Baal (baʿal) is a Semitic title and honorific meaning lord that is used for various gods, spirits and demons particularly of the Levant. In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical name Shem) was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages. ... St. ... The Levant Levant is an imprecise geographical term historically referring to a large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east. ...

"Baal" can refer to any god and even to human officials; in some texts it is used as a substitute for Hadad, a god of the sun, rain, thunder, fertility and agriculture, and the lord of Heaven. Since only priests were allowed to utter his divine name Hadad, Baal was used commonly. Nevertheless, few if any Biblical uses of "Baal" refer to Hadad, the lord over the assembly of gods on the holy mount of Heaven, but rather refer to any number of local spirit-deities worshipped as cult images, each called baal and regarded as an "idol". Therefore, in any text using the word baal it is important first to determine precisely which god, spirit or demon is meant. Haddad - בעל הדד - حداد (in Ugaritic Haddu) was a very important northwest Semitic storm god and rain god, cognate in name and origin with the Akkadian god Adad. ... Heaven is an afterlife concept found in many religions or spiritual philosophies. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... In the practice of religion, a cult image is a man-made object that is venerated for the spirit or daemon that it embodies. ... Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ...

Deities called Ba’al and Ba’alath

Ba'al with raised arm, 14th-12th century BC, found at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), Louvre

Because more than one god bore the title "Ba’al" and more than one goddess bore the title "Ba’alat" or "Ba’alah," only the context of a text can indicate which Ba’al 'Lord' or Ba’alath 'Lady' a particular inscription or text is speaking of. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (900x1725, 890 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Baal Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (900x1725, 890 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Baal Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... // Overview Events 1344 BCE – 1322 BCE -- Beginning of Hittite empire Rise of the Urnfield culture Significant persons Akhenaten, Pharaoh of Egypt Tutankhamun, Pharaoh of Egypt Suppiliulima, king of the Hittites Moses Inventions, discoveries, introductions Template:DecadesAndYearsBCE Category: ‪14th century BCE‬ ... (13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC - other centuries) (1200s BC - 1190s BC - 1180s BC - 1170s BC - 1160s BC - 1150s BC - 1140s BC - 1130s BC - 1120s BC - 1110s BC - 1100s BC - other decades) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 1200 BC - Ancient Pueblo Peoples... Entrance to the Palace of Ugarit Ugarit (modern site Ras Shamra رأس شمرة; in Arabic) 35°35´ N; 35°45´E) was an ancient cosmopolitan port city, sited on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria a few kilometers north of the modern city of Latakia. ... The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) in Paris, France, is the largest museum in the world. ...

Though the god Hadad (or Adad) was especially likely to be called Ba’al, Hadad was far from the only god to have that title. The Ugaritic texts (mainly preserved in the Baal cycle) place the dwelling of Ba’al/Hadad on Mount Zephon, so one can probably take as evident that references to Ba’al Zephon in the Tanach and in inscriptions and tablets refer to Hadad. It is said that Ba’al Pe’or, the Lord of Mount Pe’or, whom Israelites were forbidden from worshipping (Numbers 1–25) was also Hadad. In the Canaanite pantheon, Hadad was the son of El, who had once been the primary god of the Canaanite pantheon, and whose name was also used interchangeably with that of the Hebrew god, Yahweh. The Ugaritic language is known to us only in the form of writings found in the lost city of Ugarit in Syria since its discovery by French archaeologists in 1928. ... Canaanite cycle of stories regarding Baal, also known as Hadad the god of storm and fertility. ... 11th century Targum Tanakh [תנ״ך] (also spelt Tanach or Tenach) is an acronym for the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, based upon the initial Hebrew letters of each part: Torah [תורה] (The Law; also: Teaching or Instruction), Chumash [חומש] (The... In the Tanach Baal Peor (Hebrew בעל פעור Ba‘al Pə‘ r), in the Septuagint Beelpheg r, was a god associated with Mount Pe‘or in Moab whom many Israelites began to worship under the influence of Moabite women as told... Numbers can mean: Number The Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Bible NUMB3RS, a CBS television show This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Canaan (disambiguation). ... EL or El may mean: Electroluminescence, an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material such as a natural blue diamond emits light when an electric current is passed through it. ... The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... Yahweh1 (ya·we) in the Bible, the God of Israel. ...

