Part of the myth series on Religions of the ancient Near East |
Pre-Islamic Arabian deities |
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Arabian deities of other Semitic origins |
According to the 5th century BCE Greek historian Herodotus, Orotalt (Ancient Greek: Ὀροτάλτ) was a god of pre-Islamic Arabia whom he identified with the Greek god Dionysus:
They believe in no other gods except Dionysus and the Heavenly Aphrodite; and they say that they wear their hair as Dionysus does his, cutting it round the head and shaving the temples. They call Dionysus, Orotalt; and Aphrodite, Alilat.[1]
Also known as Đū Shará or Dusares (which means "Possessor of the (Mountain) Shara"), Orotalt was worshipped by the Nabataeans, Arabs who inhabited southern Jordan, Canaan and the northern part of Arabia.