People like to feel comfortable. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens. Who were the Sidonians, and what do we know about their religion? They were not committed to the side that they were supposed to be on. We are seeing the same thing today, but at times, it is harder to recognize because we are accustomed to it, and it is not happening overnight. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. Their commitment went one way, and then it went the other way. In Hebrew, it is rendered Yehoshua, and in Aramaic, Yeshua. Certainly not those of east Asia. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. It is urgent that we understand what is involved here because it reveals the cause of God's anger that led to Israel's defeat and scattering. The actual worship of Ba'al was carried out in terms of imitative magic whereby sexual acts by both male and female temple prostitutes were understood to arouse Ba'al who then brought rain to make Mother Earth fertile (in some forms of the myth, represented by a female consort, Asherah or Astarte). 29:35, 32:26; Nah. But when a falling away happens around us, perhaps even beginning before we were born, it is easy for our minds to adjust to the point that we almost forget the continuing rebellion against God and His way. A DSS fragment has it spelled Iaw in Greek (iota-alpha-omega), which is consistent with Yahoah; see ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/lxxjewpap/4QLevB.jpg. Baal is a Canaanite and Phoeniciandeity and the son of the chief god El. In artistic depictions and archeological finds, Baal took the shape of a bull or ram and had associations with fertility. Many of the practices mentioned were most probable common to the worship of all the Baals; a few others are certainly specific. He just goes to sleep as he is freezing to death. Learn about the Canaanite-Phoenician deities who were called Baal, which means Lord. Indeed, throughout its history, the most important god at Sidon was the storm godknown during the Phoenician period as Baal or Bel. made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal" (verses 15-16). l, b . Another idea is that it pictures a person shifting his weight from one foot to the other, indicating a degree of lameness. BAAL-WORSHIP AMONG THE GENTILES.The evidence is hardly of such weight as to justify us in speaking of a worship of Baal. He is the king of the east and governs an army of 66 legions of demons." Did you catch that? 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. Baal was a false god the feckless Jewish King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel, attempted to force upon the nation of Israel during the time of Elijah the prophet (see 1 Kings 18). The worship of Baal was popular in Egypt from the later New Kingdom in about 1400 bce to its end (1075 bce). In spite of the fact that the word is used as the theophorous element in personal names, such as Eshbaal, Merib-Baal, Jerub Baal, it was long believed that the term remained an appellation and did not become a proper name, except in the case of the Mesopotamian Bel and in late theological speculation. In other words, God is saying that He was driven to defeat and scatter Israel because they were guilty of exactly the same sin as the Samaritans! Prophets and Prophecy (Part 1). Asherah, another popular deity in Canaan, was the goddess of motherhood and fertility . Commentaries are at odds over what the Hebrew word translated divided means. Most often, it condemns Baal worship. 4. In distress some would naturally revert to the old ways of reviving or reactivating the rain-god prayer, mourning, self-laceration, dancing, and water-pouring (I Kings 18:2628; Hos. Burning incense, worship of the sun, moon, astrology, and ancestor worship are all earmarks of the Baal religion. Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. ; Job 3:8, 7:12, 9:13, 26:1213, 38:811, 40:25). In this chapter, the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal have a show-down to prove the power of their God and gods. He is often accused of causing their pain. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. One interpretation is that it is a localized occurrence, in the sense of it happening just within the little flockthe church. In addition to Baal still influencing religions and pagan practices today, we must take note of what happened to the Israelites and vigilantly watch our churches. He is a loving Master who only is to be obeyed and servedand only on His terms. All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind. But Baal was not exclusively a fertility god. It was under the Sol Invictus cult that CHRISTIANITY as a religion BEGAN TO BE ACCEPTED AND GROW, but THERE WAS A BIG PRICE THE EARLY ROMAN CHURCH HAD TO PAY. . Israel's false religion, represented by the altars of Bethel, is at the root of her problems. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. There is no doubt that prosperity is good, but unless one is properly focused and disciplined, it can also be a demanding master because of its power to distract one into idolatry. Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. By submitting to Him, we take a small step in being transformed into what He is. Rejection of God's Law. Archeological excavations have dated information about Baal back as far as the second millennium BC, and the spread of Baal worship caught fire in Egypt in 1400 BC. The latter name (Amarna, Addu) is to be related to Arabic hadda ("break," "crash") with reference to thunder. What modern-day Baals have we worshipped in place of God? If the rains failed and drought and death came upon the land and people, it was not because Mot had mangled Baal and made the glowing sun-goddess destructive; it was rather YHWH's way of meting out merited punishment to a faithless and sinful people (Deut. This is a prophet's job, a hallmark of a prophet of God. Payment of the full tithe to the food stores of the Temple, some thought, would guarantee that YHWH would open the windows of heaven and pour down overflowing blessings (Mal. That there were minor Baalim also at Ugarit is indicated by a god list in Akkadian (see Ugaritica, 5, p. 44 ll. Baal was a god of prosperity, god of harvest, sex and fertility. BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Hermann, in: DDD, 13238; M.S. However, God still holds them responsible because the truth is available. Its is right up there with the thought that we know where Jesus was born, or that one can see a descendant of the original burning bush, etc.. 14:13). Thus it is clear that Baal, representing the life-giving rains, fluctuates in his ability to withstand the power of Mot, who represents drought, sterility, and death. She's most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. ed., 1965); H.B. Baal remains silent during the exchange, whereas God showers a sopping-wet altar with fire. Let's exemplify Baal doctrines as preached . God's first command to destroy any forms of idol worship came early in the Bible in Exodus 34:13. . The triumph of Baal recounted in the myths and perhaps reenacted in ritual drama gave assurance of help in the present and the future as in the past. 106:28). The continued worship of Baal was given as one of the causes for the destruction of Judah (Jer. The prophet Amos particularizes the epidemic of social injustice in the Kingdom of Israel. His overall conduct may not be too bad, but his poor self-analysis persuades him that he has no urgent need to seek God any further. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Most of the information they gave turned out to be wrong, to be lies. Recall God's wrath when Aaron made a golden calf at the urging of the Israelites in the wilderness and proclaimed a feast to the Lord (Exodus 32:1-5). They become "settled on their lees," as it says in Zephaniah 1:12. "They built for themselves high places in all their cities . The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). Anath then dismembered Mot, scattered and burned the pieces, and gave them to the birds. The events leading up to the Day of the Lord will be unmistakable to those with eyes to see. He awakens them to their spiritual and moral responsibilities. Yet, he was in trouble his whole life, from his teenage years on. They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree; and there they burned incense on all the high places, as the nations had done whom the LORD had carried away before them." The word "Baal" derives from the Semitic stem "bel", meaning "lord". Elijah was dealing with the same thing here, albeit spiritually. This is typical Israeliltish syncretism, but it will not work. The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Baal, Baal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? Baal rejoiced and celebrated with a banquet. The longest of the texts deals with the construction of Baal's house on top of Mount apn. Christ's purpose is to cure, not merely to comfort, so pain will be often involved when dealing with a prophet. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? 26:46). Extra-biblical evidence for the flourishing Baal cult at Samaria in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C.E. In the El-Amarna letters Canaanite clients addressed the Egyptian king as "My Baal, my Addu." Baal Worship Baal-Berith Berbers Bet (Ha)-Midrash Bet Din Bethar Bibliophiles Bloodletting Chronicles of Kings of Israel Episcopus Judaeorum Essenes Exile Fable Flood Forced Baptism Garden of Eden Glass Golden Calf Goliath Great Revolt Great Synagogue Hannah and her Seven Sons Hasmoneans/Maccabees Hebrew Printing Hekdesh Herod Herodian Dynasty l /), or Baal (Hebrew: baal), was a title and honorific meaning 'owner', 'lord' in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity.From its use among people, it came to be applied to gods. Their reverence for Him was mere intellectual accommodation intended to appease Him. He was the god that provided - food - for the people. One would think that, if altars increase during this period of prosperity, then religion is flourishing. This second, universal interpretation is a better fit because, when we look at the whole passage, the events and personalities are worldwide in scope. Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. He is deceived into thinking that his material prosperity proves that God approves of his conduct and attitudes. Ahaz fostered Baal worship (II Chron. 55:613; Jer. When the Israelites, following Moses to the Promised Land, were in the vicinity of Peor, some of them fell into idolatry and worshiped Baal Peor. The variant form Hadad (hdd) is attested to only once in Ugaritic. Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E., the handle pictures the storm god as a leonine dragon. Human-Ram Deity from Sidon. What was the rationale behind this perverse, immoral act? In daily life, they conformed to and reflected the Babylonish system just as Israel does today. ADD. Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. And of all the foreign gods the Israelites came into contact with, they appeared to struggle the most with worshipping this one. At the foundation of every community is a way of life that its people live and teach their children. Baal was different from his adherents merely in that he was above them. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Not only do the Jews have to deal with the abomination of Zeus and Antiochus Epiphanes IV (Daniel 8), but the Greek pantheon later gets repeated in the Roman pantheon, and practices from both the Greeks and Romans still exist today. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . He began to prophesy in a time of immediate crisis, one that would become far worse before it ever improved. All rights reserved. He was to be an aid in getting them from their state of being merely "churched" to that of being truly religious and servants of the Most High God. ; contact address: [emailprotected]. Consequently, during this tumultuous time, most Jews kept their faith and identity outwardly but bowed to Baal when necessary to appease Jezebel as well as mainstream culture. This establishes the fact that the Cannanites (Phoenicians) has connections with the Tamil speaking ancient Kerala mariners. For those early Hebrews, Baal designated the Lord of Israel, just as Baal farther north designated the Lord of Lebanon or of Ugarit. The Semitic word "baal" (meaning '"Lord") was also used to refer to various deities of the Levant. They were straddling the fence in a precarious state of imbalance, attempting to combine the worship of God with the more popular worship of Baal and Asherah. The bulk of the Ugaritic mythological texts is concerned with the activities of Baal. Kings Ahaz and Manasseh, Baal is said to be one of the first of Solomon's 72 spirits. A solution has been supplied by a tradition ascribed to the ancient Phoenician priest Sakkunyaton (Greek Sanchuniathn) that when El-Kronos defeated Ouranos, he captured in the battle Ouranos' pregnant concubine and gave her to Dagn. The Septuagint (LXX) referred to the latter as a stranger [in the land]. In their spiritually unaware state, they will be incredulous at God's punishment for "such a little bit of sin." We must understand that our god is not what we say we worship but what we serve. Baal worship also included, at times, child sacrifice, which we see some Israelite kings engaging with later on. Nyberg had restored it in Deuteronomy 33:12; I Samuel 2:10; II Samuel 23:1; Isaiah 59:18, 63:7; and Hosea 7:16. The first mention of Molech is in Leviticus 18:21 in which the . . This is no different from what Israel was doing when Amos wrote back in 760 BC. Even now some ancient Jews (white and black) live in Cochin, Kerala, India. Baal & Asherah. For instance, Amos 2:7 describes a deliberate act of ritual prostitution in a pagan temple: "A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name." Baal's 450 prophets worked themselves into a frenzy, cutting themselves, dancing, and chanting to their god. Because of their self-procured wealth and affluence, they think they are being blessed with material things. Jer 32:29. (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. The basis of all immorality is selfishness, the exact opposite of what God is. Although Baal is mentioned almost 100 times in the Bible, he is best known from the narratives of I and II Kings which include the story of the Phoenician princess Jezebel (d. c. 842 BCE), who encouraged his worship, and her struggle with the prophet Elijah, champion of the cult of Yahweh. The basis for this view was the fact that in biblical usage the plural of the term, with the article, "the Baalim," appears to designate minor local gods (Judg. 10:1113; 14:22). When Elijah preached his message, it put the people in a bind because they knew their conscience was telling them that they had to commit themselves to God or to Baal. Of special interest is the designation Aliy (ly) which is twice applied to Baal in the Krt Epic: Before the discovery and recognition of this name in Ugaritic, H.S. Updates? Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. 3:23). The word is used as the name of a town in ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 1:4, Joshua . This Bible History Daily Article was first published in 2017, British Museum Excavations at Sidon Expose Millennia of History, The Phoenician Alphabet in Archaeology by Josephine Quinn. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel." He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. Who were the Sidonians of the Bronze Age (c. 30001200 B.C.E.)? John W. Ritenbaugh Baal was considered the supreme. There are indications that Baal and other gods and goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon were associated in the minds of their worshipers with certain heavenly bodies. What the Bible says about Baal Worship ( From Forerunner Commentary ) 1 Kings 12:26-33 The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice? 26:1920). Or about Yahweh? Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. Ugaritic texts tell of other fertility aspects of Baal, such as his relations with Anath, his consort and sister, and also his siring a divine bull calf from a heifer. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. Revelation 2:14 "THE DOCTRINES OF . So it was that, about 250 years after it was established, the ten-tribed northern kingdom became extinct as a sovereign nation. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. 22:816). II Kings 17:33 illustrates their worship: "They feared the LORD, yet served their own gods - according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away." What happens if a person, trying to establish a religion, mixes falsehood with the truth of God? Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. Baal's sister-consort Anath demanded that Mot release her brother. Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). A general understanding about the bamah and . (verses 9-11). Even those who have vaguely heard of the name Baal in the Bible know it doesnt have a good connotation. Val is related to valimai in Tamil. 19 Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. It is not known to what extent the Canaanites considered those various Baalim identical, but the Baal of Ugarit does not seem to have confined his activities to one city, and doubtless other communities agreed in giving him cosmic scope. Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. Archaeologists at Sidon have uncovered a 12th11th-century B.C.E. Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? The Aztec people used two calendars. The latest archaeological discoveries shed light on Biblical Sidon and provide a window into the Sidonians polytheistic religion and worship practices during the Bronze and Iron Ages. It was a corruption of that religion, for the Israelites syncretized that holy way with Baalism and other idolatries. In this article, well discuss what Scripture has to say about Baal, what we know from history about Baal, and why this ultimately matters to us today. It may seem easy to point the finger at the ancient Israelites and say, How could you let a bull statue into Israel? Speech is completely original and produced exclusively by Grace Digital Network Music licensed through Artlist.io Footage licensed through Filmpac.com and S. They were Canaanites and shared numerous similarities, including many of the same gods, with their close neighbors in the southern Levantwho were also predominantly Canaanite. II Kings 17:5-6 relates the ultimate consequence. Not a BAS Library member yet? The only trouble is that people like to feel comfortable in moral mediocrity. In an Akkadian catalogue of Ugaritic deities Baal apn is listed as dIM be-el hurn a-zi, "Storm-God, Lord of Mount azi" (see above; az [z] i being the Hurrian name of Mount apn which survives in the Greek and Latin Kasios/Casius as the name of the storied mountain of the gods). The written form Moloch (in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament), or Molech (Hebrew), is the word Melech or king, transformed by interposing the vowels of bosheth or 'shameful thing'. