Ashtoreth, ash'to-reth, or Astarte, as-tar'te, the chief goddess of the Canaanites, the female counterpart of Baal. She has been identified with Ishtar of the Assyro-Babylonians, and variously with Urania, Selene, and Artemis of the Greeks. She is also called Coelestis and Derceto. In late times her worship extended to Egypt. Baal and Ashtoreth held the first place in the Phoenician pantheon. As Baal was the sun god, so Ashtoreth was the moon goddess. In her temple at Tyre her symbol was a star. See BAAL.