astarte worship rituals

Learn about upcoming promotions, releases, and other updates from That the World May Know. This was a trick that Epigeius made to Elus, although it failed to work. For example, when the Peleset (Philistines) killed Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa, they deposited the enemy armor as spoils in the temple of "Ashtoreth.". NET Bible, Jeremiah 3:6. This is the most opportune time to ask questions about the past, present and future. Astarte is the Hellenized form of the Middle Eastern goddess Ashtoreth, a form of Ishtar, worshipped from the Bronze Age through classical antiquity. How Long Was Joseph In Potiphars House? In Cyprus, the Phoenicians arrived around BCE and built temples in Astarte's honor; it was here that she first became identified with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Keep in mind that the appearance of the demon is closely linked with the preconceived notion that the summoner has of the demon. Her worship spanned from around 1500 BCE to 200 BCE. Close your eyes and let the energy youve received visualize itself as Astaroth. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley Copyright 1989, 1999, 2008 by Visionary Living, Inc. Astarte was worshipped by Canaanites, Egyptians, Hebrews, Philistines, and Phoenicians, but exactly who is she? . Eventually, Astarte and Hadad were given the right by Elus to reign over the land. Yahweh is God? 14) attest various forms of this worship in their time, which may refer to a direct importation from Babylonia. After all, secular prostitutes plied their trade in Mesopotamian cities as well. Baal, worship, worshipping, idols, fertility, cults, canaan, asherah, pagan, [Hebrew Mind], 1 Kings 14:23-24, 2 Kings 16:4, 2 Kings 17:10, Acts 13:6, Acts 19:35, Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 12:2-3, Deuteronomy 12:20, Deuteronomy 12:31, Deuteronomy 18:10, Ezekiel 6:13, Isaiah 65:1-5, Judges 3:7, Jeremiah 3:6, Jeremiah 3:13, Luke 8:31, Matthew 16:18, Numbers 3:11-13. Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church . He also has terrible breath. Astarte, goddess of war and sexual love, shared so many qualities with her sister, Anath, that they may originally have been seen as a single deity. She guards womens reproductive health. mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot." In the figure of Inanna several traditions seem to have been combined: she is sometimes the daughter of the sky god An, sometimes his wife; in other myths she is the daughter of Nanna, god of the moon, or of the wind god, Enlil. Seth was the God of chaos, darkness, the desert and drought. "Who Is Astarte?" Inscriptions from two locations in southern Palestine seem to indicate that she was also worshiped as the consort of Yahweh. The Phoenicians portrayed Astarte with cow horns, representing fertility. How should modern Christians interpret Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13? 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? In Matthew 16:18, Jesus referred to the gates of Hades, or the underworld, believed by some to be the grotto at Caesarea Philippi, from which one of the sources of the Jordan River came. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art: "Although there existed no single state theology, the major gods reflect local geographical concerns about the fertility of the earth and the importance of water as well as relationships to the sky and the underworld." This struggle to be totally committed to God is of vital importance to us today as well. The priestess or a female members of the community represented Asherah. the lady of the mountain. With Shamash, the sun god, and Sin, the moon god, she forms a secondary astral triad. Offerings to Astarte typically included libations of food and drink. Bibl. When the flames fall upon the body, the limbs contract and the open mouth seems almost to be laughing until the contracted body slips quietly into the brazier.. Rituals for summoning the, Read More My New Grimoire Goetia Rising is Now Available!Continue, What is Black Magic? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves." Blame it on a woman and no ordinary woman at that a goddess. Click here for our comprehensive article on ancient Mesopotamia. Make you invisible and lead to hidden treasures. In the myths concerning Inanna and Dumuzi, due to some of Inannas less exalted behavior, Dumuzi must spend half the year in the underworld. The cult of Astarte spread westward from Phoenicia into ancient Greece, Rome and as far as the British Isles. She is portrayed as a nude female, sometimes pregnant, with exaggerated breasts that she holds out, apparently as symbols of the fertility she promises her followers. It was discovered that Astarte was linked with the Uni-Astre of the Etruscans. 