Who was the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 44?
The queen of heaven was a female goddess, not a single named figure. In Jeremiah 44, the people burned incense to her. The context identifies her as Ashtoreth in one case and Venus in another, describing the same female deity at the core of abject idolatry.
Les explains that in Jeremiah 44 the men knew their wives had burned incense to other gods, and the women led the way in apostasy. The people told Jeremiah they would not hearken to the Lord but would burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her. Les identifies the queen of heaven as the female goddesses—Ashtoreth in one case and Venus in another—the same female goddess at the core of abject idolatry. They claimed that since they stopped burning incense to her they had wanted all things, showing the ridiculous nature of their idolatry. Jeremiah responded that the Lord remembered the incense burned in the cities of Judah and Jerusalem by them, their fathers, and their kings, and could no longer bear it. This apostasy led to judgment, as later the Lord removed Israel out of His sight and they were carried away to the Assyrians.
More Questions
Why did the Israelites in Jeremiah 44 think they were having problems?
The Israelites in Jeremiah 44 were blinded and thought their problems were because they were not doing enough to please the female goddess.