Lexical Definition

‎בֵּית עַשְׁתָּרוֹת‎ Bêyth ʻAshtârôwth (bayth ash-taw-roth') Beth-ashtaroth N:N--L
from ‎בַּיִת‎ and ‎עַשְׁתָּרוֹת‎; house of Ashtoreths

house of Ashtaroth. Compare ‎בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה‎, ‎עַשְׁתָּרוֹת‎.

1) a Philistine temple

Extended Information

combination of: עַשְׁתֹּרֶת (בַּיִת+עַשְׁתֹּרֶת)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎עַשְׁתָּרוֺת‎ see foregoing.

Profile

Temple of the female deity Ashoreth (H6252G) in the time of the Old Testament • Philistine city where Saul's armor was put in a temple.

Beth-Ashtoreth was a Philistine city where Saul's armor was put in the temple of Ashtoreth after his death. (1 Samuel 31:10)

Beth-Ashtoreth, meaning "house of Ashtoreth" in Hebrew, was a Philistine city mentioned in 1 Samuel 31:10. After King Saul's death in the battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, the Philistines found his body and cut off his head. They then sent messengers throughout their land to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among the people.

As part of this victory celebration, the Philistines put Saul's armor in the temple of Ashtoreth at Beth-Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth, also known as Astarte, was a Canaanite goddess of love, fertility, and war, often associated with the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

The exact location of Beth-Ashtoreth is not specified in the Bible, but it was likely a significant Philistine city with a prominent temple dedicated to Ashtoreth. The placement of Saul's armor in the temple was a way for the Philistines to celebrate their victory over Israel and to attribute their success to their goddess.

The event also highlights the tragic end of Saul's reign and the humiliation that befell him and Israel as a result of their defeat at the hands of the Philistines. In contrast, 1 Chronicles 10:10 mentions that Saul's head was put in the temple of Dagon, another Philistine deity, showing the widespread celebration of the Philistine victory.

All entries for Beth-Ashtoreth: בֵּית עַשְׁתָּרוֹת