17, 18) and Ezekiel (viii. Raphael Patai, author of The Hebrew Goddess, suggests that these molds were used to form goddess-shaped cakes either to be burned on an altar or eaten by celebrants (perhaps an ancient precursor of the Catholic host). The cult spread westward from Phoenicia into Greece, Rome, and as far as the British Isles. Moses met God in a burning bush in the desert, where he learned the greatness of God's name and received his commission to bring the Hebrews out of Egypt. Semitic describes a group of languages, and by extension, kindred cultures of the Near East and Africa which include Phoenician, Arabic, Hebrew and Assyrian. Please note: Demon possession was a topic of much fascination. In Judges 2:13 & 10:6, 1 Samuel 7:3 & 4, 12:10 & 31:10, Ashtaroth refers to the ancient Canaanite fertility goddess, with a slightly different spelling than Ashtoreth. Wigington, Patti. Baal, Tammuz, Ashtoreth, Astarte and Ishtar are all connected with pagan sun worship. His right hand (sometimes both hands) is raised, and he holds a lightning bolt, signifying both destruction and fertility. It is best to understand these rituals as a religious act of devotion to the goddess rather than as sex per se. (62-86 , Copenhagen . When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? Astarte is mentioned nine times in the Jewish Bible. And desired to, In Egypt, where the Hyksos invaders introduced her, the cow horns of Hathor became part of her iconography, Athirat, the lady of the sea, appears to be the consort of El, the equal of the Hebrew god Yahweh. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Baal, Ashtoreth and Molech - God's Old Testament rivals. Hebrew culture viewed the sea as evil and destructive, so Baal?s promise to prevent storms and control the sea, as well as his ability to produce abundant harvests, made him attractive to the Israelites. Astarte is a spirit of abundance, prosperity, love, sex, and war. xiii. 65:1-5 for an example of Israel's participating in the pagan practices of the Canaanites.) See you on the other side! There appears to have been only one Baal, who was manifested in lesser Baals at different places and times. God intended to prevent His people from practicing the shrine prostitution of the Canaanites, which He warned against in Leviticus 18:3 and 20:23. Transvestism in Ancient Israel. Clearly, though the names of the gods had changed, the people?s worship practices had not. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Hebrews first learned Baal worship from the agricultural Canaanites. She is linked with war, sexuality and fertility. Astaroth is a demon that evolved from the ancient Phoenician mother goddess of fertility Astarte, and the Akkadian goddess of war and sexual love Ishtar. We don't think of ourselves as idol worshipers, yet we struggle to serve God alone in every part of our lives. By the first century B.C., Isis worship had become established as a "mystery religion." Rooted in Greek culture, mystery faiths centred on a figure of a god or goddesssuch as Demeter or Dionysusand involved confidential rituals and rites. Astaroth's Description in Grimoires. Astarte is the Phenician name of the primitive Semitic mother-goddess, out of which the most important of the Semitic deities were developed. In the Sacred Marriage, humans took the place of the gods in religious rituals devoted to fertility. They may represent the goddess Asherah and were used, especially by women, in a "popular" form of worship distinct from the official worship of Yahweh. Astarte is the Phenician name of the primitive Semitic mother-goddess, out of which the most important of the Semitic deities were developed. In the Hebrew scriptures, Astarte was referred to as Ashteroth Karnaim. The worship practices of his followers were no different. Just as they went forth into this . In this article you will learn who Astaroth actually is, what to expect from him, and two summoning rituals that have worked for myself and magicians that Ive shared these instructions with in the past. Shrine Prostitutes used sex to worship pagan gods, From Molech, Return To Gay Christian 101 Home Page. Her traditional Phoenician offerings included clothing stained with menstrual blood. A few Biblical passages make a reference to the worship of a Queen of Heaven, who may have been Astarte. Site created in November 2000. On the other hand, some magicians saw a beautiful demoness instead. Baal worship was all about using ritual to control . It landed near Byblos in a lake at Alphaca. Most stories about him refer to sexual affairs. Or maybe it was simply the sinful pagan practices that attracted them to Baal. 3) may be a reference to a form of the cult similar to that known in Cyprus, where swine were sacred to Astarte ("Jour. The Israelites