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and as the storm godhe is usually depicted holding a lightning boltwho defeated enemies and produced crops. Their spiritual lethargy for the true God made them uncommitted. The latter title has a biblical echo in the corrupted form Baal-Zebub (II Kings 1:2ff. Asherah, mother of the gods, was prevailed upon to intercede with El to gain permission for the building. Most modern translations use "false," "deceitful," or "faithless," and none of these are wrong, including "divided." How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. Scholars previously associated the theonym with solar cults and with a variety of unrelated patron deities, but inscriptions have . No one answered; no one paid attention" (v. 29 ESV). For a while, both sidesthe Confederate and the Unionaccepted those turncoats and took their information. Bible Study Hosea Old Testament. Gray, The Legacy of Canaan (rev. A god Baal apn was known from Egyptian and Akkadian sources before the discovery of the Ugaritic documents. JezaBel can be respelLt as JezaVel ~ JezaVAl ~ IezaVAL ~ Isaval-lavi ~ an expert in music. (verse 8). The prophet comes along and troubles people by awakening them to their sins, making them feel guilty about their relationships with God and each other. In the Old Testament, many of the kings and eventually the whole nation of Israel rebelled against God and chose opposing belief systems. The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canonbut none more so than the Book of Kings, where they play a prominent role in assessing the performance of a king.Often referred to as "high places" in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar. She gives life to 70 other gods in the Canaanite pantheon. The Hebrew scriptures speak frequently of the Baal of a given place or refers to Baalim in the plural, suggesting the evidence of local deities, or lords, of various locales. The name "Baal" shows up seven times in Hosea (2:8, 2:13, 2:16, 2:17 . God sends a prophet to people who are cold in their relationship with Godspiritually freezing to deaththough they want to stay that way. Right now, though, we are witnessing a steady defection from the basic principles of the Bible, away from what we call the Judeo-Christian ethic. Hope Bolingeris an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. Hosea exposes the problem between God and Israel. The name Baal in the Bible is most commonly associated with the Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility, the rain, the sun, and the storm. Sun worship came from the ancient pagan religion of Baal. Mot refused and boasted how he had mangled Baal. It has been suggested that this clash was indirectly a conflict between Baal and El, with Yamm serving as champion for the venerable El, as the Titans fought on behalf of Kronos in the Greek version of the myth and the stone colossus Ulikummi for Kumarbi in the Hurrian-Hittite version which is roughly contemporary with the Ugaritic texts. A series of bad years, which were apparently believed to come in seven-year cycles (cf. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. Doumet-Serhal explains the significance of the handles iconography: The dragon epitomizes the most fundamental ancient mythical perception of the Mesopotamian storm god. Because Baal was neither alive nor a moral force, his worshippers felt they could communicate with him only by ritual actions that portrayed what they were asking him to do. In the Bible, Jezebel is notorious for persecuting the worship of Yahweh and for demanding that the Israelites worship Baal. Isaiah 14:13 alludes to this divine abode as "the Mount of Assembly in the recesses of afon" (har moed be-yarkete afon), the latter phrase being the equivalent of Ugaritic mrym pn or rrt pn, the height or fastness of apn. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." Baal's objection to the window somehow concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but the text is broken at this point. Biblical narrative incorporates tales of Baal worship into the traditions of the wilderness wandering, thus tracing Baal worship to the earliest period of Israel's existence. When we see that our thoughts and ways are not His, we should reform and repent. The handle displays an impression of a ship with the leonine dragon Uumgal, the storm god Adads attendant, next to it. Isa. "But there was no voice. Baal worship spread rapidly when the king of Israel, Ahab, married Jezebel, the princess of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31-32). In other words, prosperity turns people's heads. Baal's response to Mot's invitation to come and be devoured is abject surrender: "Thy slave am I, thine eternal." Ritual prostitution only served to erode the family, eventually leading to the destruction of the nation. In many cases, when the king or the nation had wandered from the way, the prophets were sent to correct them (e.g., II Samuel 12:1-15; I Kings 18:17-19; II Kings 21:10-15). The Bible tells us that there were dire consequences for Israel worshiping a false god (Judges 2). The Assyrians deported the population en masse from its homeland in Canaan, transplanting it virtually in toto to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. . The conflict of Yahwism and Baalism reached a crisis with Elijah's challenge to Baal's prophets to settle the question whether it was Baal or YHWH who really supplied the rain (I Kings 18).
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