Melqart, the god of Tyre, was often called the Ba’al of Tyre. 1 Kings 16.31 relates that Ahab, king of Israel, married Jezebel, daughter of Ethba’al, king of the Sidonians, and then served habba’al ('the Ba’al'.) The cult of this god was prominent in Israel until the reign of Jehu, who put an end to it (2 Kings 10.26): Melqart (less accurately Melkart, Melkarth or Melgart (Greek disposed of the letter Q (Qoppa), replacing it with additional use of K (Kappa) and G (Gamma)), Akkadian Milqartu, was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city of Tyre, as Eshmun protected Sidon. ... The Triumphal Arch Tyre (Arabic , Phoenician , Hebrew Tzor, Tiberian Hebrew , Akkadian , Greek Týros) is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon. ... The Triumphal Arch Tyre (Arabic , Phoenician , Hebrew Tzor, Tiberian Hebrew , Akkadian , Greek Týros) is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon. ... (Redirected from 1 Kings) The Books of Kings (also known as [The Book of] Kings in Hebrew: Sefer Melachim מלכים) is a part of Judaisms Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. ... Ahab or Achav (אַחְאָב Brother of the father, Standard Hebrew Aḥʼav, Tiberian Hebrew ʼAḥăʼāḇ, ʼAḫʼāḇ) was King of the province of Samaria in the greater Kingdom of Israel, and the son and successor of Omri (1 Kings 16:29-34). ... Jezebel (אִיזֶבֶל / אִיזָבֶל (not exalted) Standard Hebrew Izével/Izável, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾÎzéḇel / ʾÎzāḇel) is the name of two women in the Hebrew Bible. ... Ithobaal I was king of Tyre (887 - 856 BC). ... , Sidon or Saida, (Arabic صيدا á¹¢aydā) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. ... It has been suggested that cult debate be merged into this article or section. ... Jehu (יְהוּא The LORD is he, Standard Hebrew Yehu, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hû) was king of Israel, and the son of Jehoshaphat (2 Kings 9:2), and grandson of Nimshi. ... The Books of Kings (also known as [The Book of] Kings in Hebrew: Sefer Melachim מלכים) is a part of Judaisms Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. ...

And they brought out the pillars (massebahs) of the house of the Ba’al and burned them. And they pulled down the pillar (massebah) of the Ba’al and pulled down the house of the Ba’al and turned it into a latrine until this day.

It is uncertain whether "the Ba’al" 'the Lord' refers to Melqart, to Hadad, who was also worshipped in Tyre, or Ba’al Shamîm 'Lord of Heaven' who was also worshipped in Tyre and often distinguished from Hadad. Josephus (Antiquities 8.13.1) states clearly that Jezebel "built a temple to the god of the Tyrians, which they call Belus" which certainly refers to Melqart. But Josephus may be relying on likelihood rather than knowledge. Hadad is generally a rain god but Melqart is not known to be connected with bringing of rain. But so little is known of Melqart's cult that such reasoning is not decisive. Ba‘al Shamîm Lord of Heaven is a northwest Semitic god or a title applied to different gods at different places or times found in various ancient Middle-eastern inscriptions. ... A representation of Flavius Josephus, a woodcutting in John C. Winstons translation of his works Josephus ( 37 – 100 AD/CE), who became known, in his capacity as a Roman citizen, as Flavius Josephus[1], was a 1st century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived...

In any case, King Ahab, despite supporting the cult of this Ba‘al, remained at the same time also a follower of Yahweh. Ahab still consulted Yahweh's prophets and cherished Yahweh's protection when he named his sons Ahaziah ("Yahweh holds") and Jehoram ("Yahweh is high.") This entry is not about King Ahaziah of Judah. ...

Ba'al of Carthage

The worship of Ba`al Hammon flourished in the Phoenician colony of Carthage. Ba'al Hammon was the supreme god of the Carthaginians and is generally identified by modern scholars either with the northwest Semitic god El or with Dagon, and generally identified by the Greeks with Cronus and by the Romans with Saturn. Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plains of what is now Lebanon. ... I like to eat french fries with simple things, such as pottery, metallic products, and ornamentations, often displacing the local manufacturing, but brought its best works to wealthier ones such as the Greeks and Etruscans. ... Ēl (אל) is a northwest Semitic word and name translated into English as either god or God or left untranslated as El, depending on the context. ... // The ancient god Dagon Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god, the god of grain and agriculture according to the few sources to speak of the matter, worshipped by the early Amorites, by the people of Ebla, by the people of Ugarit and a chief god (perhaps the chief god... Cronus (Ancient Greek Κρόνος, Krónos—of obscure etymology, perhaps related to horned, which is indicitive of its connection to the ancient indian satan-like demon Kroni or the levant deity El, or to the word χρόνος, Chronos, meaning time), also called Cronos or Kronos, was the leader and the youngest of... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... Saturn devours his children (Francisco de Goya, c. ...

