The name
Astaroth was ultimately derived from that of 2nd millennium BC
Phoenician goddess Astarte, who was known in ancient Hebrew and Semitic tribes as
Asherah, an equivalent of the Babylonian
Ishtar, and the earlier Sumerian
Inanna, In this context,
D. P. Agrawal has grouped those goddesses as the
Ishtar group, which consisted the names of Ishtar, Astarte, Astaroth, and
Atargatis, among others. The name of Astarte was mentioned in the
Hebrew Bible in the forms
Ashtoreth (singular) and
Ashtaroth (plural, in reference to multiple statues of it). This latter form was directly transliterated in the early Greek and Latin versions of the Bible, where it was less apparent that it had been a plural feminine in Hebrew. Apparently, the parallel between goddess Astarte, which also idenified as Venus by
Reginald Scot with Astaroth as demon was made in response to the act of
Solomon, who once performed worship to an idol of Astarte from
Sidon. According to
Jeffrey Burton Russell, the
Islamic belief system implies that female deities such as
Al-Lat are manifestations of
Shaitan deception, based on classical interpretations. Russell refers to the epigraphic evidence from Palmyra and Taif presented by
Ignaz Goldziher to identify al-Lat with Astarte.
Zoroastrianism demonology Scholarly sources, including
The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906), A.V. Williams Jackson’s
Zoroastrianism and the Resemblances between It and Christianity (1906), and Mark S. Smith’s
The Origins of Biblical Monotheism (2000), indicate that Zoroastrian dualism, with its contrast between
Ahura Mazda and
Angra Mainyu, alongside the monotheistic shift in ancient Israel, provided a theological framework for demonizing pagan deities, enabling the transformation of the Canaanite goddess Astarte into the demonic Astaroth in Christian demonology.
Ferdinand Justi also attributed
Zoroastrianism religion as the first ones to denounce the
Aryan pagan worship towards Astaroth and
Baal, implying their contribution to the demonization of those deities.
Concordantiae Caritatis, a chart written by , depicted Astaroth as one of the seven archdevils representing
Seven deadly sins. In this chart, Astaroth represents
sloth, with a symbolic form of
donkey. Ulrich was borrowing the iconography from Zoroastrianism.
Bible demonization The interpretation of
First Epistle to the Corinthians verse 10:20 in Christian theology, which equates pagan sacrifices with offerings to demons, contributed to the broader demonization of deities like Astarte (biblical Ashtoreth), later transformed into the demon Astaroth. Scholarly sources suggest that Paul’s statement provided a theological framework for viewing Gentile worship, including that of Astarte, as demonic, though no direct reference to her appears in the verse. Commentaries, such as Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible and Coffman’s Commentaries, argue that Paul’s demonology implicitly includes deities like Astarte, particularly in Corinth’s Hellenistic context, where her worship resembled that of Aphrodite.
The World History Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures note that Astarte’s transformation into Astaroth, a male demon, occurred in medieval demonology, influenced by this New Testament perspective. By the early 11th century, Ælfric of Eynsham’s sermon explicitly depicts Astaroth as a demon, reflecting the culmination of this demonizing trend rooted in earlier Christian thought.
Tale of Saint Bartholomew The name Astaroth appeared during a sermon by
Ælfric of Eynsham(d.1010 ce). Ælfric describes the demon named Astaroth as "immense Ethiop, with sharp visage and ample beard" (
micel Æþiop, mid scarpum andsaca and mycelum berd), Which Benjamin Thorpe interpret as "black-faced devil". Similarly, In the apocryphal
Passion of Bartholomew and Jacobus de Voragine’s
Golden Legend (1275), Astaroth is depicted as a deceptive demon masquerading as a healing deity in a temple, manipulating worshippers by inflicting diseases and offering false cures. Scholarly analyses, such as J.K. Elliott’s
The Apocryphal New Testament (1993) and William Granger Ryan’s commentary in
The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints (1993), highlight that Astaroth’s role reflects the Christian demonization of pagan gods like Astarte, portraying the demon as a symbol of idolatry defeated by Bartholomew’s missionary efforts. The modern commentary from
Medieval Institute of
Jacobus de Voragine's work titled "
Life of Saint Bartholomew" about the location where Bartholomew fought Astaroth was actually
Medieval Armenia, as Armenia during that time was known as
third India. This clarity about the location also was attested by the commentary from
François Guizot of
Orderic Vitalis's work. In this context, the antiquities term of "India" divided into several regions, where the first was meant for region which extends to modern
Ethiopia; the second India was
Medes; while the last India, where the worship of Astaroth took place, and was visited by Bartholomew, is a region "bounded on one side by the region of darkness, on the other by the ocean.". Further depiction about the rivalry between Astaroth and Saint Bartholomew also mentioned by (d.1698). Sobrecasas wrote in '
Ideas varias de orar evangélicamente", that Astaroth is a monstrous force which causing ruin to the community.
Kabbalah and Occultism 's
Magus. Astaroth is at the top center. In the Kabbalah system, Astarte's demonization is explained as the process of transformation from a pagan goddess into a male demon, in which Astarte (as Ashtaroth or Astaroth) becomes the negative manifestation of the Sephirah Chesed ((the fourth Sephirah, representing mercy, generosity, and the expansive flow of the divine). Furthermore, Astaroth also featured as an
archdemon according to later
Kabbalistic texts, who rules over the qlippa of Jupiter, known as
Gha'agsheblah. In 20th century, Astaroth is mentioned in various literatures, often with very small details.
Arthur Edward Waite mentioned in his work, "
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts", that before Astaroth fell from heaven, he was a prince of the order of thrones. In another quote from Waite's other work, "
The Lemegeton", Astaroth was referred as a great duke in the infernal regions. Meanwhile,
Lewis Spence also mentioned Astaroth in his work, "
:An Encyclopedia of Occultism". According to Spence, Astaroth was from the order of seraphim. The idolatry of Astaroth was also somehow related to the root of modern
Wicca occultism.
Gerald Gardner, a 19-20th century English occultist, participated in excavations of a temple devoted to Astaroth in
Palestine. After Gardner returned to England later on, he was reportedly claimed himself to be able to recall memories of his former lives. However,
Lon Milo DuQuette and
Christopher Hyatt opined that the male demon
Astaroth is entirely unrelated to the benevolent goddess
Ashtoreth. == Appearance in other literatures ==