בֵּית עַשְׁתָּרוֹת
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤅𐤕
Bêyth ʻAshtârôwth
H1045
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym denoting a locality whose name means 'House of Ashtoreth(s)', understood as a sanctuary, cult-site, or settlement associated with the veneration of the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth. In biblical context, it refers specifically to a town east of the Jordan River, traditionally identified with a center of Ashtoreth worship. The name combines the common noun for 'house' with the theonym Ashtoreth (a chief goddess in the Canaanite pantheon associated with fertility and war). The word may reflect a settlement that developed around or near a temple or principal sanctuary dedicated to Ashtoreth. Its semantic range includes both the literal sense of a structure (temple or cultic site) and the broader sense of a town named for its religious significance.
Semantic Range
house or temple of the goddess Ashtoreth, settlement named for an Ashtoreth shrine, cultic center, Levitical city in the territory of Bashan
Root / Etymology
Compound of בֵּית (bayit, 'house') + עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (Ashtaroth, the plural form of the goddess' name Ashtoreth, reflecting either a plural of majesty or the existence of multiple related cultic manifestations/representations). The underlying roots are בנה ('to build') for 'house,' and the uncertain Semitic root עשתר for 'Ashtoreth.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
בֵּית עַשְׁתָּרוֹת appears in Joshua 21:27 as a Levitical town allocated to the Gershonites within the territory of the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. The name points to the site's former or contemporary significance as a prominent Ashtoreth shrine or cultic center before and possibly during Israelite settlement. The presence of the Canaanite goddess in toponymy reflects both the region’s religious history and the persistence or reappropriation of pre-Israelite holy sites by later groups. While the Greek Septuagint and later English translations often simply render the name phonetically, earlier translation traditions occasionally interpret it as 'house of Ashtaroth' or similarly. The connection between בֵּית עַשְׁתָּרוֹת and related forms like עַשְׁתָּרוֹת or בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה demonstrates the way cultic and geographic nomenclature intertwine in Canaanite and Israelite territorial organization. Over time, the cultic connotations of the name may have faded or been deliberately negated by Israelite occupation, but the toponym retains a record of layered religious history. The English term 'house of Ashtaroth' is a transparent rendering; the more common practice is to transliterate as 'Beth-Ashtaroth.' Distinct from בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה which may indicate a related but separate settlement or cult-site.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
; from בַּיִת and עַשְׁתָּרוֹת; house of Ashtoreths; Beth-Ashtaroth, a place in Palestine; house of Ashtaroth. Compare בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה, עַשְׁתָּרוֹת.
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Occurrences in Scripture
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