The meaning of Hammon or Hamon is unclear. In the 19th century when Ernest Renan excavated the ruins of Hammon (Ḥammon), the modern Umm al-‘Awamid between Tyre and Acre, he found two Phoenician inscriptions dedicated to El-Hammon. Since El was normally identified with Cronus and Ba‘al Hammon was also identified with Cronus, it seemed possible they could be equated. More often a connection with Hebrew/Phoenician ḥammān 'brazier' has been proposed. Frank Moore Cross argued for a connection to Khamōn, the Ugaritic and Akkadian name for Mount Amanus, the great mountain separating Syria from Cilicia based on the occurrence of an Ugaritic description of El as the one of the Mountain Haman. Ernest Renan (February 28, 1823–October 12, 1892) was a French philosopher and writer. ... The Triumphal Arch Tyre (Arabic , Phoenician , Hebrew Tzor, Tiberian Hebrew , Akkadian , Greek Týros) is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon. ... The Old City of Acre in the 19th or early 20th century, looking south-west from atop the Land Wall Promenade, the open space now a parking lot. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Phoenician was a language originally spoken in the coastal region of what is now Lebanon. ... The Ugaritic language is known to us only in the form of writings found in the lost city of Ugarit in Syria since its discovery by French archaeologists in 1928. ... Akkadian (lišānum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... Cilicia as Roman province, 120 AD In Antiquity, Cilicia (Κιλικία) was the name of a region, now known as Çukurova, and often a political unit, on the southeastern coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), north of Cyprus. ...

Classical sources relate how the Carthaginians burned their children as offerings to Ba’al Hammon. See Moloch for a discussion of these traditions and conflicting thoughts on the matter. Such a devouring of children fits well with the Greek traditions of Cronus. Moloch or Molech or Molekh representing Hebrew מלך mlk is either the name of a god or the name of a particular kind of sacrifice associated historically with Phoenician and related cultures in north Africa and the Levant. ...

Scholars tend to see Ba’al Hammon as more or less identical with the god El, who was also generally identified with Cronus and Saturn. However, Yigdal Ydin thought him to be a moon god. Edward Lipinski identifies him with the god Dagon in his Dictionnaire de la civilisation phenicienne et punique (1992: ISBN 2-503-50033-1). Inscriptions about Punic deities tend to be rather uninformative. // The ancient god Dagon Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god, the god of grain and agriculture according to the few sources to speak of the matter, worshipped by the early Amorites, by the people of Ebla, by the people of Ugarit and a chief god (perhaps the chief god...

In Carthage and North Africa Ba’al Hammon was especially associated with the ram and was worshipped also as Ba’al Qarnaim ("Lord of Two Horns") in an open-air sancutary at Jebel Bu Kornein ("the two-horned hill") across the bay from Carthage.

Ba’al Hammon's female cult partner was Tanit. He was probably not ever identified with Ba’al Melqart, although one finds this equation in older scholarship. Basic Tanit symbol Tanit was a Carthaginian lunar goddess. ... Melqart (less accurately Melkart, Melkarth or Melgart (Greek disposed of the letter Q (Qoppa), replacing it with additional use of K (Kappa) and G (Gamma)), Akkadian Milqartu, was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city of Tyre, as Eshmun protected Sidon. ...

Ba’alat Gebal ("Lady of Byblos") appears to have been generally identified with ‘Ashtart, although Sanchuniathon distinguishes the two. {{Fertile Crescent myt==External links== [http://depts. ... Sanchuniathon or Sanchoniathon or Sanchoniatho is the purported Phoenician author of three works in Phoenician, surviving only in partial paraphrase and summary of a Greek translation by Philo of Byblos. ...

Ba‘al as a divine title in Israel and Judah

At first the name Baal was used by the Jews for their God without discrimination, but as the struggle between the two religions developed, the name Baal was given up in Judaism as a thing of shame, and even names like Jerubbaal were changed to Jerubbesheth: Hebrew bosheth means "shame". Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary (1976) ISBN 0-310-23560-X

Since Ba‘al simply means 'Lord', there is no obvious reason why it could not be applied to Yahweh as well as other gods. Perhaps it was. The judge Gideon was also called Jerubaal, a name which seems to mean 'Ba‘al strives' though Judges 6.32 makes the claim that the name was given to mock the god Ba‘al, whose shrine Gideon had destroyed, the intention being to imply: "Let Ba‘al strive as much as he can ... it will come to nothing." Gideon may refer to: Gideon (album), a 1980 album by Kenny Rogers Gideon, a character in the book of Judges Gideons International GIDEON-Global Infectious Disease Epidemiology Network Gideon the Elder, a character in Charmed Gideon (comics), a Marvel Comics Supervillain Gideon v. ... Judges may refer to the Book of Judges in the Bible more than one judge. ...

After Gideon's death, according to Judges 8.33, the Israelites went astray and started to worship the Ba‘alîm (the Ba‘als) especially Ba‘al Berith ("Lord of the Covenant.") A few verses later (Judges 9.4) the story turns to all the citizens of Shechem — actually kol-ba‘^alê š^əkem another case of normal use of ba‘al not applied to a deity. These citizens of Shechem support Abimelech's attempt to become king by giving him 70 shekels from the House of Ba‘al Berith. It is hard to disassociate this Lord of the Covenant who is worshipped in Shechem from the covenant at Shechem described earlier in Joshua 24.25 in which the people agree to worship Yahweh. It is especially hard to do so when Judges 9.46 relates that all "the holders of the tower of Shechem" (kol-ba‘^alê midgal-š^əkem) enter bêt ’ēl b^ərît 'the House of El Berith', that is, 'the House of God of the Covenant'. Was Ba‘al then here just a title for El? Or did the covenant of Shechem perhaps originally not involve El at all but some other god who bore the title Ba‘al? Or were there different viewpoints about Yahweh, some seeing him as an aspect of Hadad, some as an aspect of El, some with other theories? Again, there is no clear answer. Shechem is a name of geographical places. ... pages edit history. ... Joshua, Josue or Yehoshua (Hebrew: יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Tiberian: , Israeli: Yhoshua) is a person mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the Book of Joshua. ...