neglected to heed the Lord's warning not to compromise with idolaters. The name Attart is a feminine form of the name Attar, a god known from Ugarit and South Arabian sources, and associated with the morning star. Pan was depicted as an ugly man with the horns, legs, and ears of a goat. Dionysus was worshiped in the pagan Decapolis across the Sea of Galilee from the center of Jesus' ministry. In Phenician Colonies. Ashtarte. Her other counterparts are Isis and Hathor of Egypt, Kali of India and Aphrodite and Demeter of Greece. These demons can help with all sorts of problems, provide assistance in reaching your goals and becoming more powerful in magic. HistoryOnTheNet 2000-2019. Astarte (Ashtoreth, also spelled Athtart, Ashtoreth, or Ashtart) is the Queen of Heaven to whom the Canaanites burned offerings and poured libations (Jeremiah 44). Basics Rituals and Ceremonies Sabbats and Holidays Wicca Gods Herbalism Wicca Traditions Wicca Resources for Parents Who Is Astarte? Definitions. With this preliminary information in mind, here are the 2 best rituals for summoning Astaroth: The Candlelight Invocation Light a candle and turn off all the other lights Stare into the candlelight and quiet your mind Recite an invocation. Under the kings, this spiritual battle continued. If you are trying to schedule a speaking engagement for Ray Vander Laan, please email Alison at [emailprotected], That the World May Know Ministries (TTWMK), Only recently have scholars begun to unravel the complex religious rituals of Israel's Canaanite neighbors. As with many deities, offerings are an important component of honoring Astarte in ritual and prayer. and 20:13, are in the context of harlotry or prostitution and Molech worship. The priests would make offerings of food and drink and incense and other items. And if Astarte is not close . Immense knowledge, power, protection from harm (invisibility) and hidden treasures are all within reach of those who form a good relationship with this unique entity. Inform you of events that happened in the past or will happen in the future. Tammuz is identified as her son/consort, as he is with Ishtar. Ahab, with his wife's encouragement, built a temple to Baal at his capital, Samaria. Yet in spite of being so anti-gay, the NET Bible links the Mo-lech worship of Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2-5, 13, with sexual sin and with spiritual prostitution, "I will cut off from the midst of their people both him and all who follow after him in spiritual prostitution, to commit prostitution by worshiping Molech (Hebrew - to commit harlotry after Molech)." The priests and male prostitutes, who were consecrated to her cult were called qadesh, qedishim or sodomites, Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46. 3:11-13). Unique Circular Format see more in less space. Sacred Marriage Abraham lived in the Negev desert, where God made his covenant of blood with him and sealed it with circumcision. 5, 33; II Kings xxiii. But her cult. Regardless their opinion, notice that even anti-gay Christians admit Leviticus 18:22, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Anal sex between male and male worshipers and male and female worshipers was viewed as an offering to the goddess. However, even among those who . Sacred prostitution has many different characteristics depending on the region, class and the religious ideals of the period and the place, and consequently can have many different definitions. Asherah was worshiped in various ways, including through ritual sex. But regardless of the appearance of the demon, the behavior, benefits and the dangers associated will the demon will be similar in every case. Pictorial representations often show her naked. Occultist.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Moreover, Ashteroth was a fertility goddess from Canaan, and the horns were used as a symbol of the mountain peaks in the land. side by side, while in Upper Egypt the Hebrews considered the goddess the divine consort still in the fifth century BC, The same as in the temples of Ishtar and Inanna, the sacred marriage and temple prostitution were prominent features of the cult, of which Yahweh also complained, Astarte was a beautiful goddess as well as a dangerous one. 5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod; 2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon. Anyone who reads history knows that various writers in various countries spell names differently. Be respectful and considerate when invoking him and you will reap the benefits. Moloch worship is essentially identical with worship of Chemosh of Moab, Cronus-Kronos of Carthage and Melkart-Melqart of Tyre. Astaroth loves to complain to those who are willing to listen about how he was unjustly punished by God along with other Fallen Angels. In Phoenicia, several states including Byblos, Tyre and Sidon were among the centers of worship for Astarte. . 