The scholarly understanding states that the worship of the Queen of Heaven in ancient Israel was influenced by and borrowed from neighboring deities and cultural practices. It suggests an exploration of how this goddess figure, associated with fertility, motherhood, and celestial powers, found its place among the Israelites despite the monotheistic nature of Yahwistic worship. The term “cult” here refers to a system of religious veneration and ritual practices centered around this specific deity, highlighting its adoption and adaptation within ancient Israelite society.

•  In Assyria, for example, the goddess Ishtar was referred to as the “lady of heaven,” while in Ugaritic literature, she held the title “queen of heaven.” Similarly, the Canaanite goddess Astarte (also known as Ashtoreth) was widely recognized as a fertility goddess, embodying aspects of feminine divine power associated with fertility and the nurturing of life.
• Jeremiah 44 provides insight into the specific practices associated with the Queen of Heaven cult among the Israelites. The people engaged in rituals such as baking cakes shaped like human figures as offerings to this deity. These practices are reminiscent of fertility rites aimed at ensuring agricultural prosperity and general welfare, reflecting the people’s belief in the Queen of Heaven’s ability to provide for their needs.

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD! 17 We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

19 The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?” ( Jeremiah 44: 15-19 )

These verses illustrate how deeply ingrained the worship of the Queen of Heaven had become among certain segments of the Israelite community, even after the destruction of Jerusalem. The people attributed their past prosperity and wellbeing to their devotion to this deity, despite Jeremiah’s warnings that such practices had brought upon them divine judgment. 

• Archaeological evidence, including clay figurines with feminine features and inscriptions, further supports the existence of such cultic practices in ancient Israel. These artifacts illustrate the persistence of diverse religious beliefs and practices alongside the predominant Yahwistic traditions. 
• The presence of Anat-Yaho, mentioned in texts from Elephantine, Egypt, as the consort of Yaho (Yahweh), suggests a possible syncretism or blending of religious elements between the Queen of Heaven cult and Yahwistic worship. This intertwining of beliefs underscores the dynamic nature of the ancient Israelite religion and its interactions with neighboring cultures. 
•  The Queen of Heaven cult in ancient Israel represents a phenomenon of cultural exchange and adaptation, where elements of goddess worship from surrounding civilizations were integrated into Israelite religious practices. Jeremiah’s warnings against such practices highlight tensions between traditional Yahwistic monotheism and the allure of fertility cults associated with female deities like the Queen of Heaven.