One also finds Eshbaal (one of Saul's sons) and Beeliada (a son of David). The last name also appears as Eliada. This might show that at some period Ba‘al and El were used interchangeably even in the same name applied to the same person. More likely a later hand has cleaned up the text. Editors did play around with some names, sometimes substuting the form bosheth 'abomination' for ba‘al in names, whence the forms Ishbosheth instead of Eshbaal and Mephibosheth which is rendered Meribaal in 1 Chronicles 9.40. 1 Chronicles 12:5 mentions the name Bealiah (more accurately b^ə‘’alyâ) meaning "Yahweh is Ba‘al." Saul (שאול המלך) (or Shaul) (Hebrew: שָׁאוּל, Standard Tiberian  ; asked for or borrowed) is a figure identified in the Books of Samuel as having been the first king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... (Redirected from 1 Chronicles) The Book of Chronicles is a book in the Hebrew Bible (also see Old Testament). ...

It is difficult to determine to what extent the false worship which the prophets stigmatize is the worship of Yahweh under a conception and with rites which treated him as a local nature god or whether particular features of gods more often given the title Ba‘al were consciously recognized to be distinct from Yahwism from the first. Certainly some of the Ugaritic texts and Sanchuniathon report hostility between El and Hadad, perhaps representing a cultic and religious differences reflected in Hebrew tradition also, in which Yahweh in the Tanach is firmly identified with El and might be expected to be somewhat hostile to Ba’al/Hadad and the deities of his circle. But for Jeremiah and the Deuteronomist it also appears to be monotheism against polytheism (Jeremiah 11.12): Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Sanchuniathon or Sanchoniathon or Sanchoniatho is the purported Phoenician author of three works in Phoenician, surviving only in partial paraphrase and summary of a Greek translation by Philo of Byblos. ... Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible. ... In theology, monotheism (in Greek μόνος = single and θεός = God) is the belief in the existence of one deity or God, or in the oneness of God. ... Polytheism is belief in, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. ... Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. ...

Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry to the gods to whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the abominination, altars to burn incense to the Ba‘al. Jerusalem (Hebrew:  , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic:  , al-Quds (the Holy); official Arabic in Israel: أورشليم القدس, Urshalim-al-Quds (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names) is the capital and largest city[1] of the State of Israel with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006[2...

Does this refer to other gods and one particular god, perhaps Hadad, who is especially "the Ba‘al"? Or does it refer to altars to burn incense to "the Ba‘al" to which each altar is raised, that is to as many different Ba‘al's as there were altars?

Multiple Ba‘als and ‘Ashtarts

One finds in the Tanach the plural forms b^ə‘ālîm 'Ba‘als' or 'Lords' and ‘aštārôt '‘Ashtarts', though such plurals do not appear in Phoenician or Canaanite or independent Aramaic sources.

One theory is that the folk of each territory or in each wandering clan worshipped their own Ba‘al, as the chief deity of each, the source of all the gifts of nature, the mysterious god of their fathers. As the god of fertility all the produce of the soil would be his, and his adherents would bring to him their tribute of first-fruits. He would be the patron of all growth and fertility, and, by the use of analogy characteristic of early thought, this Ba‘al would be the god of the productive element in its widest sense. Originating perhaps in the observation of the fertilizing effect of rains and streams upon the receptive and reproductive soil, Ba‘al worship became identical with nature-worship. Joined with the Ba‘als there would naturally be corresponding female figures which might be called ‘Ashtarts, embodiments of ‘Ashtart. Fertility is the ability of people or animals to produce healthy offspring in abundance. ... ‘Ashtart, commonly known as Astarte (also Hebrew or Phoenician עשתרת, Ugaritic ‘ttrt (also ‘Attart or ‘Athtart), Akkadian dAs_tar_tú (also Astartu), Greek Αστάρτη (Astártê)), was a major northwest_Semitic goddess, cognate in name, origin, and functions with...

