Is Easter an Ishtar Celebration in Disguise?
One of the most common claims circulating online about Easter is this:
“Easter is actually the pagan festival of Ishtar, the Babylonian fertility goddess.”
You’ll often see this claim accompanied by images of eggs, rabbits, and ancient Mesopotamian gods. According to the theory, the church supposedly replaced a pagan fertility celebration with the resurrection of Jesus.
For many Christians, this raises an important question:
Is Easter really connected to the pagan goddess Ishtar?
A closer look at history, language, and the early church shows that the answer is much simpler—and far less sensational—than internet claims suggest.
Quick Answer
No. Easter is not a disguised celebration of the goddess Ishtar. The Christian celebration of the resurrection developed directly from the historical events of Jesus’ death and resurrection during the Jewish Passover season. The similarity between the English word “Easter” and the name “Ishtar” is coincidental and does not reflect any historical or linguistic connection.
How to Read This Page
If you want the short answer, read the Quick Answer. If you’d like to see where the Ishtar claim originated and why historians reject it, continue through the sections below.
Table of Contents
Where the Ishtar Claim Comes From
The idea that Easter comes from Ishtar largely traces back to a 19th-century book called The Two Babylons, written by Alexander Hislop in 1858.
Hislop argued that many Christian traditions were actually borrowed from ancient Babylonian religion. According to his theory, Christianity absorbed pagan customs and rebranded them with Christian meaning.
Over time, this theory spread through pamphlets, conspiracy literature, and eventually modern internet memes and videos.
The problem is that historians and linguists have repeatedly demonstrated that Hislop’s claims were largely speculative and lacked historical evidence.
In other words, the theory is popular—but not historically credible.
The Language Problem with the Ishtar Theory
One of the biggest problems with the Ishtar theory is linguistic.
The argument usually goes like this: the English word “Easter” sounds somewhat similar to the name “Ishtar.”
But linguistic similarities alone do not prove historical connections.
More importantly, the argument completely collapses when we examine what Christians around the world actually call Easter.
In most languages, the resurrection celebration is not called Easter at all.
Instead, it uses a word derived from Passover.
- Greek — Pascha
- Latin — Pascha
- Spanish — Pascua
- Italian — Pasqua
- French — Pâques
- Russian — Paskha
All of these words come from the Hebrew word Pesach, meaning Passover.
This is because Jesus was crucified and resurrected during the Passover season.
So historically speaking, the resurrection celebration grew out of the biblical Passover story—not pagan fertility worship.
Important
The English word Easter is the exception, not the rule. Most of the Christian world still uses a word derived from Passover (Pascha), reflecting the historical timing of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Where the Word “Easter” Actually Came From
If most languages use Pascha, why do English speakers use the word Easter instead?
The answer lies in the development of the English language itself.
The word Easter likely comes from an Old English term Ēastre or Ēostre, which was associated with a springtime month in Anglo-Saxon England.
The 8th-century historian Bede recorded that the Anglo-Saxons called the month roughly corresponding to April Eosturmonath.
When Christianity spread through England, the existing name of the spring month was simply applied to the Christian celebration of the resurrection that occurred during that time of year.
In other words, the name stuck because of the calendar—not because Christians were worshiping a pagan goddess.
Most scholars also note something important: outside of Bede’s single reference, there is very little historical evidence that a goddess named Eostre was widely worshiped.
This makes it very unlikely that a massive pagan festival was somehow absorbed into Christianity.
More importantly, the English word developed over a thousand years after the resurrection of Jesus and centuries after Christians had already been celebrating the event.
So the celebration itself did not originate with the word Easter. The word came much later in one particular language.
What Early Christians Actually Called Easter
Long before the English language existed, early Christians celebrated the resurrection using the word Pascha.
Pascha simply means Passover.
This is because Jesus’ crucifixion occurred during the Jewish Passover festival, fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover lamb.
Second-century Christian writers such as Melito of Sardis and Irenaeus referred to the resurrection celebration using this Passover language.
For them, the resurrection was not a fertility festival—it was the culmination of the biblical redemption story.
Christ was the true Passover Lamb.
The resurrection was the victory over death that followed the sacrifice.
Even today, most of the Christian world still uses the word Pascha or some variation of it for Easter.
The Biblical Root of the Resurrection Celebration
The New Testament places the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus directly during the time of Passover.
The Gospels make this connection explicit (Matthew 26–28; John 18–20).
Because of this, early Christians naturally connected their annual remembrance of the resurrection to the Passover season.
This is why Easter is historically tied to both:
- The Jewish Passover calendar
- The first day of the week (Sunday), when Jesus rose
If you want to understand how the modern Easter date is calculated, see:
You may also find helpful:
And if you’re wondering whether the word appears in Scripture itself:
What About Eggs and Rabbits?
The presence of eggs and rabbits in modern Easter traditions sometimes fuels the Ishtar theory.
But these customs developed centuries later within European folk traditions and seasonal spring celebrations.
They are cultural additions—not the origin of the holiday.
The historical foundation of Easter has always been the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For a deeper explanation of the Ishtar claim specifically, see:
Bottom Line
The claim that Easter is secretly a celebration of the goddess Ishtar does not hold up under historical or linguistic examination.
The Christian celebration of the resurrection developed directly from the events recorded in the New Testament during the season of Passover.
Most languages still reflect this by using the word Pascha, derived from the Hebrew word for Passover.
The English word Easter developed much later as a regional linguistic tradition in Anglo-Saxon England.
While cultural customs have grown around the holiday over time, the heart of Easter has remained the same for nearly two thousand years:
The tomb is empty. Christ is risen.
Continue Exploring Easter
For a full guide to common Easter questions, visit:
Easter: Fact, Fiction, Faith
This post is part of a larger series examining Easter through Scripture, history, and pastoral wisdom—addressing common questions, misconceptions, and conscience concerns.
FAQ: Why Doesn’t Easter Always Occur During Passover?
Because Easter and Passover are calculated using different calendar systems today. Passover follows the Jewish lunar calendar, while the Christian calculation of Easter uses a formula tied to the spring equinox and the full moon. Both remain connected to the same historical season, but the calendars no longer align perfectly every year.
Learn more here: Why Doesn’t Easter Always Occur During Passover?
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