Editing Inanna (section)

===In antiquity===
[[File:Dama de Galera (M.A.N. Madrid) 01.jpg|thumb|Phoenician figure dating to the seventh century&nbsp;BCE representing a goddess, probably [[Astarte]], called the "[[Lady of Galera]]" ([[National Archaeological Museum of Spain]])]]

The cult of Inanna/Ishtar may have been introduced to the [[Kingdom of Judah]] during the reign of [[Manasseh of Judah|King Manasseh]]{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|page=193}} and, although Inanna herself is not directly mentioned in the [[Bible]] by name,{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|pages=193, 195}} the [[Old Testament]] contains numerous allusions to her cult.{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|pages=193–195}} {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|7:18|9}} and {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|44:15–19|9}} mention "the Queen of Heaven," who is probably a syncretism of Inanna/Ishtar and the West Semitic goddess [[Astarte]].{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|page=193}}{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|page=10}}{{sfnp|Smith|2002|page=182}}{{sfnp|Ackerman|2006|pages=116–117}} Jeremiah states that the Queen of Heaven was worshipped by women who baked cakes for her.{{sfnp|Ackerman|2006|pages=115–116}}

The [[Song of Songs]] bears strong similarities to the Sumerian love poems involving Inanna and Dumuzid,{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|page=194}} particularly in its usage of natural symbolism to represent the lovers' physicality.{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|page=194}} {{bibleverse|Song of Songs|6:10|9}} {{bibleverse|Ezekiel|8:14|9}} mentions Inanna's husband Dumuzid under his later East Semitic name [[Tammuz (mythology)|Tammuz]],{{sfnp|Black|Green|1992|page=73}}{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|page=195}}{{sfnp|Warner|2016|page=211}} and describes a group of women mourning Tammuz's death while sitting near the north gate of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]].{{sfnp|Pryke|2017|page=195}}{{sfnp|Warner|2016|page=211}} [[Marina Warner]] (a literary critic rather than Assyriologist) claims that [[Early Christianity|early Christians]] in the Middle East assimilated elements of Ishtar into the cult of the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]].{{sfnp|Warner|2016|pages=210–212}} She argues that the Syrian writers [[Jacob of Serugh]] and [[Romanos the Melodist]] both wrote laments in which the Virgin Mary describes her compassion for [[Jesus|her son]] at the foot of the cross in deeply personal terms closely resembling Ishtar's laments over the death of Tammuz.{{sfnp|Warner|2016|page=212}} However, broad comparisons between Tammuz and other dying gods are rooted in the work of [[James George Frazer]] and are regarded as a relic of less rigorous early 20th century Assyriology by more recent publications.{{sfnp|Alster|2013|p=433-434}}

The cult of Inanna/Ishtar also heavily influenced the cult of the [[Phoenicia]]n goddess [[Astarte]].{{sfnp|Marcovich|1996|pages=43–59}} The Phoenicians introduced Astarte to the Greek islands of [[Cyprus]] and [[Kythira|Cythera]],{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|page=10}}{{sfnp|Cyrino|2010|pages=49–52}} where she either gave rise to or at least heavily influenced the Greek goddess [[Aphrodite]].{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|pages=8–12}}{{sfnp|Cyrino|2010|pages=49–52}}{{sfnp|Puhvel|1987|page=27}}{{sfnp|Marcovich|1996|pages=43–59}} Aphrodite took on Inanna/Ishtar's associations with sexuality and procreation.{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|page=8}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=162}} Furthermore, Aphrodite was known as [[Aphrodite Urania|Ourania]] (Οὐρανία), meaning "heavenly,"{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|pages=10–11}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=162}} corresponding to Inanna's role as the Queen of Heaven.{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|pages=10–11}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=162}}

[[File:Aphrodite und Adonis - Altar 2.jpg|thumb|Altar from the Greek city of [[Taranto|Taras]] in [[Magna Graecia]], dating to {{circa}} 400 – c. 375&nbsp;BCE, depicting [[Aphrodite]] and [[Adonis]], whose myth is derived from the Mesopotamian myth of Inanna and Dumuzid{{sfnp|West|1997|page=57}}{{sfnp|Burkert|1985|page=177}}]]