Through analogy and through the belief that one can control or aid the powers of nature by the practice of magic, particularly sympathetic magic, sexuality might characterize part of the cult of the Ba‘als and ‘Ashtarts. Post-Exilic allusions to the cult of Ba‘al Pe‘or suggest that orgies prevailed. On the summits of hills and mountains flourished the cult of the givers of increase, and "under every green tree" was practised the licentiousness which was held to secure abundance of crops. Human sacrifice, the burning of incense, violent and ecstatic exercises, ceremonial acts of bowing and kissing, the preparing of sacred mystic cakes (see also Asherah), appear among the offences denounced by the post-Exilic prophets; and show that the cult of Ba‘al (and ‘Ashtart) included characteristic features of worship which recur in various parts of the Semitic (and non-Semitic) world, although attached to other names. But it is also possible that such rites were performed to a local Ba‘al 'Lord' and a local ‘Ashtart without much concern as to whether or not they were the same as that of a nearby community or how they fitted into the national theology of Yahweh who had become a ruling high god of the heavens, increasingly disassociated from such things, at least in the minds of some worshippers. Magic/magick and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical or paranormal means. ... Magic (also called magick to distinguish it from stage magic) is a supposed way of influencing the world through supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means. ... Human sacrifice was practiced in many ancient cultures. ... Incense is a preparation of aromatic plant matter, often with the addition of essential oils extracted from plant or animal sources, intended to release fragrant smoke for religious, therapeutic, or aesthetic purposes as it smolders. ... For the small research submarine, see Asherah (submarine). ...

Another theory is that the references to Ba‘als and ‘Ashtarts (and Asherahs) are to images or other standard symbols of these deities, that is statues and icons of Ba‘al Hadad, ‘Ashtart, and Asherah set up in various high places as well as those of other gods, the author listing the most prominent as types for all. The Deuteronomistic editor is as angered and saddened by worshipping of images as by worshipping other deities than Yahweh and wishes to emphasize the plurality of false deities as opposed to true worship of Yahweh at his single temple in Jerusalem as called for in the reforms of Josiah. Josiah or Yoshiyahu (יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ supported of the LORD, Standard Hebrew YoÅ¡iyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew Yôšiyyāhû) was king of Judah, and son of Amon and Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. ...

A reminiscence of Ba‘al as a title of a local fertility god (or referring to a particular god of subterraneous water) may occur in the Talmudic Hebrew phrases field of the ba‘al and place of the ba‘al and Arabic ba‘l used of land fertilised by subterraneous waters rather than by rain. The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ...

Common confusion over ba‘al

Because the word Baal is used as a common substitute for the sacred name Hadad, confusion often arises when the same word is used for other deities, physical representations of gods and even people.

Historically, this confusion was resolved the nineteenth century as new archaeological evidence indicated multiple gods bearing the title Ba‘al and little about them that connected them to the sun. In 1899, the Encyclopædia Biblica article Baal by W. Robertson Smith and George F. Moore states: 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

That Baal was primarily a sun-god was for a long time almost a dogma among scholars and is still often repeated.  This doctrine is connected with theories of the origin of religion which are now almost universally abandoned. The worship of the heavenly bodies is not the beginning of religion.  Moreover, there was not, as this theory assumes, one god Baal, worshipped under different forms and names by the Semitic peoples, but a multitude of local Baals, each the inhabitant of his own place, the protector and benefactor of those who worshipped him there.  Even in the astro-theology of the Babylonians the star of Bēl was not the sun : it was the planet Jupiter. There is no intimation in the OT that any of the Canaanite Baals were sun-gods, or that the worship of the sun (Shemesh), of which we have ample evidence, both early and late, was connected with that of the Baals ; in 2 K. 2₃₅ cp ₁₁ the cults are treated as distinct. Babylon was a city in Mesopotamia, the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, Iraq, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ...

The demon entitled ba'al

Main article: Baal (demon)

The Dictionnaire Infernal illustration of Baal.

Other spellings: Bael, Baël (French), Baell. The Dictionnaire Infernal illustration of Baal. ... The demon Bael, from Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire infernal (1862) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The demon Bael, from Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire infernal (1862) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Baal is also seen as a Christian demon. This is a potential source of confusion. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... St. ...

Until archaeological digs at Ras Shamra and Ebla uncovered texts explaining the Syrian pantheon, the demon Ba‘al Zebûb was frequently confused with various Semitic spirits and deities entitled ba‘al, and in some Christian writings it might refer to a high-ranking devil or to Satan himself. Entrance to the Palace of Ugarit Ugarit (modern site Ras Shamra رأس شمرة; in Arabic) 35°35´ N; 35°45´E) was an ancient cosmopolitan port city, sited on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria a few kilometers north of the modern city of Latakia. ... Ebla is not to be confused with Elba. ... Gustave Dorés depiction of Satan from John Miltons Paradise Lost Satan from Hebrew for accuser (Standard Hebrew: , Satan Tiberian Hebrew ; Koine Greek: , Satanás; Aramaic: , ; Arabic: , , Slavic Сатана) is a term with its origins in the Abrahamic faiths which is traditionally applied to an angel. ...

In the ancient world of the Persian Empire, from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, worship of inanimate idols of wood and metal was being rejected in favor of "the one living God." In the Levant the idols were called "baals", each of which represented a local spirit-deity or "demon." Worship of all such spirits was rejected as immoral, and many were in fact considered malevolent and dangerous. The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (Irān - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... The Levant Levant is an imprecise geographical term historically referring to a large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east. ...

