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From: jygabler@ucdavis.edu (Jason Gabler)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Easter (was Re: Christmas)
Message-ID: <Sep.11.01.38.23.1989.4197@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 11 Sep 89 05:38:25 GMT
Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 24
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu


Atleast Christmas has a decent name ;) ....

Isn't the name "Easter" a decendent of the name of the Babylonian 
god Ishtar?  I heard that in my church back home.  For that reason we call
Easter: "Ressurection Day".
Does anyone have any information on the "Ishatar" business?


Thanx,

Jason Gabler
DataCommunications,Computing Services UCDavis,  Davis, Ca.
ccjason@castor.ucdavis.edu	jygabler@ucdavis.edu	edu!ucdavis!jygabler

[Webster's Collegiate says Easter, ME ester, from OE eastre; akin to
OHG ostarun (pl) Easter; both from the the prehistoric WGmc name of
a pagan spring festival. akin to OE east east

However I think most Christians use the term Easter to mean the day
when Jesus was raised.  Presumably words mean what they people who use
them mean, not what their Old High German roots meant 1000 year ago.

--clh]