Translations:Alʿuzza/2/en

Attributes

Relationship to Allāt

Alʿuzza is in many ways like Allāt. She has the same geographic distribution and She was appropriated by Hellenistic culture in the same way. She even shows up with Allāt in South Arabian amulets. Alʿuzza's name means "the Mighty One." She was a major goddess in the Nabataean pantheon and She was known as the goddess of Bosra. However, She's never invoked with Allāt in Nabataea. In fact, Alʿuzza isn't found in Hegra, the Hejazi center of the Nabataeans, while Allāt isn't found in Petra. Alʿuzza was also popular in the Sinai while Allat was not. This lead some scholars to believe that Al'uzza was originally a title for Allat and later split into a separate deity. Another theory is that Allāt was the goddess of the Safaitic-writing Bedouin while Al'uzza is the goddess of the Nabataeans. Alʿuzza is found in the theophoric names of Safaitic-writing Bedouin but they don't invoke her in prayers. When the Nabataeans took over the northern Hejaz they adopted Allāt, the local goddess, instead of exporting Alʿuzza to the region. Alʿuzza was worshiped in Dedan, however, so Her worship did spread to the Hejaz and even further to South Arabia.