4, 18, where the lambs are called the "ashtarot" of the flock. Astarte (from Greek . You must keep a silver ring close to your face when youre summoning Astaroth to protect yourself from his putrid and corrosive breath. By the eighth century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ's resurrection.". The land was fertile beyond anything the Hebrew nomads had ever seen. The statue dated back as early as the 7th or 6th century, and Astarte was depicted as sitting on a throne. She was, the ancient Phoenician great goddess of fertility, motherhood, and war, Astarte is the counterpart of the Babylonian goddess, And it is one of the oldest Middle Eastern aspects of the great. prostitute to other gods." He showed that he alone held power over the demons, sending them into the Abyss (Luke 8:31). There is evidence that Ishtar and Astarte were worshiped at Paphos in the early Iron Age and were brought, so to speak, to the island by the Phoenicians along with the Egyptian cult of Hathor, who may also have been identified with Aphrodite (see Hatton-Brown, 1997 p.64-6). We should remember that the early church was started in a culture soaking in the cults, rituals, and worship of pagan deities. Or would the fertility god of Canaan have to be honored? In Sicily, Astarte became popular as the Venus Erycina of the Romans. Solomon is said to have built a high place to her near Jerusalem, which was removed during Josiah's reform (I Kings xi. As in Beirut, some coins depicted Astarte, along with Poseidon and Eshmun being praised together. Seth was one of the five Osirian gods. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. 12:31, 18:9-10). Note that Lent is a moveable observance, connected to and preceding the festival of Easter. In Sumer and later in Babylon, religious rituals involved sacred sexuality in the form of the Sacred Marriage or hieros gamos, an act simulating marriage between the fertility goddess Inanna/Ishtar and the shepherd god, Dumuzi. In Phenician countries she was the female counterpart of Baal, and was no doubt worshiped with him by those Hebrews who at times became his devotees. Some scholars hold Astarte was a prototype of the Virgin Mary. The Feast of Astarte began by welcoming and celebrating the sunrise on the Vernal Equinox. Prophets of the Old Testament condemned her worship. vii. All rights reserved. Some devotees may have found the presence of a female divine figure compelling in an otherwise male-dominated religious environment. According to legend, Astarte descended to earth as a fiery star. They foretold the future by examining animal entrails or by watching flights of birds. The first risk is health related. She is extremely horny. The general name, used throughout Palestine and in the Bible, for this type of fire god, was Baal. Learn Religions. God repeatedly commanded the Old Testament. He is one of the three supreme evil demons along with Beelzebub and Lucifer in Grimoire Verum and Grand Gimoire, which date from about the 18th century. Ishtar, (Akkadian), Sumerian Inanna, in Mesopotamian religion, goddess of war and sexual love. That the Hebrew God is the best known of all gods worshiped in the world today needs no explanation. That Molech worship was already common among the Canaanites when Israel entered the land is evident from the fact that, before Israel entered the land, God warned them against Molech worship as an abomination the Israelites were forbidden to practice, Leviticus 18:21, 20:2, 3, 4, 5. The name astarte means the queen of stars. It is usually assumed that Astarte Worship was always a foreign cult among the Hebrews; but analogy with the development of other Semitic deities, like the Phenician Baal, would lead to the supposition that Astarte Worship before the days of the Prophets may have somewhat prejudiced that of Yhwh. KJV, Jeremiah 3:6, "When Josiah was king of Judah, the LORD said to me, "Jeremiah, you have Kronos is the north African name for Molech. Canaanite religion, a fertility or nature religion, reflected the major concerns of the populace - increase and productivity. The God Seth Facts. Rameses III called Anat and Astarte his shields. Among the triad of Semitic sex/love/war goddesses worshipped in Egypt, Astarte was the favourite (over Anat and Kadesh). ASHTAROTH was THE CANAANITE'S Virgin, Queen of Heaven who was their goddess of fertility, love, and war exactly like Ishtar and Isis. In 1974, the sociologist Peter Berger wrote what has come to be a well-known piece on the secularization of society, and the loss of the sacred. In the Lemegeton, he appears as either a beautiful or an ugly angel, riding a dragon and holding a viper. The high