Early demonologists, unaware of Hadad or that "Baal" in the Bible referred to any number of local spirits, came to regard the term as referring to but one personage. Baal (usually spelt "Bael" in this context; there is a possibility that the two figures aren't connected) was ranked as the first and principal king in Hell, ruling over the East. According to some authors Baal is a duke, with 66 legions of demons under his command. Demonology is the systematic study of demons. ... Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180) Hell, according to many religious beliefs, is a place or a state of pain and suffering. ...

During the English Puritan period, Baal was either compared to Satan or considered his main lieutenant. According to Francis Barrett, he has the power to make those who invoke him invisible, and to some other demonologists his power is stronger in October. According to some sources, he can make people wise, and speaks hoarsely. The Puritans were originally members of a group of English Protestants seeking purity — further reforms from the established church — during the Protestant Reformation, though many later sought separation from the church. ... Francis Barrett (born probably in London around 1770-1780) was an English occultist. ...

While the Semitic high god Baal Hadad was depicted as a human, ram or a bull, the demon Bael was in grimoire tradition said to appear in the forms of a man, cat, toad, or combinations thereof. An illustration in Collin de Plancy's 1818 book Dictionnaire Infernal rather curiously placed the heads of the three creatures onto a set of spider legs. This design for an amulet comes from the Black Pullet grimoire. ... Collin de Plancy (1793-1887) was a French occultist, demonologist and writer; he published several works on occultism and demonology. ... The Dictionnaire Infernal is a book on demonology that includes the name and description of the lots of demons the demonology organised in hellish hierarchies. ... Diversity 111 families, 40,000 species Suborders Mesothelae Mygalomorphae Araneomorphae  See Table of Families Wikispecies has information related to: Spiders A South-American Argiope Spiders are predatory invertebrate animals with two body segments, eight legs, no chewing mouth parts and no wings. ...

Ba'al Zebûb

Main article: Beelzebub

Beelzebub as depicted in Collin de Plancy's Dictionnaire Infernal (Paris, 1825).

Another version of the demon Ba'al is Beelzebub, or more accurately Ba‘al Zebûb or Ba‘al Z^əbûb (Hebrew בעל זבוב, Ba'al zvuv), who was originally the name of a deity worshipped in the Philistine city of Ekron. Ba‘al Zebûb might mean 'Lord of Zebûb', referring to an unknown place named Zebûb, a pun with 'Lord of flies', zebûb being a Hebrew collective noun meaning 'fly'. This may mean that the Hebrews were derogating the god of their enemy. Later, Christian writings referred to Ba‘al Zebûb as a demon or devil, often interchanged with Beelzebul. Either form may appear as an alternate name for Satan (or the Devil) or may appear to refer to the name of a lesser devil. As with several religions, the names of any earlier foreign or "pagan" deities often became synonymous with the concept of an adversarial entity. The demonization of Ba‘al Zebûb led to much of the modern religious personification of Satan as the adversary of the Abrahamic god. Beelzebub as depicted in Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire Infernal (Paris, 1863). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (701x800, 114 KB) Summary Description: Beelzebub Source: Dictionnaire Infernal, scan downloaded from http://fantastic. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (701x800, 114 KB) Summary Description: Beelzebub Source: Dictionnaire Infernal, scan downloaded from http://fantastic. ... Collin de Plancy (1793-1887) was a French occultist, demonologist and writer; he published several works on occultism and demonology. ... Beelzebub as depicted in Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire Infernal (Paris, 1863). ... The historic Philistines (see note Philistines below) were a people that inhabited the southern coast of Canaan around the time of the arrival of the Israelites, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts. ... The city of Ekron (Hebrew עֶקְרוֹן, Standard Hebrew Ê»Eqron, Tiberian Hebrew Ê»Eqrôn) was one of the five Philistine cities in southwestern Canaan. ... It has been suggested that dajare be merged into this article or section. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... St. ... The Devil is the name given to a supernatural entity, who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. ... Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning a country dweller or civilian) is a blanket term which has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions, as opposed to the Abrahamic monotheistic religions. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The three so-called Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have in common many beliefs about God. ...

Some scholars have suggested that Baal Zebul which means "lord the prince" was deliberately changed by the worshippers of Yahweh to Baal Zebub (lord of the flies) in order to ridicule and protest the worship of Baal Zebul. (NIV Study Bible published by Zondervan)

Non-religious usage of ba'al

Baʿal (Bet-Ayin-Lamed; בַּעַל / בָּעַל, Standard Hebrew Báʿal, Tiberian Hebrew Báʿal / Báʿal) is a northwest Semitic word signifying 'The Lord, master, owner (male), husband' cognate with Akkadian Bēl of the same meanings. The feminine form is Phoenician בעלת Baʿalat, Hebrew בַּעֲלָה Baʿ^alāh signifying 'lady, mistress, owner (female), wife'.   Beth or Bet is the second letter of many Semetic alphabets, including Phoenician, Hebrew, and Aramaic. ... Ayin is the sixteenth letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Hebrew, and Aramaic. ... Lamed or Lamedh is the twelfth letter in many abjad alphabets, including Phoenician, Hebrew, and Aramaic. ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... Tiberian Hebrew is an oral tradition of pronunciation for ancient forms of Hebrew, especially the Hebrew of the Bible, that was given written form by masoretic scholars in the Jewish community at Tiberias in the early middle ages, beginning in the 8th century. ... The Semitic languages are the northeastern subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic languages, and the only family of this group spoken in Asia. ... Akkadian (lišānum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... Bel, signifying lord or master, is a title rather than a genuine name, applied to various gods in Babylonian relgion. ... Phoenician was a language originally spoken in the coastal region of what is now Lebanon. ...

