עַשְׁתֹּ֫רֶת proper name, of deities ±Aštœreth, < ±Ašt¹rt, ±Aštéreth (see below) (MI¹⁷ עשתר כמש; Phoenician עשתרת (+ often in proper names), proper name עבד עשתר Cook^{Acad. Jan.18, 1896} Sabean proper name, of deity עתֿתר see especially Os^{ZMG xx (1866), 279 f.} DHM^{ib. xxxvii (1883), 376} Fell^{Sab. Gotternamen, ZMG liv (1900), 231 ff., especially 237 ff.}; Assyrian Ištar; Old Aramaic, Palmyrene עתר (= עתֿתר) in proper name; in Egyptian ±astirati WMM^As.u.Eur.313; Greek Ἀστάρτη; on their Greek equivalents (e.g. Ἀφροδίτη) compare Lewy^{Fremdw. 148, 186 f, 250}); — ֶֹ֯ probably artificial, to suggest בּשֶׁת, originally תַּרְתְּ-, תֶּרֶת-, compare Ištar, Ασταρτη, etc.; ׳ע 1 Kings 11:5 2t.; plural תָּרוֺת- Judges 2:13 + 3t.+ רֹת- 1 Samuel 7:4; 1 Samuel 31:10 read probably singular (Dr and others); — ±Aštart, ±Aštereth (Ασταρτη, plural Ασταρται, but Judges 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4 Ασταρωθ), ancient Semitic goddess (with male counterpart in Moabite, Sabean and apparently Phoenician); Phoenician deity, עשׁתרת אֱלֹהֵי צִדֹנִים 1 Kings 11:5,33, ׳שִׁקֻּץ צ ׳ע 2 Kings 23:13; so probably ׳בֵּית ע 1 Samuel 31:10 (reading singular; see especially Dr); elsewhere plural, of various local goddesses, called עֲשְׁתָּרוֺת (compareAssyrian ilâni u ištarat = gods and Ištars (i.e. goddesses), usually + בעל(יםׅ, as Canaanitish deities Judges 2:13; Judges 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4; 1 Samuel 12:10; "" אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר 1 Samuel 7:3. — See especially Dr^{Ashtoreth in} Hast^DB; on Išitar Jastr^Rel. Babylonian passive especially 202 f.; on `Athtar Bae<sup>Rel. 117 f</sup>; on Phoenician on `Aštart Pietschm^{Geschichte. Phön. 184 f.}; on ±Ashtoreth Barton^{JBL x (1891), 73 ff.} GFM^{Ency. Bib}.