priestess of the city, acting in the capacity of the fertility goddess Inanna, would have sex with the high priest or the king role-playing the fertility god Dumuzi. If one is clearly oriented towards good, the other has much darker goals. https://www.learnreligions.com/who-is-astarte-2561500 (accessed March 5, 2023). When his time is up and he returns from the underworld in springtime, he joyously mates with Inanna and the land reawakens. The so-called Queen of Heaven, whose worship is detested in Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17 - 19, 25, may be Astarte, although cases have also been made for other Canaanite goddesses or the Mesopotamian Ishtar. Mighty Duke, I humbly invoke you from the depths of Hell into the Realm of Man. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. How Long In Prison? Your email address will not be published. Lilies, roses, sweet cakes, honey. Asherah (Hebrew ), also spelled Ashera, was a major northwest Semitic mother goddess, appearing also in Akkadian sources as Ashratu, in Hittite as Asherdu and in Ugaritic as Athirat. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they found a land of farmers, not shepherds, as they had been in the wilderness. Required fields are marked *. Astarte, wherever worshiped, was a goddess of fertility and sexual love. 1 Kings 11:5-6, 33; 2 Kings 23:13 The Egyptians gave Ashtaorth the title "Queen of Heaven" and "Lady of Heaven". Easter, a pagan festival with its pagan fertility symbols, replaced the God-ordained festivals that Jesus Christ, the apostles and the early Church observed. The book of Judges records the ongoing struggle: the Israelites attraction to, and worship of, the Canaanite gods; God's disciplinary response; the people's repentance; and God's merciful forgiveness until the next time the Israelites reached for Baal instead of Yahweh. Alternatively, she is horned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z-xX9zelUk. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bible Charts and Maps, PO Box 171053, Austin, TX 78717 This order of priestess was called Nin-Gig in Sumeria. Hear the prayer of Your servant and friend! In the Hebrew Bible, the worship of Astarte is repeatedly condemned, an indication that for at least some ancient Israelites, the cult of Astarte held great appeal. Erotic temple rites and sacred prostitution were central to her veneration. Lit." Rituals connected to the worship of Ishtar/Inanna include a Sacred Marriage in which a male ruler is identified with Dumuzi. When youre done, end the ritual along these lines: Thank you mighty Astaroth for lending me your powers and knowledge. In the many myths and stories involving Inanna in ancient Mesopotamia, Inanna does not appear as either wife or mother. According to TourEgypt.com, "In her Levantine homelands, Astarte is a battlefield goddess. At times of crisis, Baal's followers sacrificed their children, apparently the firstborn of the community, to gain personal prosperity. Begin visualizing energy emanating from the light and pouring itself into you. [Scroll to the top] Israelite goddess worship The veneration of Asherah or asherah poles seems to have been fairly widespread in ancient Israel and Judah, and sometimes it was officially sanctioned.The Bible reports that during the days of King Josiah (sixth century B.C.E. English: Astarte, a Semitic goddess whose name appears in the Bible as Ashtoreth. What did Paul mean when he used the Greek word arsenokoitai? She had her own priests and prophets. It is now unknown exactly how the Phoenicians comprehended her identity, which is unfortunate as they are most closely associated with herthe ones, as traders and master navigators, who carried her veneration (and statues) to their colonies in Europe, Africa, and islands in between. It "compels every woman of the land to sit in the temple . A child sacrifice laid on the hands, would roll into the fire in the belly cavity. which backsliding Israel hath done? Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). Stuckey goes on to point out that because of this migration via trade routes, Astarte became much far important in the first millennium BCE than she had been in previous thousand years. She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods. Omissions? Jeremiah (vii. Give now to help That The World May Know Ministries reveal the heart of Scripturethrough life-changing study tours, an engaging film series, and morefor a greater understanding of Gods Word than ever before. - Amos 5:25-26 and Acts 7:42-43. Sit or lay down for a while and think about the whole experience. It was designed like an old fashioned pot-bellied stove, with the belly as the firebox. She was associated with the moon and called the Mother of the Universe, giver of all life on Earth. Her popularity was universal in the ancient Middle East, and in many centres of worship she probably subsumed numerous local goddesses. