Al-lāt
Sign in to saveAl-Lat (, ), also spelled Allat, Allatu, and Alilat, is a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, at one time worshipped under various associations throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula, including Mecca, where she was worshipped alongside Al-Uzza and Manat. She was depicted as the feminine counterpart, consort, or daughter of Allah. The word Allat or Elat has been used to refer to various goddesses in the ancient Near East, including the goddess Asherah-Athirat. She also is associated with the Great Goddess.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Arabian
- Deity.name
- al-Lat
- Deity.deity_of
- Goddess of war, peace, combat, and prosperity
- Deity.image
- Allat_Palmyra_RGZM_3369.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Al-Lāt with a palm branch and her lion from the Temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra, first century AD, Damascus, Syria
- Deity.symbol
- Lion, gazelle, crescent, cubic rock
- Deity.cult_center
- Palmyra, Iram, Ta'if (according to Islamic sources)
- Deity.siblings
- Al-Uzza, Manat
- Deity.children
- Dushara (Nabataean tradition)
- Deity.region
- Arabia
- Deity.Roman_equivalent
- Minerva
- Deity.Greek_equivalent
- Athena
- Deity.equivalent1_type
- Canaanite
- Deity.equivalent1
- Astarte, Atargatis
- Deity.equivalent2
- Allatu
- Deity.equivalent2_type
- Carthaginian
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Etymology and name
- Attestations
- Pre-Islamic era
- Islamic tradition
- Quran and Satanic Verses incident
- The "Grinder" legend
- Mythological role
- Iconography
- Modern relevance
- See also
- Explanatory notes
- References
- Citations
- General and cited sources
- External links
Al-Lat (, ), also spelled Allat, Allatu, and Alilat, is a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, at one time worshipped under various associations throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula, including Mecca, where she was worshipped alongside Al-Uzza and Manat. She was depicted as the feminine counterpart, consort, or daughter of Allah. The word Allat or Elat has been used to refer to various goddesses in the ancient Near East, including the goddess Asherah-Athirat. She also is associated with the Great Goddess.
The worship of al-Lat is attested in South Arabian inscriptions as Lat and Latan, but she had more prominence in north Arabia and the Hejaz, and her cult reached as far as Syria. The writers of the Safaitic script frequently invoked al-Lat in their inscriptions. She was also worshipped by the Nabataeans and was associated with al-'Uzza. The presence of her cult was attested in both Palmyra and Hatra. Under Greco-Roman influence, her iconography began to show the attributes of Athena, the Greek goddess of war, as well as Athena's Roman equivalent Minerva. According to Islamic sources, the tribe of Banu Thaqif in Ta'if especially held reverence to her.