Succoth-Benoth

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SUCCOTH-BENOTH

SUCCOTH-BENOTH (Heb. סֻכּוֹת־בְּנוֹת; lxx, Socchôth/bainith/benithei/banitha, Rochchôthbaineithei), unidentified deity worshiped by the Babylonians who were settled in Samaria after the fall of the Northern Kingdom (c. 722 b.c.e.; ii Kings 17:30). Succoth-Benoth is a corrupted form of the name of a popular Babylonian god or goddess. A theory based on the Septuagint rendering proposes to identify Succoth-Benoth as Sarpanītu, Marduk's consort, popularly known as Zêr-banitu, "creative seed." Another theory sees in Succoth-Benoth the Babylonian sag. ku (Ninurta?), as in Amos 5:26.

See also Sikkuth and *Chiun.

bibliography:

M. Jastrow, The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria (1898), 121–3; J.A. Montgomery, Commentary on Kings (icc, 1951), 473–4; S. Yeivin, in: Eretz Israel, 3 (1953), 27; G.R. Driver, ibid, 5 (1959), 18, 20.