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. When translated literally, Asteroth Karnaim means Ashteroth of the Horns. Astarte was also worshipped in private homes, and her statues were placed in shrines or on altars in the home. Ishtar is the Akkadian counterpart of the West Semitic goddess Astarte. Black magic: the magic of evil In the mind of the public, there is not one form of magic, but two:White magicand black magic. The ensuing generations forgot the God who had rescued them from Egypt ( Judges 2:10-12 ). Offerings to Astarte typically included libations of food and drink. The religious Canaanites worshiped a fertility goddess named Ashtoreth. Annual Spring time fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the reincarnation of her husband. He was known by many names, all signifying the same false god. It is not appropriate here to discuss all the gods and goddesses of the Greco-Roman pantheon; however, a few of them were significant in the first century, and some are even mentioned by name in the Bible. We also participate in becomealivinggod.com affiliate program. An intense battle began for the minds and hearts of God's people. Idol worship was a persistent and pervasive issue in the Old Testament. Transvestism in Ancient . In this way, God's incredible gift of sexuality was perverted to the most obscene public prostitution. Astarte (from Greek (Astrte)) is the name of a major goddess as known from Northwestern Semitic regions, cognate in name, origin and functions with the goddess Ishtar in Mesopotamian texts. 4, lxvi. The Phoenicians portrayed Astarte with cow horns, representing fertility. The grotto itself was part of a temple complex used in the worship of the Greek god Pan. By the time of Ahab and Jezebel, the fertility cults appeared to have the official sanction of Israel's leaders. But, the mother goddess in the Ras Shamra texts appears as Anat, Athirat, and Athtart, or Astrate. ), Two Ways to Astral Project & The Demon That Unlocks the Power. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ishtar-Mesopotamian-goddess, Ancient Origins - Love is a Battlefield: The Legend of Ishtar, First Goddess of Love and War, Oracc - Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses - Itar. She was known in Arabia as "Athtar," and inBabylonia as "Ishtar." The "Sunrise Service" is still an intragal part of Easter today. Most children and families who color or hide Easter eggs as part of their Resurrection Sunday tradition have no knowledge of the origin of these traditions. Hail Astaroth! . Hail Astaroth!. The Bible called this practice "detestable" (Deut. Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). ancient Canaanite fertility cults used same sex rituals to worship their false gods. But some demons have more power than others, and its often not clear what a certain demon, Read More 13 Best Demons to Summon (Summoning Rituals Included! Astarte, the queen of heaven, was almost as fierce as Anat but less remote than Athirat. The NET Bible on Leviticus 18:21, Note 30, says: "It could refer to either human sacrifice or a devotion of children to some sort of service of Molech, perhaps of a sexual sort (cf. Sacred prostitution involved temple priestesses of Inanna/Ishtar having ritual sex with male visitors to the temple, again releasing the divine fertile energy. 6; I Sam. The Hebrews knew her as the goddess of the Sidonians, whom they worshiped. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In modern NeoPaganism, Astarte has been included in a Wiccan chant that is used to raise energy, calling upon Isis, Astarte,Diana,Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna.. Solomon followed Astarte (the goddess of the Sidonians) and Milcom (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites). This article is part of our larger resource on Mesopotamian culture, society, economics, and warfare. The Bible's repeated condemnation of child sacrifice shows God's hated of it, especially among his people. It is said that in Corinth alone, there were more than 1,000 prostitutes in Aphrodite's temple. In the book of Jeremiah, there is a verse referencing this female deity, and Yahwehs anger at the people who honor her: Among some fundamentalist branches of Christianity, there is a theory that Astartes name provides the origin for the Easter holiday which should, therefore, not be celebrated because it is held in honor of a false deity. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable. Ancient Assyrians and Babylonians portrayed her caressing a child. It is best to understand these rituals as a religious act of devotion to the goddess rather than as sex per se.