{"id":13398,"date":"2017-07-10T19:19:06","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T23:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dustoffthebible.com\/Blog-archive\/?p=13104"},"modified":"2023-07-05T22:29:08","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T02:29:08","slug":"who-is-ishtar-in-the-bible-a-comprehensive-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dustoffthebible.com\/Blog-archive\/2017\/07\/10\/who-is-ishtar-in-the-bible-a-comprehensive-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Ishtar in the Bible? [A Comprehensive Study]"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Who Ishtar is NOT!<\/h2>\n
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In Christian circles it is believed that Easter was named after Ishtar and that the celebration with bunnies and eggs is all about the cult worship of her as a fertility goddess. However, this is false. Ishtar has nothing to do with bunnies or eggs. To read more on this issue then examine a previous post called \u201cOrigins of Easter [Where does Easter really come from?]<\/a><\/strong>\u201c. Additionally, I have (most recently) added the most in-depth examination of ancient near eastern texts related to Ishtar in an article called\u00a0“Who is Ishtar and What is Her Connection to Easter?<\/a><\/strong>“. In the latest article I personally summarize the bulk of Mesopotamian texts that mention Ishtar or her derivatives. It is even longer and more comprehensive than this current article. However, this current article is a great introduction to understanding who Ishtar was.<\/p>\n

It is true that Ishtar was a real Babylonian\/Akkadian\/Assyrian goddess and there were celebrations in her name. In fact, an entire system of temples were dedicated to her, in and around Nineveh. Ishtar was one of the oldest deities in the Ancient Near East. Writings about her go back well beyond 2000 BCE. In this article we will do an overview of the goddess and provide some ancient texts where Ishtar plays a popular role.<\/p>\n

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BASICS ABOUT ISHTAR<\/h3>\n
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\"nabonidus<\/a>
Nabonidus cylinder sippar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ishtar is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess, often associated with love, beauty, fertility, war, and sexuality. She was worshipped by the Sumerians and later by the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Ishtar was known by different names in different regions and time periods. In Akkadian mythology, she was called Ishtar, while in Sumerian mythology, she was known as Inanna.<\/p>\n

Ishtar was considered a powerful and multi-faceted deity. She was associated with the planet Venus and was believed to be the morning and evening star. Ishtar had a dual nature, representing both love and war. As the goddess of love and fertility, she was seen as a patroness of sexuality, beauty, and procreation. She was also associated with divine justice and was invoked for protection and assistance in matters of law and governance.<\/p>\n

Part of Ishtar’s popularity was that she was one of the original female deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon. She was also the goddess of war. This became a primary function for her after the rise of the Akkadian empire. The Akkadians made war a yearly job, sending the men out to fight every spring.<\/p>\n

Her popularity can be seen when reading texts from the ancient Near East because so many people had the name “Ishtar” integrated into their own name, many of them even men. As the goddess of war, successful rulers would honor her by taking on a royal name that included her name, such as Lipit-Ishtar<\/strong>, the fifth king of the First Dynasty of Isin. He ruled from 1934\u20131924 BCE. Deified names for rulers were typical, as they were considered elected by the gods to rule over the people. Inscriptions from the same region, as late as the 5th century BCE, also speak of the the goddess Ishtar. Inscribed on a cylinder, from the Reign of King Nabonidus (556-539 BCE), are the military exploits of the king, who gives credit to various gods for his victories. Among them is Ishtar.<\/p>\n

\u2026 I mustered my numerous troops, from the country of Gaza on the border of Egypt, (near) the Upper Sea on the other side of the Euphrates, to the Lower Sea, the kings, princes, governors and my numerous troops which S\u00een, Shamash and Ishtar my lords<\/strong> had entrusted to me\u2026.. (Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But Ishtar was popular among common people as well. She was often credited as being a goddess of love, sex, and fertility. Her role as fertility goddess was primarily due in part that very few female deities exists to pick from. Moreover, Ishtar was also filled the role of “young woman” in the Mesopotamian pantheon. There were already “mother” goddesses in the pantheon, such as Ki or Ninhursag. Thus, Ishtar’s roles tended to mirror what people would expect of a young female deity that is coming of age. She was moody, had uncontrollable rage when slighted, sexually promiscuous, and constantly seeking male companionship.<\/p>\n

In some ANE cultures the function of the temple prostitute was created by Ishtar. The temples dedicated to Ishtar featured such women. In the Akkadian legend of \u201cErra and Ishum<\/strong>\u201c, Uruk, the city of Anu and Ishtar (they are lovers in this story) is called a \u201ccity of prostitutes\u201d. Thus, what is obvious about the cultic practices associated with Ishtar is that it was closely related to temple worship and cult sex.<\/p>\n

The later Mesopotamian and Akkadian\/Assyrian myths thought of Ishtar as also an astral goddess. Ishtar was initially associated with the 6 pointed star and then an 8 pointed star. This is a very common symbol for her in the era of the biblical patriarchs. She later became associated with the planet Venus. However, she is most well known for her connection to ritual and cult prostitution. It should be easy to see why this cult spread so quickly once it adopted ritual prostitution.<\/p>\n

