A royal city of Bashan, east of the Sea of Galilee, where Og lived: Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei (Deuteronomy 1:4, already on these pages). The name is the plural of Astarte, the goddess. The Gibeonites name it in their list of what they have heard about Israel, Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth (Joshua 9:10, now on these pages) — the far side of the Jordan, the safe side for a town pretending to live a long way off. Joshua 13:12 and 13:31 (not yet on these pages) place it in Og’s kingdom and then give it, with half of Gilead, to the sons of Machir. Identified with Tell Ashtara in southern Syria.