'Ashtoret is the Hebrew form of the goddess name Ashtoreth, appearing in the Hebrew Bible. It derives from the Phoenician goddess of love, war, and fertility, whose name was vocalized as Ashtoreth (עַשְׁתֹּרֶת 'Ashṭoreth) in Hebrew, a deliberately distorted form using the vowels of the word bōšet (“shame”) to express contempt for the pagan deity. The name ultimately traces back to the Semitic root ʿṯtr, associated with the Evening Star, linking it to the East Semitic goddess Ishtar of Akkadian, Assyrian, and Babylonian tradition. In the Hebrew Bible, 'Ashtoret is consistently referenced in a negative light as a foreign goddess worshiped by Israelites in apostasy or by surrounding peoples. Key passages include 1 Kings 11:5 and 2 Kings 23:13, where King Solomon is condemned for building a high place for 'Ashtoret, “the abomination of the Sidonians,” and King Josiah later destroys that sanctuary as part of his religious reforms. The plural form 'Ashtarot appears several times, referring to various local manifestations of the goddess or to a collective of fertility deities. The Roman-era Greek form Astarte (Biblical Greek Ahtarh) is known from inscriptions and literary sources, and also entered English translations of the Bible. The Ugaritic texts from the ancient city of Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra, Syria) attest a goddess named Athtart, which corresponds to 'Ashtart/'Ashtoret and illustrates her prominence in West Semitic pantheons. 'Ashtoret thus serves as a window into the religious syncretism and the contested borders of Israelite monotheism. Meaning: Hebrew form of Ashtoreth, a Phoenician goddess of love, war, and fertility. Origin: Semitic, derivative of the root ʿṯtr (Venus/Evening Star). Type: Rendering of a goddess name, used in a religious historical context. Usage Regions: Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), ancient Israel and neighboring cultures.