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NAMES OF THE GODDESS ISHTAR<\/h2>\n
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Ishtar’s original Mesopotamian name was actually Inanna, not Ishtar. Depending on the time period of the texts that speak of her, she was the daughter of either Enlil or Enki. Other texts describe her as the daughter of the father of deities, An\/Anu, making her a sibling to Enlil and Enki. Another popular origin story from early Mesopotamia claimed that she was the daughter of Nanna, the moon God. This best explains her original name as Inanna.<\/p>\n

Since Mesopotamian deities were worshiped before the rise of modern technologies, it is very common to see the names of these deities adjusted for regional dialects and differing languages. We see this even today in the English pronunciation of “Jesus” even though his original name was Yeshua in the Hebrew. Since she was adopted by multiple cultures and because languages change over time, Ishtar was known by multiple names.<\/p>\n

To best understand how the multiple versions of her name appear in the texts, please refer to the map below which gives the general region where the various names for Ishtar originated.<\/p>\n

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\"Ancient<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  1. Inanna<\/strong>\n
      \n
    1. Earliest written attestation, as Inanna<\/li>\n
    2. First legend of a goddess going to the underworld<\/li>\n
    3. Goddess of love and war<\/li>\n
    4. Daughter of the king of the gods (Enki)<\/li>\n
    5. circa 3500-2000 BCE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    6. Ishtar<\/strong>\n
        \n
      1. Common and most universal title in the ANE<\/li>\n
      2. Was known also as the Morning Star<\/li>\n
      3. Associated with Venus and the 6 pointed star<\/li>\n
      4. Later changed to an 8 pointed star<\/li>\n
      5. Known as the queen of heaven<\/li>\n
      6. Goddess of love and war<\/li>\n
      7. Depicted at usually as the daughter of the king of the gods (Anu) but also at times as his consort<\/li>\n
      8. circa 2500-500 BCE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      9. Astarte<\/strong>\n
          \n
        1. Used by Egypt and various cultures in the southern Canaanite region but northern vassal cities in Phoenicia and Hatti.<\/li>\n
        2. Very similar to Ishtar<\/li>\n
        3. Often referred to as the queen of heaven<\/li>\n
        4. Many believe Astarte influenced Greek mythology but connection is loose<\/li>\n
        5. 3000-? BCE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        6. Ashtoreth<\/strong>\n
            \n
          1. Mostly Canaanite usage and near surrounding cultures<\/li>\n
          2. Appears in the Bible often<\/li>\n
          3. Is the consort of Baal rather than Anu or El<\/li>\n
          4. Circa 2000-700 BCE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
          5. Athtar<\/strong>\n
              \n
            1. Divergent Arabian version that changed many attributes of Ishtar<\/li>\n
            2. Southern Arabian version was female but some northern Arabian tribes had a male version named Attar<\/li>\n
            3. The Moabite region had a variant named Ashtar-Chemosh who some believe was male and other not so much<\/li>\n
            4. Worshiped as the god\/goddess of war and also storms and thunder<\/li>\n
            5. Disappeared altogether after the spread of Islam<\/li>\n
            6. Circa 1500-500 BCE<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
            7. Asherah<\/strong>\n
                \n
              1. Primarily from the Hittite and Ugaritic region but also worshiped in Canaan<\/li>\n
              2. She was a goddess and consort of El (Elohim)<\/li>\n
              3. Was well known to the early Hebrew settlers of Canaan<\/li>\n
              4. A common feature of Asherah worship were Asherah poles, one of which was cut down by Gideon in Judges<\/li>\n
              5. Pre 900 BCE<\/li>\n
              6. It should be noted that originally, Asherah was not associated with Ishtar. Asherah was the wife of El (Elohim). However, some late Canaanite groups merged Ishtar mythology with Asherah mythology. The connection with Asherah and Ishtar is a much later adaptation and full of contradictory descriptions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                It is easy to see from the map above that Ishtar was a rather popular goddess. One main reason is because so many cultures already had a goddess similar to the original Inanna. As one culture grew to dominate the others, many of these stories blended and merged into a more homogeneous legendary figure, which we hear most often as Ishtar. Even though her identity changed from time to time, most later cultures knew her as the Princess Daughter of the king of the gods, An\/Anu. In Canaanite religions she would be the daughter of Ae, El or even Baal.<\/p>\n

                Interestingly, certain Mesopotamian legends depict Ishtar as the earthly lover of Anu and even though she was his daughter (this is a common feature in ancient Mesopotamian folklore).<\/p>\n

                One of the oldest and well known witnesses to the identity of Ishtar is the mythical story of how she descended into the underworld (akin to Persephone in Greek culture). The legend has been rehashed in multiple cultures but the typical story is that Ishtar goes to the underworld and she is killed. After 3 days and nights she is revived by her rescuers and makes an escape.1<\/a><\/sup> In other versions of the story, she is freed by the ransom of her lover, Dumuzi. In various later stories her lover was named Tammuz, which is a name we see in Ezekiel 8:14-15.<\/p>\n

