Is there a Queen of Heaven? Who or what is the Queen of Heaven?

from the old testament

• A reference to the "Queen of Heaven" appears twice in the Book of Jeremiah. The first occurrence is found in Jeremiah 7:18. It reads, "The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger." This Queen of Heaven was clearly a foreign god that some Israelites worshiped, angering the Lord.
• The second occurrence of the Queen of Heaven is found in Jeremiah 44:17–25 where the phrase is used multiple times. The Jewish men who answered Jeremiah said in verse 17, "But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster." Again, the Queen of Heaven was a foreign god the Israelites worshiped in direct opposition to God's laws.
• The foreign god referenced as the Queen of Heaven was an Assyrian and Babylonian goddess called Ishtar (also called Ashtoreth or Astarte). In their system of gods and goddesses, Ishtar was believed to be the wife of the false god called Baal or Molech. As the wife of the chief male deity in these pagan-worshiping cultures, Ishtar became known by the name Queen of Heaven.
• The reason people, especially women, worshiped this deity was based on the belief that this Queen of Heaven could bless a woman with fertility, a common desire among women of those cultures. Cakes and drink offerings would be given to this Queen of Heaven in worship. Those who made such offerings desired improved fertility as well as blessings in other important areas of life, such as bountiful food, prosperity, and safety (Jeremiah 44:17).
• In response, the prophet Jeremiah told the people that such actions were the reason God destroyed Jerusalem and that false worship was not a source of blessing: "It is because you made offerings and because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day" (Jeremiah 44:23). The Ten Commandments were clear that the people were to worship only the Lord (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7). Worship of any other god or goddess, including the Queen of Heaven, was condemned.

from the new testament

• The Queen of Heaven is not mentioned in the New Testament.

implications for today

Reflecting on the references to the "Queen of Heaven" in the Book of Jeremiah, we learn a crucial lesson about the dangers of idolatry and the importance of prioritizing the worship of the Lord above all else. The Israelites' devotion to the foreign goddess Ishtar led them to provoke God's anger and brought about their own destruction (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17–25). They believed that their worship of the Queen of Heaven would grant them fertility, prosperity, and safety, but Jeremiah made it clear that their misplaced devotion was the reason for their suffering. This passage challenges us to prioritize God in every aspect of our lives and to be vigilant against anything that might take His place in our hearts. Whether it's career ambitions, material possessions, or even relationships, we must ensure that our primary devotion is to God alone. As the First Commandment teaches (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7), true blessings come from wholehearted worship and obedience to the Lord. By seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), we can trust that He will provide for all our needs. This passage encourages us to daily examine our hearts, align our priorities with God's will, and rest in the assurance of His provision and protection when we place Him at the center of our lives.