Ishtar and Easter

[belelpov@yahoo.com]

Easter was originally a day meant to celebrate the goddess of love, Ashtoreth, who has many names: Astarte, Asherah, Inanna, Ishtar, Anat, Isis and even more. Though each name was used by a different culture; in such the story of each goddess is altered, however there are coinciding motifs and features of all these Goddesses/Goddess. Easter today has been altered and the principle heroine of the story has been replaced by, yet again, Jesus. The Christian story has many of the same principle features of the original, though it has been changed significantly. Some of the features stolen from the worship of Ashtoreth are: Martyrdom and resurrection. So how does a large rabbit hiding eggs in your house correspond to this? Well rabbits are known for their virility, and eggs obviously represent feminine fertility. Why these things though? Well the story of Easter, and the reason it corresponds roughly with the spring equinox, is one based on the concept of birth and fertility dying and returning to the world in the form of Ishtar. The translation can be read here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/ishtar.htm

   So Ishtar goes into the underworld, dies, resurrects three days later, and her consort returns in her place. This is an explanation of winter and spring returning in ancient times. So always remember Ishtar on Easter because it is for her that we celebrate. Enjoy Easter for the reasons it was always meant to be celebrated for, enjoy family, love, and life; for the season of cold and death has ended and now is the time for rebirth, growth, and the return of Ishtar, beauty, to the land of the living.

[Jack]

Easter was originally a day meant to celebrate the goddess of love, Ashtoreth, who has many names: Astarte, Asherah, Inanna, Ishtar, Anat, Isis and even more. Though each name was used by a different culture; in such the story of each goddess is altered, however there are coinciding motifs and features of all these Goddesses/Goddess.

Where can I read more about the Sumerian/Babylonian holiday celebrating her at the Vernal Equinox? I was only able to find references to a Babylonian new year celebration of Marduk's defeat of Tiamat.

Easter today has been altered and the principle heroine of the story has been replaced by, yet again, Jesus.

Yep, poor Eostre.*

The Christian story has many of the same principle features of the original, though it has been changed significantly. Some of the features stolen from the worship of Ashtoreth are: Martyrdom and resurrection.

Actually, we just recently had a rather lengthy discussion of how the Christian Easter holiday was designed to coincide with Passover. You might want to dig it up, there was lots of good discussion of why you're wrong.

So how does a large rabbit hiding eggs in your house correspond to this? Well rabbits are known for their virility, and eggs obviously represent feminine fertility. Why these things though? Well the story of Easter, and the reason it corresponds roughly with the spring equinox, is one based on the concept of birth and fertility dying and returning to the world in the form of Ishtar. The translation can be read here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/ishtar.htm

So I missed the bunnies and eggs in the Descent. Did Ishtar leave her Peeps at the seventh gate in a different translation?

So Ishtar goes into the underworld, dies, resurrects three days later, and her consort returns in her place. This is an explanation of winter and spring returning in ancient times. So always remember Ishtar on Easter because it is for her that we celebrate. Enjoy Easter for the reasons it was always meant to be celebrated for, enjoy family, love, and life; for the season of cold and death has ended and now is the time for rebirth, growth, and the return of Ishtar, beauty, to the land of the living.

But what if we're, you know, not practicing any Babylonian/Egyptian/Roman/whatever religion and don't have any ties to Ishtar whatsover? Why not celebrate the aforementioned Eostre, or the resurrection of Frey? You're giving some broad instructions with the assumption of universality here. Some of us, well, don't get any more from Ishtar than we do from Jesus.
 
*Yes, I have read the arguments for/against Eostre.

[Sophia C]

Easter was originally a day meant to celebrate the goddess of love, Ashtoreth, who has many names: Astarte, Asherah, Inanna, Ishtar, Anat, Isis and even more. Though each name was used by a different culture; in such the story of each goddess is altered, however there are coinciding motifs and features of all these Goddesses/Goddess. Easter today has been altered and the principle heroine of the story has been replaced by, yet again, Jesus. The Christian story has many of the same principle features of the original, though it has been changed significantly. Some of the features stolen from the worship of Ashtoreth are: Martyrdom and resurrection. So how does a large rabbit hiding eggs in your house correspond to this? Well rabbits are known for their virility, and eggs obviously represent feminine fertility. Why these things though? Well the story of Easter, and the reason it corresponds roughly with the spring equinox, is one based on the concept of birth and fertility dying and returning to the world in the form of Ishtar. The translation can be read here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/ishtar.htm

   So Ishtar goes into the underworld, dies, resurrects three days later, and her consort returns in her place. This is an explanation of winter and spring returning in ancient times. So always remember Ishtar on Easter because it is for her that we celebrate. Enjoy Easter for the reasons it was always meant to be celebrated for, enjoy family, love, and life; for the season of cold and death has ended and now is the time for rebirth, growth, and the return of Ishtar, beauty, to the land of the living.