                14Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. 15He said to me, \u201cDo you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.\u201d (Ezekiel 8:14-15)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

                \"Ishtar<\/a>
                Ishtar’s descent into the Underworld BM ME K.162 (Circa 700 BCE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

                It is the legend(s) of her going to the underworld which reveal the story behind some of her symbols. In one such story she descends to the underworld with a measuring line and rod. To understand the bulk of her symbols one should read the \u201cEpic of Gilgamesh<\/strong>\u201c, \u201cErra and Ishum<\/strong>\u201d and the \u201cDescent of Ishtar<\/strong>\u201c. These ancient legends can be read below.<\/p>\n

                Additionally, the ancient city of Nineveh had multiple temples over their history that were dedicated to Ishtar. According to Mesopotamian legend, the fertile crescent housed 7 temples dedicated to Inanna (Ishtar). They conducted prayers and rituals as prescribed by ancient customs. One such prayer was recorded in the Hittite region. In the poetry of the prayer, the writer is asking for Ishtar to bring favor upon them.<\/p>\n

                bring life, health, streng[th], longevity, contentment (?), obedience (and) vigor, (and) to the land of \u1e2aatti growth of crops (lit., grain), vines, cattle, sheep (and) humans<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

                Other parts of the prayer describes a celebration dedicated to Ishtar which they ask (or conjure) the goddess to return to the temple. The month dedicated to Ishtar in the ANE was somewhere between September and October on the Gregorian calendar. The ANE used a lunar calendar which operated a bit different than our modern one. Nearly all over her feast days are in fall months (USA), which was actually planting season in many parts of the ANE.<\/p>\n

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                THE SYMBOLS ASSOCIATED WITH ISHTAR<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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                Since we have many carvings, engravings, and drawings of Ishtar, it\u2019s easy to see what symbols she was associated with over the ages. Below is a list of various symbols she was known to be connected with.<\/p>\n

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                1. A ring (measuring line) and a rod<\/strong><\/li>\n
                2. Bird wings and\/or feet<\/strong><\/li>\n
                3. A lion<\/strong><\/li>\n
                4. A seductive woman<\/strong><\/li>\n
                5. 8 pointed star, on or off of her staff<\/strong><\/li>\n
                6. A staff with two snakes on it<\/strong><\/li>\n
                7. Swords, usually near the bird wings<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                  \"Ishtar
                  Ishtar Queen of the Night with rings and rods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

                  Some symbols that are best known come from the Burney relief carving which dates back to the 1800\u2019s BCE. Her depiction seems to match an ancient inscription about her that very closely parallels the story above (the Descent of Ishtar). This version of the story describes what she is wearing, which can easily be seen in the carvings.<\/p>\n

                  She placed the shugurra<\/i>, the crown of the steppe, on her head.
                  \nShe arranged the dark locks of hair across her forehead.
                  \nShe tied the small lapis beads around her neck,
                  \nLet the double strand of beads fall to her breast,
                  \nAnd wrapped the royal robe around her body.
                  \nShe daubed her eyes with ointment called \u201cLet him come, let him come,\u201d
                  \nBound the breastplate called \u201cCome, man, come!\u201d around her chest,
                  \nSlipped the gold ring over her wrist,
                  \nAnd took the lapis measuring rod and line in her hand.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

                  The Epic of Gilgamesh is depicts her wings and provides understanding of the serpents she is often depicted with.<\/p>\n

                  Irkalla, the Queen of the Underworld had the head of a lioness and the body of a woman; in her arms she carried her pet, a deadly serpent. She summoned Belisari, the lady of the desert who was her scribe, and who came carrying the clay tablets on which all of Irkalla\u2019s decrees would be written down. Behind these two the dead gathered. There was no light in their eyes; they were dressed not in cloth but feathers, and instead of arms and hands they had the wings of birds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

                  Another mythical story refereed to as “Elkunirsa and Asertu<\/em>” describes her (Ishtar\/Astarte) turning into an owl. This is why she is often seen with feet of an owl and with wings. In the myth Astarte is attempting to spy on and reveal a plot being hatched against Ba’al.<\/p>\n

                  Astarte overheard these words and became
                  \na goblet in the hand of Elkunirsa. She became
                  \nan owl and perched on his wall. Astarte overheard
                  \nthe words which husband and wife spoke to
                  \none another. Elkunirsa and his wife went to her
                  \nbed and they slept together. Astarte flew like a bird
                  \nacross the desert.0 In the desert she found Baal,
                  \n[and said] to him: “O Baal, [the husband(?)] of
                  \nAsertu […] Do not drink wine together [… do not
                  \n…] against […] she(?) will seek […]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

                  She is also depicted often as a lion because she was the goddess of war and war deities were often pictured as lions or oxen, two of the strongest and dangerous. Additionally, she is also described as the wild cow of heaven. This will be seen in the sample stories about her that can be read below.<\/p>\n

                  \n

                  COMMON DEPICTIONS OF ISHTAR<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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                  \n