Looking for research/info on Syrian goddess Atargatis

[Dover]

and the Syro-Phonenician fish cult. Primarily interested in its origins rather than it's later spread to the north. Archaeological evidence, research papers, Syrian oral history/myth, etc. all welcome.

Very little (other than various encyclopedic resources) seems to be available online.

**Not to be confused with 'Ashtart'.

Thanks!

[Behind the Aegis]

1. I don't know if this will help...but,

http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.html

It is the Encyclopedia Mythica. It has two entries for that name, one is a Greek link. But, it may provide you more names to use a sources for your search.

[Dover]

2. Thanks.

I ran across that site in my searches.

[mzteris]

3. here's a couple......

http://www.snible.org/coins/hn/inscriptions.html#remark_hebrew

III. REMARKABLE INSCRIPTIONS p. 908

(α) Greek < Α Β Γ Δ Ε F Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω >
(β) Latin, &c < A C D E F G H I K L M P R S V >
(γ) Phoencian, Aramaic, Punic, and Hebrew

עתרעתה (‘Atargata), Hieropolis Cyrrhest., 777.

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The Annals of The World
by
Rev. James Ussher
LONDON,
Printed by E. Tyler, for F. Crook,
and G. Bedell, 1658

A CHRONICLE
OF
The Asiatic and Egyptian Affairs, carried on from the
beginning of the times of the MACCHABEES,
until the Destruction of the Jewish Commonwealth under Vespasian.

3458. Judas marched on to the city of Carnaim and to the temple of Atargata which was located there. Many of the enemy had fled there for refuge. Judas burned the temple along with everyone in it. He demolished the city and killed 25,000 men. /APC 1Ma 5:43,44 2Ma 12:26

http://bennieblount.org/Online/Ussher/91.htm

(Ignore the bennieblount part - it's just the hosting website...)

*****

Zodiac Disk with Tyche
held aloft by Nike
Limestone
Khirbet et-Tannur, Jordan
C. AD 100

The bust of the goddess Atargatis in the form of Tyche is surrounded by figures representing the zodiac. Nike, or Winged Victory, holds the disk aloft. Atargatis's astral associations are symbolized by the crescent moon above her right shoulder. Originally built into a wall in the temple of Khirbet et-Tannur, this statue was probably damaged by the earthquake of AD 363, which most likely destroyed the temple.



http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/petra/gallery/icons.php?image=3&page=icons/zodiac

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". . .Continuing down the slope you reach the small temple, dedicated to "the Syrian goddess," a local form of the goddess Atargatis. Also note the basin in the floor and the benches along the side wall. This temple was made into a church in the 4th century AD. . ." (no pic, sorry)

http://www.ikamalebanon.com/national_heritage/mount_nh/mt_cities_nh/faqra.htm

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No firm connection - just conjecture, but a connection to a different name for same - Allat.

http://www.vkrp.org/studies/historical/dhat-ras/info/temple-deity.asp

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Another interesting bit about differing names for same goddess:

Atarata is a combined form of the names of the three major Canaanite-Phoenician goddesses, Athtart (Atar), Anat (Ata), and ´thirat. Atargatis is the Greek form of her Phoenician name.
She is often depicted as fish-tailed, a mermaid, associated with moisture. As vegetation goddess of generation and fertility, she protects her cities; as a moist sky goddess in cloud-like veil with eagles around her head; as a sea-goddess she is dolphin-crowned. She had a sacred pool with holy oracular fish at her temple at the city of Ashkelon. As the partner of Oannes, she is mother of legendary Queen Semiramis, whose sacred animal is the dove, which Semiramis became. During Roman times celebrated by ecstatically dancing eunuch priests of the Dea Syria, and equated with the Anatolian Kybele, whose son Attis was often equated with Adon,

http://www.mythhome.org/mideastg.html#Phoenician

you'll have to click on link here to get blurb as above.

*******

What Is a Temple? A Preliminary Typology
John M. Lundquist. In Temples of the Ancient World. Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks eds., (Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1994.): 83 –118.

". . .A second century A.D. Aramaic inscription from Hatra invokes "the curse of Our L and Our Lady and the Son of our Lord and Shaharu and Baasham and Atargatis on who enters past this point into the shr."78 . . ."

78 Delbert R. Hillers, "Mskn ‘Temple' in Inscriptions from Hatra," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 207 (1972): 54-56.

http://home.uchicago.edu/~spackman/What%20is%20a%20Temple-%20A%20Preliminary%20Typology.pdf


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". . .To the right of the Temenos Gateway, or Triumphal Arch, is the Temple of the Winged Lions. This was named after the carved lions that adorn the capitals of the columns. The temple was dedicated to the fertility goddess Atargatis, who was the partner to the main male god, Dushara. . . "

http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism6d.html

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Basilique romaine sur les ruines du temple d'Atargatis
Faqra - Liban

[Dover]

4. This is fantastic!

Thanks so much. You were able to dig up more than I. I especially appreciate the images. I'll go through this and see if it leads me to more information. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of meat on this bone. Not sure whether it's just too obscure and/or there is simply not research available through online sources.

Maybe I'll actually have to go bury myself in some university libraries...

[mzteris]

5. If you're looking for anything more specific

let me know. I love doing this stuff and I'm glad to be of help.