Early artistic and literary portrayals of Aphrodite are extremely similar to Inanna/Ishtar.{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|page=8}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=162}} Aphrodite was also a warrior goddess;{{sfnp|Breitenberger|2007|page=8}}{{sfnp|Cyrino|2010|pages=49–52}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=163}} the second-century AD Greek geographer [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] records that, in Sparta, Aphrodite was worshipped as ''[[Aphrodite Areia]]'', which means "warlike."{{sfnp|Cyrino|2010|pages=51–52}}{{sfnp|Budin|2010|pages=85–86, 96, 100, 102–103, 112, 123, 125}} He also mentions that Aphrodite's most ancient cult statues in [[Sparta]] and on Cythera showed her bearing arms.{{sfnm|1a1=Cyrino|1y=2010|1pp=51–52|2a1=Budin|2y=2010|2pp=85–86, 96, 100, 102–103, 112, 123, 125|3a1=Graz|3y=1984|3p=250|4a1=Breitenberger|4y=2007|4p=8}} Modern scholars note that Aphrodite's warrior-goddess aspects appear in the oldest strata of her worship{{sfnp|Iossif|Lorber|2007|page=77}} and see it as an indication of her Near Eastern origins.{{sfnp|Iossif|Lorber|2007|page=77}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=163}} Aphrodite also absorbed Ishtar's association with doves,{{sfnp|Lewis|Llewellyn-Jones|2018|page=335}}{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=163}} which were sacrificed to her alone.{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=163}} The Greek word for "dove" was ''peristerá'',{{sfnp|Lewis|Llewellyn-Jones|2018|page=335}}{{sfnp|Botterweck|Ringgren|1990|page=35}} which may be derived from the Semitic phrase ''peraḥ Ištar'', meaning "bird of Ishtar."{{sfnp|Botterweck|Ringgren|1990|page=35}} The myth of Aphrodite and [[Adonis]] is derived from the story of Inanna and Dumuzid.{{sfnp|West|1997|page=57}}{{sfnp|Burkert|1985|page=177}}

Classical scholar Charles Penglase has written that [[Athena]], the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, resembles Inanna's role as a "terrifying warrior goddess."{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|page=235}} Others have noted that the birth of Athena from the head of her father [[Zeus]] could be derived from Inanna's descent into and return from the Underworld.{{sfnp|Penglase|1994|pages=233–325}} However, as noted by [[Gary Beckman]], a rather direct parallel to Athena's birth is found in the [[Hurrian religion|Hurrian]] [[Kumarbi]] cycle, where [[Teshub]] is born from the surgically split skull of Kumarbi,{{sfnp|Beckman|2010|p=29}} rather than in any Inanna myths.

In [[Mandaean cosmology]], one of the names for Venus is ''ʿStira'', which is derived from the name Ishtar.<ref name="Bhayro 2020">{{cite book |last=Bhayro |first=Siam |date=2020-02-10 |section=Cosmology in Mandaean texts |title=Hellenistic Astronomy |publisher=Brill |pages=572–579 |doi=10.1163/9789004400566_046 |isbn=9789004400566 |s2cid=213438712 |section-url=https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9789004400566/BP000051.xml |access-date=2021-09-03}}</ref>

Anthropologist [[Kevin Tuite]] argues that the [[Georgian mythology|Georgian goddess]] [[Dali (goddess)|Dali]] was also influenced by Inanna,{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|pages=16–18}} noting that both Dali and Inanna were associated with the morning star,{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|page=16}} both were characteristically depicted nude,{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|pages=16–17}} (but Assyriologists assume the "naked goddess" motif in Mesopotamian art in most cases cannot be Ishtar,{{sfnp|Wiggermann|1998|p=49}} and the goddess most consistently depicted as naked was [[Shala]], a weather goddess unrelated to Ishtar{{sfnp|Wiggermann|1998|p=51}}) both were associated with gold jewelry,{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|pages=16–17}} both sexually preyed on mortal men,{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|page=17}} both were associated with human and animal fertility,{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|pages=17–18}} (note however that Assyriologist Dina Katz pointed out the references to fertility are more likely to be connected to Dumuzi than Inanna/Ishtar in at least some cases{{sfnp|Katz|2015|p=70-71}}) and both had ambiguous natures as sexually attractive, but dangerous, women.{{sfnp|Tuite|2004|page=18}}

Traditional Mesopotamian religion gradually began to decline between the third and fifth centuries AD as [[Assyrian people|ethnic Assyrians]] converted to Christianity. Nonetheless, the cult of Ishtar and Tammuz managed to survive in parts of Upper Mesopotamia.{{sfnp|Warner|2016|page=211}} In the tenth century AD, an Arab traveler wrote that "All the [[Sabaeans]] of our time, those of Babylonia as well as those of [[Harran]], lament and weep to this day over Tammuz at a festival which they, more particularly the women, hold in the month of the same name."{{sfnp|Warner|2016|page=211}}

Worship of Venus deities possibly connected to Inanna/Ishtar was known in [[Pre-Islamic Arabia]] right up until the Islamic period. [[Isaac of Antioch]] (d. 406 AD) said that the Arabs worshipped 'the Star' (''kawkabta''), also known as [[Al-Uzza]], which many identify with Venus.{{sfnp|Healey|2001|p=114-119}} Isaac also mentions an Arabian deity named [[Baltis]], which according to Jan Retsö most likely was another designation for Ishtar.{{sfnp|Retsö|2014|p=604-605}} In pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions themselves, it appears that the deity known as [[Allat]] was also a Venusian deity.{{sfnp|Al-Jallad|2021|p=569-571}} [[Attar (god)|Attar]], a male god whose name is a cognate of Ishtar's, is a plausible candidate for the role of Arabian Venus deity too on the account of both his name and his epithet "eastern and western".{{sfnp|Ayali-Darshan|2014|p=100-101}}