite cities, entailed temple prostitution . The image of the goddess who gives life and love is transformed into the image of the patroness of carnal pleasures. As a result, King Joshua destroys the altars of Ashtoreth, erected by Solomon, and prohibits religious activities. The Septuagint translation also distorted figurative concepts through incorrect audio interpretations of texts written in Hebrew." (c) Do you see any parallels with today's reality when instead of the image of a woman-mother imposed from everywhere image of a woman whore?
Now let's take a closer look at the Jewish religion. What role is assigned to women there? Just like in Islam, she is not recognized as a person; she is not allowed to go to the Temple of God and pray next to men. Watch a video from Uman, where in an interview one elderly Jewish woman says: “Do I pray with PEOPLE? No! I’m not allowed!” This is how they treat Jews. What do they call non-Jewish women? Shiksa! That is, a whore! In Russian these are the words CHIKSA. Do you know what these non-humans call non-Jewish girls? Schiksalki! Pedophiles are disgusting!