(verses 9-11). Near Baals temple was that of Dagon, given in the tablets as Baals father. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. This god also, apparently according to Canaanite lore, defeated El and had associations with the sun and thunder. That Baal appears to be a relative newcomer in the Ugaritic pantheon has been generally recognized, and it may be that Sakkhunyaton's story about Baal's paternity reflects a mythologizing of the process by which Baal was integrated into the family of El. Some become discouraged with the church because we are always being toldto some measure anywaydisturbing things about ourselves. Paul is not writing about apostasy in a small group of people that will give rise to an international personality, but an event on the world scene that creates the right environment to catapult this figure, backed by the power of Satan, to the heights of power. 25:111; Ps. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. In exchange, they would offer information about their unit. There was tremendous evil to overcome. Groves and high places were places of worship erected to Canaanite gods and goddesses. Baal - the pagan idol in your garden. By Pat Franklin II Kings 17:5-6 relates the ultimate consequence. This describes to a T what Israel did then and their descendants are continuing to do today. The variant form Hadad (hdd) is attested to only once in Ugaritic. But God. 1:4; Hab. (NASB). He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. What do we know about the religion surrounding this Canaanite deity, and how did it affect those in the Old Testament? . O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. was furnished by Harvard University excavations in the form of personal names containing Baal as the theophorous element, such as bybl, "Baal is my father," bl zmr, "Baal sings" or "Baalis strong," bl zkr, "Baal remembers," bl mny, "Baal is my answer," etc. He views them as personally rejecting Him and His Word. Gen. 41; II Sam. The Israelites "caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger" (verse 17). Updates? Did The Canaanites Really Sacrifice Their Children? | Bible Reading They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Today, some evangelicals attempt to prepare the people for what is to come, but their teaching is a mixture of right and wrong. From Easton's Bible Dictionary:Baal-peor: lord of the opening, a god of the Moabites (Numbers 25:3; 31:16; Joshua 22:17), worshipped by obscene rites. Discovered in a farmer's field in northeastern Egypt, this inscribed monument bears the name of one of the few pharaohs actually named in the Old . The Jordan River (Nahar ha-Yarden) qualified as a mikveh as its flowing living waters originated from a natural spring (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River). Baal - New World Encyclopedia High Places, Altars and the Bamah - Biblical Archaeology Society Alternate titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim. In the El-Amarna letters Canaanite clients addressed the Egyptian king as "My Baal, my Addu." Because Canaan depended on rain to grow crops and survive, he was numero uno. For a while, both sidesthe Confederate and the Unionaccepted those turncoats and took their information. A complex religion with traditions and gods from all over the ancient Middle East, Baal worship offered something for everyone. In the mythology of Canaan, Baal, the god of life and fertility, locked in mortal combat with Mot, the god of death and sterility. Isaiah 29:13 clarifies what God means: "Therefore the LORD said: 'Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.'" Biblical Archaeology's Top 10 Discoveries of 2021 - News & Reporting What will happen will affect the entire world, even though the world will not grasp the spiritual significance. Anath then dismembered Mot, scattered and burned the pieces, and gave them to the birds. Sidon is the birth place of Jezabel. 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. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. The Semitic word Baal means lord or master, and the ancient people believed he was in charge of all of nature and humans. Hosea exposes the problem between God and Israel. . If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In short, Scripture has nothing positive to say about Baal. . 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. Canaanite worship often took place in open-air sites at the tops of hills, referred to in the Bible as "high places." . 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. Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? Alan, how said anything about John baptizing Jesus? In popular and syncretistic religion in Israel, Yahweh could be equated with both El and Baal. Baal Peor, or the Baal of Peor, was a local deity worshiped by the Moabites. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. 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. Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. 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. It was a corruption of that religion, for the Israelites syncretized that holy way with Baalism and other idolatries. The Masoretic text has the 4 letters YHWH with a sheva under the Y, pronounced yuh, and a Qamats below the W, i.e. No doubt, we cant cover the breadth of verses on Baal here, but we should note that Baal becomes a big player in the book of Judges and during the time of the kings when Israel appears to succumb most to the foreign pantheons. Notice the dramatic change of attitude in the people. Asherah (Hebrew ), also spelled Ashera, was a major northwest Semitic mother goddess, appearing also in Akkadian sources as Ashratu, in Hittite as Asherdu and in Ugaritic as Athirat.She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods.. Baal (or Baalim) | Catholic Answers Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. 55:613; Jer. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. What the Bible says about Baal Worship - Bible Tools 33 Bible verses about Baal Worship, History - Knowing Jesus A series of bad years, which were apparently believed to come in seven-year cycles (cf. He sends someone long before the real crisis reaches its peak, while it is building. He just goes to sleep as he is freezing to death. The continued worship of Baal was given as one of the causes for the destruction of Judah (Jer. The latter name (Amarna, Addu) is to be related to Arabic hadda ("break," "crash") with reference to thunder. Who was the Canaanite god Molech? - CompellingTruth.org The divine child was named Demarous, one of the cognomens of Zeus-Baal-Hadad. In the Bible, Jezebel is notorious for persecuting the worship of Yahweh and for demanding that the Israelites worship Baal. Psalm 68 may have been written, in part, as a polemic against Baal worship wherein it is indicated in verse 4 that YHWH is the one who rides the clouds. What the Bible says about (Jeremiah 7:8-10). Assyria, a kingdom known as much for its innovative weapons as for their brutal implementation, conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 718 BC. And she has taken over many so-called churches. 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. Because such people are drunk through riches' deceptive promise, their judgment is in danger of being radically altered. Val is related to valimai in Tamil. 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. For instance, Hezekiahs son rebuilds the shrines of Baal and the Canaanite goddess Asherah that Hezekiah had torn down: He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. The Bible tells us that there were dire consequences for Israel worshiping a false god (Judges 2). No one answered; no one paid attention" (v. 29 ESV). They clash violently until both are prostrate and the Sungoddess warns Mot not to fight with Baal lest El hear and overthrow him. Knowledge of Baals personality and functions derives chiefly from a number of tablets uncovered from 1929 onward at Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra), in northern Syria, and dating to the middle of the 2nd millennium bce. Who were the Sidonians, and what do we know about their religion? For example, Christmas and Easter are traditions of men, but they are lies. In Tamil Nadu, the following words payachi paarai, Peyazhwar, payans, pai (meaning devil) are currently in use. John W. Ritenbaugh The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. Drought and the Fall of the Hittite Empire. Baal Worship was Blatant and in Your Face at the Commonwealth 2022 El is praised for his wisdom in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal will give his rain in season. 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! Two practices in particular are mentioned in Scripture. Before descending to the realm of death, Baal copulates with a heifer and begets a male offspring. Issuing a challenge to his enemy Mot (death), who presumed to rule gods and men, Baal dispatched his messengers to Mot's infernal, filthy abode, warning them not to get close to Mot's rapacious jaws. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. 14:13). When Ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to Molech, (also called Milcom in the Bible). Aztec Religion Beliefs, Practices & Mythology | Religion of the Aztecs Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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 Tetragrammaton should be rendered as Yahoah, with the vav being pronounced as the o in Torah, menorah, Eloah (singular form of Elohim), and Yehoshua (=Joshua, Christs REAL name). Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. It seemed they couldnt border a single person who didnt try to destroy them or convince them to worship their own gods. Elijah had to take drastic measures to prevent Baal worship from completely eradicating the worship of the true God (I Kings 18:20-40). Although they lived in Israel, Jezebel and her retainers were free to worship Baal. Most of them were just saving themselves and making themselves comfortable in their situation. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. And one of the most famous instances of Israel going head to head with the prophets of Baal comes from 1 Kings 18. By submitting to Him, we take a small step in being transformed into what He is. 19 Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. The king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. In Canaan, however, when the solar theology had absorbed the older beliefs, Baal, passing into a sun-god and the goddess who stood at his side becoming a representative of the moon--the pale reflection, as it were, of the sun- -Ashtoreth came to be regarded as the consort of Baal and took the place of the solar goddesses of Babylonia. Since Baal was, like almost all ancient deities, a fertility god, the human act of intercourse demonstrated that they wanted Baal to prosper them. 33:7) has been made the basis of intriguing speculation by Eissfeldt. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? Because of their self-procured wealth and affluence, they think they are being blessed with material things. At Ras-Shamar, Baal was referred to as the son of Dagon, the Philistines chief god. In the Judeo-Christian tradition Asherah is considered a false Canaanite deity and a major source of temptation to the Israelites. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. Join the BAS Library today. What was the rationale behind this perverse, immoral act? Historical Background of HoseaBaal and Idolatry. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion_.28Tvilah.29, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism. Everything Joshua* (Yehoshua) did was in accordance with the TaNaKh, which is an acrostic for Torah (=Law/Instruction), