Tartak

Tartak is mentioned in 2Ki.17.31 as one of the deities worshipped by the Avvites, a people group settled in Samaria by the Assyrian king after the deportation of the Israelites. The verse states, "The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim."

Little is known about the specific characteristics or attributes of Tartak, as this deity is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible or in other historical sources. The name Tartak does not have a clear meaning or etymology in any known ancient Near Eastern language.

The worship of Tartak, along with other foreign deities, was practiced by the Avvites in Samaria alongside the worship of the Lord (2Ki.17.33). This syncretistic religious practice was condemned by the biblical authors, who emphasized the importance of exclusive devotion to the God of Israel.

The mention of Tartak in 2Kings 17 highlights the religious and cultural challenges faced by the Israelites living in Samaria after the Assyrian conquest, as they were influenced by the religious practices of the foreign peoples settled among them. This passage serves as a warning against compromising the worship of the true God by adopting the beliefs and practices of surrounding nations.