The words themselves had no exclusively religious connotation, just as "father" or "lord" are used in religious meaning today—but they were not used in reference between a superior and an inferior or of a master to a slave. The words were used as titles in reference to one or various gods and goddesses, either in declaration of the deity as the Lord or Lady of a particular place (or rite), or standing alone as a term of reverence. Polytheism is belief in, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. ... The Oxford English Dictionary defines reverence as deep respect and veneration for some thing, place, or person regarded as having a sacred or exalted character. ...

From the Tanach: Genesis 14.13 ba‘^alê b^ərît-’abrām 'lords of the covenant of Abram', i.e. 'holders of an agreement with Abram', i.e. 'confederates of Abram' or 'allies of Abram'; Genesis 20.3: b^ə‘ulat bā‘al 'lady of a lord', i.e. 'wife of a man'; Genesis 37.19: ba‘al haḥ^alōmôt 'lord of the dreams', i.e. 'the one who made himself important in his dreams' or simply 'the dreamer'; Exodus 21.3: ba‘al ’iššâ 'lord of a woman', i.e. 'married man'; Exodus 21.22: ba‘al hā’iššâ 'lord of the woman', i.e. 'husband of the woman'; Exodus 24.14: mî-ba‘al dəbārîm 'who (is) lord of matters', i.e. 'whoever possesses some matter', i.e. 'whoever has a problem'; Leviticus 21.4: ba‘al b^ə‘ēmmā^yw 'lord in his people', i.e. 'man of importance among his people'; Deuteronomy 24.4: ba‘lāh hāri^’šôn 'her lord the former', i.e. 'her former husband'; and so forth. But these should suffice to show the range of the words. 11th century Targum Tanakh [תנ״ך] (also spelt Tanach or Tenach) is an acronym for the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, based upon the initial Hebrew letters of each part: Torah [תורה] (The Law; also: Teaching or Instruction), Chumash [חומש] (The... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah, the first book of the Tanakh and also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ...

In medieval Judaism, a rabbi versed in mysticism was called Ba‘al Shem 'Master of the Name' with no perception of any connection with Ba‘al as a title for a pagan god. Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1678–1760) who founded the Hassidic movement, was commonly known during his later life as Ba‘al Shem Tov ("Good Master of the Name") and is still commonly called by that title today. Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages... Baal Shem in Hebrew translates as Master of the Name, and is almost always used in reference to Israel ben Eliezer, the Rabbi who founded Hasidic Judaism and was called the Baal Shem Tov. ... Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר, c. ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... 1760 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Hasidic Judaism (Hebrew: Chasidut חסידות) is a Haredi Jewish religious movement. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Israel ben Eliezer Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (about 1700 Okopy Świętej Tr jcy - May 22, 1760 Międzyborz) was a Jewish Orthodox mystical rabbi who is better known to most religious Jews as...

In Wales, there are many Hebrew place names left over from a religious revival that happened a few centuries ago. There is a village called Bryn-y-Baal between Buckley and Mold in Flintshire in Wales. However the 'Baal' has no religious connection. Bryn-y-Baal takes its name from the a Middle English word 'bale' (rhymes with 'Carl') meaning small hill. It was then written in a welsh form as 'bâl' with a 'tor bach' (little roof or circumflex in English) over the 'â'. This has the effect in Welsh of lengthening the 'a' rather than the usual short 'a' (as in cat) in Welsh. This form appears on early Ordnance Survey maps. Eventually it was written in the Anglised form 'Baal' - still correctly pronounced to rhyme with 'Carl' and not 'bale' (as in hay) or bail (as in 'get out of jail') !! For full details of the researched origins - see 'Flintshire Place Names' by Hwyl Wyn Owen ISBN 9780708312421 published in 1995. Motto: (Welsh for Wales for ever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd... A Revival is the apparent restoration of a living creature from a dead state to a living state. ... Mynydd Isa (pronounced Mun-ith Issah) is a village in Flintshire, in north-east Wales. ... For more references to Buckley, see Buckley (disambiguation). ... Mold (Welsh: Yr Wyddgrug) is the county town of Flintshire in Wales and lies on the River Alyn. ... Flintshire (Welsh: ) is a principal area and county in north-east Wales. ... Mynydd Isa (pronounced Mun-ith Issah) is a village in Flintshire, in north-east Wales. ...

