ASHTAROTH and ASHTAROTH CARNAIM (Ἀσταρώθ, Ἀσταρώθ καὶ Καρνᾳΐν, LXX., El-Mezârîb), a town of Bashan ( Deut. 1.4; Josh. 9.10), included in the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh ( Josh. 13.31), which was afterwards assigned to the Levites (1 Chron. 6.71). Eusebius ( Onomast. inἈσταρώθand Ἀσαρώθ) places it 6 M.P. from Adraa and 25 M. P. from Bostra. This town existed in the time of Abraham ( Gen. 14.5). The epithet of Karnaimor hornedis referred to the worship of the moon under the name of Ashtaroth or Astarte. This goddess, the Derceto of the Greeks, had a temple (Ἀταργατείη) at Carnion (2 Mace.12.26; comp. 1 Macc. 5.43), which is identified with Ashtaroth, and is described as a strongly fortified town, but taken by Judas Maccabaeus, who slew 25,000 of the inhabitants (2 Macc. 12.26; J. AJ.) El-Mezârîb, which Colonel Leake ( Prefaceto Burkhardt's Travels, p. xii.) identifies with Ashtaroth, is the first resting-place for the caravans on the great Hadj Road from Damascus to Mekkah. Burkhardt ( Trav. p. 241) mentions, that close to the castle where the pilgrims collect, built by the Sultan Selym, is a lake or pond, a mile and a half in circumference. In the midst of this lake is an island, and at an elevated spot at the extremity of a promontory, advancing into the lake, stands a sort of chapel, around which are many ruins of ancient buildings. There are no other ruins. (Buckingham, Arab. Tribes, p. 162; Chesney, Exped. Euphrat. vol. 1. p. 511 ; Capt. Newbold, Lond. Geoq. Journ. vol. 16. p. 333.)
[E.B.J]