Atargatis (Hastings' Dictionary)

The worship of this Syrian goddess is nowhere named in tne canonical books, but in 2 Mac 12-" mention is made of a temjile of Atargatis (RV Atergatis) at Carnion in Gilead ('ArapyaTetoi',' kTcpyaTeXov, A, the former being shown by inscriptions to be the more correct form of the name). In inscriptions discovered at Delos this goddess is generally joined with Adad, and once she is styled 'Aippodlrrj 'Aripyam.

In Palestine the principal scat of her worship wasat Ashkelon, where she was probably identified with the Heavenly ATAROTH ATIIALIAH 195 Aphrodite (whose temple is named by Herodotus, i. 105). Another famous shrine of Atargatis was at Hierapolis, or Bambyce (Mabu";), on the Euphrates (Lucian, De Syria Dea, 14 ; Pliny, Bist. Nat. V. 23). At botli these shrines sacred fish were kept, and at Ashkelon the goddess herself was represented as a woman with a tisli's tail (Lucian, I.e. ; comp.

Ovid, Metam. iv. 44—46). According to the Gr. version of the legend, Atargatis, or Dereeto (to use the shorter form of the name, more oommonlj' found in Gr. ), was a maiden, inspired by Aphrodite with love for a youth who was worshipping at her shrine. By him Dereeto became the mother of a daughter ; but, filled with shame, she threw herself into the water at Ash- kelon, or at Hierapolis, whereupon she was changed into a fish (Diod. Sic. il. 4). According to Hyginus, Astron, ii.

30, she was saved by a fish. The child, who had been exposed, was brought up at the temple of Aphrodite, and became the famous Assyrian queen Semiramis. Older derivations of the name have become obsolete since the discovery on coins and Pal- myrene inscriptions of the true Sem. form of the name nnjnny or inyinv. In the first part of tliis word we may recognise the Aram, form of the name which appears in Assyr. as lahtar, in Heb. as Ashtoretn (n-jnyv), and in Phoenician as Astarte (n-iftfiy).

Comp. also 'ABdpa in Strabo, xvi. 27. The second portion of the name is usually under- stood to be the title of another deity, Ati or Attah, whose name is found in Melito, Apology (Migne, Fatr. Gr. v. 1228), on inscriptions from Phounifia and (in proj)er names) from Palmyra, and perhaps also in such personal names as Alyattes, Sadyattes, etc. For the compound name we might then compare AstarChemosh of the Moahite Stone. Lagarde, however, shows (MitthtUunqen, i.

77) that this explanation is not free from ditliculties. The Gr. le<'end, the sacred fish at Ashkelon and Hierapolis, and the representa- tions of Atargatis as half woman, half fish, all point to an original connexion between this goddess and the water ; and she is probably a personification of the fertilising power of water. Camion, a town which may probably be identified with Ashteroth-karnaim (Gn 14°), was taken and destrojed by Judas Maccaboeus during an expedition into Gilead al>out B.C.

163, and the inhabitants who fled to the temple of Atargatis were put to death (2 Mac 12'"-*', cf. 1 Mac 5«" ; Jos. Ant. XII. viii. 4). LiTTRATURl. — On AtAr^'fitiH, 8ee, further, BaufiiflRin in HcnoK's Htai-Bnnirl.' I. 7a8-740 ; Vi(iouroui, IH-l. de la llihU, II. n»9 ; bchllrer, HJP IL I. 13 f., Index, p. 91 f. ; W. U. sniitli, RSp.iMt. U. A. White. ATAROTH {rHyfs,, nhpy, 'crowns'), the name of several t«wns east and west of Jordan. — 1.

Ataroth, Nu 32-*, is in both places named next Dihon, which is identified with the pre.Heiit l)hih/in (see DlBON), and Ataroth is doubtless Kliitrbct 'Attari'is on Jebrl 'Attnrus, which latter may be the Atrotli- shophan of v.» It is 3 or 4 miles east of Ma- cha?nis, where the Baptist was imprisoned and murdered.

The objection that it is said to have been built by tlie children of Ga<l, while this site is in the territory of Kcuhen, woulil apply also to I'ibon and Aroer; it only jiroves that the tribes were greatly intermingled, or at first aided one aaother (as Jg 1-) in coni|uering and pos.se.ssing their territories. 2. Jos Ki', a town on the border of Benjamin and K|jhraini, towards its western ex- tremity. Conder recognises it in the modern A'rf./MrtVA, on the W.

sloije of the hill which lies south of Bethliorontlie-nctlier. 3. Ataroth-addar, Jos 16" IH'-', apparently the .same a.s the preceding. 4. Jos 16', a town on the same boundary of Ephraim and Mana.sseh, but towards its en.'item extremity, next Naarath (which see). Conder suggests Tell et-Tr(lny in the Jordan Valley, or Kharbet Kaswal, also called Kh. et-Taiyireh. The name is lost. DOmeh, the Edumia of the Onomasticon, with its ancient rock-cut tombs, is about the place one would look for it.

Three pl.aces, one 4 miles north of Samaria, a second, 6 miles north of Bethel, a third, 7 miles north of Jerusalem, now bear the name AtAra, but are unnamed in Scripture. S. Atroth-beth-Joab, I Ch 2'*, possibly = A tarites. A faniilj' is more probably meant than a place. A. Hendkb-son.