A Levitical town in the territory of Manasseh, east of the Jordan River, assigned to the clan of Gershon; possibly to be identified with Beeshterah, Ashteroth-Karnaim, and Karnaim. It was the former residence of King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan and conquered by the Israelites.
About Ashtaroth
A town of Bashan, which was the home of King Og, as well as Edrei (Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 9:10; 12:4; 13:12, 31).
Ashtaroth is the plural form of Ashtoreth, the name of a Canaanite fertility goddess who was worshiped there. After Og was defeated by the Israelites (Deuteronomy 3:1–11), Moses gave Ashtaroth to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 13:12, 31; Deuteronomy 3:13). Later, it became a Levitical city inhabited by the Gershonites (1 Chronicles 6:71).
Key References
The Gershomites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands.
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei.
All Scripture References (8)
Deuteronomy (1)
This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
Joshua (5)
and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei.
the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim. Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them,
half of Gilead; and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan. All this was for the clans of the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half of the descendants of Machir.
This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah—two cities, together with their pasturelands.
1 Chronicles (2)
But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.
Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,