Ashtaroth, Astarte, and Ishtar, (Cuneiform, Iastara,) seem to have been essentially the same deity (Ashtoreth) under different names; and fancy sees in our English Easter a modern variant of this ancient goddess.  Some Phoenician names, compounded with Astarte, have come down to us through the Greek, e.g., Αβδαστόρτος, abdastartos; Βαλλαστάρτος, ballastartos; Βοδόστωρ, bodostor; Δελιαστάρτος, deliastartos; and we may possibly trace to this origin the English names Startin, Star, Starleigh, &c. 
    Pillars, columns, &c., seem to have been erected to Astarte, the meaning of which may be ascertained, not only from Lucian's account of the Syrian Goddess, but from the pine cone offered at the Assyrian shrines.  The erection of the tower indicated one part, and the pine cone, or egg, the other part, of On and his cluster.  Hence we conclude that Ashtoreth is practically the same as Asherah. (Ancient Faiths Embodied in Ancient Names, Inman, 1868).