 
In the middle east, the 'new life' period happens around January. It's 30 degrees C and summer-like there at the moment. (This is why the Jewish holiday Tu Bishvat, meaning 'birthday of the trees', is in January.)

[Jack]

In the middle east, the 'new life' period happens around January. It's 30 degrees C and summer-like there at the moment. (This is why the Jewish holiday Tu Bishvat, meaning 'birthday of the trees', is in January.)

 
Anybody who believes the wheel of the year is the same everywhere is welcome to visit Phoenix, Arizona for Yule.

[Rhyshadow]

Easter was originally a day meant to celebrate the goddess of love, Ashtoreth, who has many names: Astarte, Asherah, Inanna, Ishtar, Anat, Isis and even more. Though each name was used by a different culture; in such the story of each goddess is altered, however there are coinciding motifs and features of all these Goddesses/Goddess. Easter today has been altered and the principle heroine of the story has been replaced by, yet again, Jesus. The Christian story has many of the same principle features of the original, though it has been changed significantly. Some of the features stolen from the worship of Ashtoreth are: Martyrdom and resurrection. So how does a large rabbit hiding eggs in your house correspond to this? Well rabbits are known for their virility, and eggs obviously represent feminine fertility. Why these things though? Well the story of Easter, and the reason it corresponds roughly with the spring equinox, is one based on the concept of birth and fertility dying and returning to the world in the form of Ishtar. The translation can be read here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/ishtar.htm

   So Ishtar goes into the underworld, dies, resurrects three days later, and her consort returns in her place. This is an explanation of winter and spring returning in ancient times. So always remember Ishtar on Easter because it is for her that we celebrate. Enjoy Easter for the reasons it was always meant to be celebrated for, enjoy family, love, and life; for the season of cold and death has ended and now is the time for rebirth, growth, and the return of Ishtar, beauty, to the land of the living.

 
Unfortunately, that bit of mis-history has been going around the net lately. Ishtar and Easter have nothing to do with each other. A couple writings on that particular fallacy

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/29/happy-easter-which-is-not-named-after-ishtar-okay.html

http://bellejarblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/easter-is-not-named-after-ishtar-and-other-truths-i-have-to-tell-you/

While there are a number of people who've fallen into this little fairy-tale, the Pagan roots of Easter in all it's symbolism originate in Central Europe, not ancient Babylonia. If you look deep enough, there are those Christian sites that promote ditching all the holidays that also mis-represent Easter as origination from the time of the Tower of Babel

http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html

This might be where this particular piece started - some fanciful person saw that some - slightly disturbed Christian railed against Easter celebrations and came up with the Tower connection, and ran with it.

Please - as the corollary to Sturgeons Law states "90% of things seen on the internet are crap"

[Gaudior]

Unfortunately, that bit of mis-history has been going around the net lately. Ishtar and Easter have nothing to do with each other. A couple writings on that particular fallacy

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/29/happy-easter-which-is-not-named-after-ishtar-okay.html

http://bellejarblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/easter-is-not-named-after-ishtar-and-other-truths-i-have-to-tell-you/

While there are a number of people who've fallen into this little fairy-tale, the Pagan roots of Easter in all it's symbolism originate in Central Europe, not ancient Babylonia. If you look deep enough, there are those Christian sites that promote ditching all the holidays that also mis-represent Easter as origination from the time of the Tower of Babel

http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html

This might be where this particular piece started - some fanciful person saw that some - slightly disturbed Christian railed against Easter celebrations and came up with the Tower connection, and ran with it.

Please - as the corollary to Sturgeons Law states "90% of things seen on the internet are crap"

"Never trust quotes on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln (directed to OP)

[Lokabrenna]

"Never trust quotes on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln (directed to OP)

 
This Ishtar = Easter meme is going around on tumblr and it's driving me insane!

I don't have a degree in the field, but I took a few courses on the Ancient Near East in university, and I know enough to poke so many holes in that stupid meme.

For one thing, it is pronounced "Ish-tar". "Ish-tar" does not sound like "Easter". It might sound a bit like Easter if you pronounced it "Eesh-tar" but you don't pronounce it like that.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, here's the graphic in question:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/c68277821bba115f6aab5105dd559afd/tumblr_mk90h8bIDC1rb3w6qo1_500.jpg

[Gaudior]

This Ishtar = Easter meme is going around on tumblr and it's driving me insane!

