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QUEEN OF HEAVEN

A goddess worshipped first in Judah in the late 7th century and then by Judahites who fled to Egypt after the Babylonian destruction of 586 b.c.e. (Jer. 7:16-20; 44:15-28). Jeremiah’s remarks associate the goddess with fertility and somewhat with war; she also, as her title indicates, has astral characteristics. Her cult is described as one particularly attractive to women, who bake offering cakes in the goddess’ image.

The Canaanite goddess who best fits this description is Astarte, who is associated with both fertility and war and who has astral features. Phoenician inscriptions also ascribe to Astarte the title “Queen.” Astarte’s cult, however, is not known to be one in which women play a special role. Yet women do have an important place in the cult of Astarte’s Mesopotamian counterpart, Ishtar, whose female devotees ritually weep in imitation of the goddess’ lamentations over her dead lover, Tammuz (cf. Ezek. 8:14). Ishtar’s cult also involves the offering of cakes called kamānu, an Akkadian word cognate to Heb. kawwānîm used for cakes in Jeremiah. The Queen of Heaven is thus best identified as a syncretism of Canaanite Astarte and Mesopotamian Ishtar.

Susan Ackerman

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

QUEEN OF HEAVEN

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)