w to us from the Egyptian monuments
referred to above. The name was sometimes written Qodshu,
like that of the town: E. de Bouge argued from this that
Qaddishat must have been the eponymous divinity of Qodshu,
and that her real name was Kashit or Kesh; he recalls,
however, the _role_ played by the Qedeshoth, and admits that
"the Holy here means the prostitute."

But she often comes before us as a warlike Amazon, brandishing a club,
lance, or shield, mounted on horseback like a soldier, and wandering
through the desert in quest of her prey.* This dual temperament rendered
her a goddess of uncertain attributes and of violent contrasts; at times
reserved and chaste, at other times shameless and dissolute, but always
cruel, always barren, for the countless multitude of her excesses for
ever shut her out from motherhood: she conceives without ceasing, but
never brings forth children.** The Baalim and Astartes frequented
by choice the tops of mountains, such as Lebanon, Carmel, Hermon, or
Kasios:*** they dwelt near springs, or hid themselves in the depths of
forests.**** They revealed themselves to mortals through the heavenly
bodies, and in all the phenomena of nature: the sun was a Baal, the moon
was Astarte, and the whole host of heaven was composed of more or less
powerful genii, as we find in Chaldaea.

* A fragment of a popular tale preserved in the British
Museum, and mentioned by Birch, seems to show us Astarte in
her character of war-goddess, and the sword of Astarte is
mentioned by Chabas. A bas-relief at Edfu represents her
standing upright in her chariot, drawn by horses, and
trampling her enemies underfoot: she is there identified
with Sokhit the warlike, destroyer of men.

** This conception of the Syrian goddesses had already
become firmly established at the period with which we are
dealing, for an Egyptian magical formula defines Aniti and
Astarte as "the great goddesses who conceiving do not bring
forth young, for the Horuses have sealed them and Sit hath
established them."

*** The Baal of Lebanon is mentioned in an archaic
Phoenician inscription, and the name "Holy Cape" (_Rosh-
Qodshu_), borne in the time of Thutmosis III. either by
Haifa or by a neighbouring town, proves that Carmel was held
sacred as far back as the Egyptian epoch. Baal-Hermon has
already been mentioned.