Goddess
The Term in Biblical Languages
Notably, the Hebrew language of the Old Testament has no distinct word for "goddess." When the text refers to the goddess Ashtoreth, it uses the standard word for God or gods, "elohim," with the gender determined by context and the proper name attached to it (1 Kings 11:5, 33). In the New Testament, the Greek word "thea" (the feminine form of "theos") appears in connection with Artemis of Ephesus (Acts 19:27, 35, 37). This linguistic fact itself carries theological weight: the biblical languages resist giving pagan female deities a legitimate divine title.
Ashtoreth, Goddess of the Sidonians
The primary Old Testament reference to a goddess concerns Ashtoreth, the chief female deity of the Sidonians and Phoenicians. King Solomon's foreign wives turned his heart to follow Ashtoreth in his old age (1 Kings 11:5). This act of apostasy is presented as one of the primary reasons for the division of the kingdom after Solomon's death. The text specifically identifies Ashtoreth as "the goddess of the Sidonians" and names Solomon's worship of her as a grave sin against the Lord (1 Kings 11:33). King Josiah later destroyed the high places Solomon had built for Ashtoreth as part of his sweeping religious reforms (2 Kings 23:13).
Artemis of Ephesus
The New Testament's most dramatic encounter with goddess worship occurs in Acts 19, during Paul's ministry in Ephesus. Artemis (called Diana in older English translations) was the patron goddess of the city, and her magnificent temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When Paul's preaching led many Ephesians to abandon idol worship, the silversmiths who made Artemis shrines organized a riot. Their leader Demetrius warned that Paul threatened both their livelihood and the honor of the "great goddess Artemis" (Acts 19:27). The crowd erupted into a two-hour chant: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" (Acts 19:34).
The Biblical Confrontation with Idolatry
The Bible's references to goddesses consistently frame them as false objects of worship that lead people away from the true God. The first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3), applies equally to gods and goddesses. The prophets repeatedly condemned Israel's attraction to the fertility cults associated with female deities like Ashtoreth and the "Queen of Heaven" mentioned in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-19.
The Exclusivity of Israel's God
The absence of a specific Hebrew word for goddess reflects Israel's radical monotheism. While surrounding cultures worshipped elaborate pantheons of male and female deities, Israel's faith insisted that there is only one God, who is beyond gender categories. The God of Israel is neither male nor female in the way pagan deities were, though Scripture uses both masculine and feminine imagery to describe divine attributes (Isaiah 49:15; 66:13). The rejection of goddess worship was not a rejection of the feminine but a rejection of polytheism and the distorted theologies that accompanied it.
Biblical Context
The concept of 'goddess' appears in 1 Kings 11:5 and 11:33 referring to Ashtoreth of the Sidonians, whom Solomon worshipped. In the New Testament, Acts 19:27, 35, and 37 describe the worship of Artemis (Diana) in Ephesus and the conflict that Paul's preaching created. Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-19 reference the 'Queen of Heaven' cult that attracted Israelite women.
Theological Significance
The biblical treatment of goddess worship reinforces the first commandment's demand for exclusive devotion to the one true God. Solomon's embrace of Ashtoreth is presented as the paradigmatic example of how idolatry leads to national disaster. The Ephesus riot demonstrates how the gospel confronts and overturns entrenched religious systems. The Bible's resistance to goddess worship affirms that the Creator transcends all categories of created nature, including gender.
Historical Background
Ashtoreth (Astarte) was the principal goddess of the Phoenicians and Canaanites, associated with fertility, love, and war. Her worship was widespread throughout the ancient Near East. Artemis of Ephesus was a distinctive local deity whose image and cult differed significantly from the Greek Artemis. Her temple in Ephesus, rebuilt multiple times, was one of the largest sacred structures in the ancient world. Archaeological excavations at Ephesus have confirmed the massive scale of the Artemis cult, including numerous votive offerings and shrine fragments.