In popular culture

• Baal is the title of Bertolt Brecht 's first full-length play.

• "Ba'alzamon" is also a character in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.

• Baal is the name of one of the three Prime Evils in the computer game Diablo II.

• In Warhammer 40,000, the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion is from a planet called Baal. The Blood Angels utilize a variant of the Predator tank named the Baal Predator.

• "Ba'al" is a major Goa'uld System Lord and the main antagonist in Season 8 of Stargate SG-1. Within Stargate canon, Ba'al the System Lord is the Baal from mythology.

• Baal is also the name of the most powerful enemy in most Nippon Ichi games. Every time he is defeated, he gets a new body, but he occasionally gets his original body back. His title is usually "Tyrant" or "Lord of Terror".

• One of the Jenolan Caves in New South Wales, Australia is called "The Temple of Baal."

• The God Bhaal is the Lord of Murder in the Forgotten Realms setting, and is the father of the protagonist in the computer RPG's Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II.

• In the video game Shadow Hearts 2 Baal is one of six incredibly powerful demons and is found in the home of a famous puppeteer, whom he had driven insane and devoured.

• Ball is the prince demon of the war, in the RolePlaying game In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas

Bertolt Brecht. ... Alternative meanings: Robert Jordan (lawyer) for the former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; Robert Jordan (character) for the character in Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls Robert Jordan is the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Cover of the Warhammer 40,000 4th edition rulebook This article is about the tabletop miniature wargame and the fictional universe in which it is set. ... In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Blood Angels are one of the twenty First Founding Legions of the Space Marines. ... In the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1, Baal is a Goauld based on the Baal of mythology. ... The Goauld (pronounced go-a-OOLD , commonly GOOLD, or go-OOLD) are a fictional parasitic alien race in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 universe. ... The System Lord Ra The System Lord Apophis The System Lord Anubis The System Lord Baal See Stargate for more information on this fictional universe. ... Stargate SG-1 (often abbreviated as SG-1) is an American science fiction television series based upon the 1994 science fiction film Stargate. ... An activated Stargate, the central object of the fictional Stargate universe, here depicted in the SG-1 television series. ... Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. ... The Lucas Cave at Jenolan Caves The Jenolan Caves are a series of remarkable caverns in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia; 175 kilometres west of Sydney. ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Governor HE Professor Marie Bashir Premier Bob Carr (ALP) Area 809,444 km² (5th)  - Land 800,642 km²  - Water 8,802 km² (1. ... Shadow Hearts 2 (or Shadow Hearts: Covenant) is a game developed by Sacnoth and Nautilus, and published by Midway. ... In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas is the French role-playing game, created by Croc, on which the American game In Nomine was originally based. ...

See also

• Hadad
• Canaanite religion
• Baal Peor
• Ba‘al Shamîm
• Beelzebub
• Bel
• Melqart
• Moloch
• The Lesser Key of Solomon
• Ars Goetia

Haddad - בעל הדד - حداد (in Ugaritic Haddu) was a very important northwest Semitic storm god and rain god, cognate in name and origin with the Akkadian god Adad. ... Canaanite religion was the group of belief systems utilized by the people living in the ancient Levant throughout the Bronze Age and Iron Age. ... In the Tanach Baal Peor (Hebrew בעל פעור Ba‘al Pə‘ r), in the Septuagint Beelpheg r, was a god associated with Mount Pe‘or in Moab whom many Israelites began to worship under the influence of Moabite women as told... Ba‘al Shamîm Lord of Heaven is a northwest Semitic god or a title applied to different gods at different places or times found in various ancient Middle-eastern inscriptions. ... Beelzebub as depicted in Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire Infernal (Paris, 1863). ... Bel, signifying lord or master, is a title rather than a genuine name, applied to various gods in Babylonian relgion. ... Melqart (less accurately Melkart, Melkarth or Melgart (Greek disposed of the letter Q (Qoppa), replacing it with additional use of K (Kappa) and G (Gamma)), Akkadian Milqartu, was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city of Tyre, as Eshmun protected Sidon. ... Moloch or Molech or Molekh representing Hebrew מלך mlk is either the name of a god or the name of a particular kind of sacrifice associated historically with Phoenician and related cultures in north Africa and the Levant. ... The Lesser Key of Solomon or Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Clavicula Salomonis, or Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the subject), is an anonymous 17th century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology. ... The Ars Goetia (Greek, probably: The Art of Witchcraft), often simply called the Goetia, is the first section of the 17th century grimoire Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, or The Lesser Key of Solomon. ...

External links

• Article Baal, Baalim from The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Article Baal by W. Robertson Smith and George F. Moore in Encyclopædia Biblica, edited T. K. Cheyne and J. Sutherland Black, MacMillan: London, 1899) (PDF format. Still quite accurate.)
• Bartleby: American Heritage Dictionary: Semitic roots: b^cl.
• Scarce Punic images of Baal Hammon described.
• Iconography of Baal (PDF-article)