I don't have a degree in the field, but I took a few courses on the Ancient Near East in university, and I know enough to poke so many holes in that stupid meme.

For one thing, it is pronounced "Ish-tar". "Ish-tar" does not sound like "Easter". It might sound a bit like Easter if you pronounced it "Eesh-tar" but you don't pronounce it like that.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, here's the graphic in question:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/c68277821bba115f6aab5105dd559afd/tumblr_mk90h8bIDC1rb3w6qo1_500.jpg

 
I know <_< I have friends on facebook posting it and it's making me want to scream. Why does it even matter where it started? Just let the Christians have their fun, lol.

[Rhyshadow]

This Ishtar = Easter meme is going around on tumblr and it's driving me insane!

I don't have a degree in the field, but I took a few courses on the Ancient Near East in university, and I know enough to poke so many holes in that stupid meme.

For one thing, it is pronounced "Ish-tar". "Ish-tar" does not sound like "Easter". It might sound a bit like Easter if you pronounced it "Eesh-tar" but you don't pronounce it like that.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, here's the graphic in question:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/c68277821bba115f6aab5105dd559afd/tumblr_mk90h8bIDC1rb3w6qo1_500.jpg

 
Actually, hun - the correct pronunciation is 'Eesh-tar'

And ya, some people in my friends list on FB have been passing either that graphic around or including Ishtar in their posts on Easter/Eostre greetings :shudders:

[MadZealot]

And ya, some people in my friends list on FB have been passing either that graphic around or including Ishtar in their posts on Easter/Eostre greetings :shudders:

Me too.  I called BS on the meme in one FB group.  Got my comments deleted and then, suddenly, I was unable to post any more after that.  There's no excuse for bad history.
Unfortunately, there's also no cure for stupid.

[Snowdrop]

Easter was originally a day meant to celebrate the goddess of love, Ashtoreth, who has many names: Astarte, Asherah, Inanna, Ishtar, Anat, Isis and even more.

"Ashtoreth" is the name for Astarte given in the Bible in order to make a pun on Her name and the Hebrew word for shame.  Asherah is not the same goddess as Astarte.  Anat does seem to have become syncretized with Astarte in some periods and some places, but the two were originally separate deities, and by the way, Anat was likely not originally a love/fertility goddess.  In fact, She's the goddess of war and possibly hunting.

[Chaldi]

Easter was originally a day meant to celebrate the goddess of love, Ashtoreth, who has many names: Astarte, Asherah, Inanna, Ishtar, Anat, Isis and even more. Though each name was used by a different culture; in such the story of each goddess is altered, however there are coinciding motifs and features of all these Goddesses/Goddess. Easter today has been altered and the principle heroine of the story has been replaced by, yet again, Jesus. The Christian story has many of the same principle features of the original, though it has been changed significantly.

 
I don't know what's left to add. The main points have already been criticised. All those goddesses are not the same nor equivalent in detail. So do the myths surrounding them.

All those similarities root in the one single almost global factor people tried to describe and explain by myth: The coming forth of seasons. European cultures had their way of explaining it which resulted in the modern day feast of easter. And easter is clearly not of mesopotamian origin.

If you want to find some sort of mesopotamian link you should've looked at passover, as already mentioned for it is wonderfully embedded into the Ancient Near East, its cultures and traditions.

Sure, passover had its effect on easter as we know it today with the celebrated death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by Christians but that's it.

[Darkhawk]

Sure, passover had its effect on easter as we know it today with the celebrated death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by Christians but that's it.

 
Yes, the sole origin of Easter is "just it".  Since there is nothing else to say about the origins of Easter, however, it's a reasonably large "just it" for purposes of discussion.

[Nyktipolos]

This Ishtar = Easter meme is going around on tumblr and it's driving me insane!

I don't have a degree in the field, but I took a few courses on the Ancient Near East in university, and I know enough to poke so many holes in that stupid meme.

For one thing, it is pronounced "Ish-tar". "Ish-tar" does not sound like "Easter". It might sound a bit like Easter if you pronounced it "Eesh-tar" but you don't pronounce it like that.

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, here's the graphic in question:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/c68277821bba115f6aab5105dd559afd/tumblr_mk90h8bIDC1rb3w6qo1_500.jpg

I figured it was somehow related to that Tumblr image going around. Thankfully most of the times I've seen it pop up on my dash it's already been thoroughly debunked, but it gets old after a while.

[Shine]

I figured it was somehow related to that Tumblr image going around. Thankfully most of the times I've seen it pop up on my dash it's already been thoroughly debunked, but it gets old after a while.

 
I thought it might be an (effective) attempt at trolling. But maybe not. Maybe the person who made the graphic was serious. Good goddess. :\