A Who's Who of World Mythology : Allat


Allat (Al-lat) or Allatu(m) is the female counterpart of Allah, predating his use as an Islamic deity. Her worship was centered at Ta’if near Mecca where she was represented in the form of a block of white granite. Women in particular would circle her stone in worship. She was one of the three daughters of Allah, representing the Earth. While Mohammed adopted Allah however, Allat was condemned and compared to Ereshkigal who ruled as queen over the underworld, Aralu, in the Babylonian underworld. Allat is also associated with Astarte, but Ishtar is considered her enemy. In Hellenic times, she was matched with Athene, or according to Herodotus, who called her Alilat, with Aphrodite. She has some connection with the sun, moon, and the planet Venus. Her association may rise from her connection to Atarsamain, the “Morning Star of Heaven,” a deity of uncertain gender worshipped by the Isamme tribe of Arabia, but widely revered from 800BCE on by kings such as Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal.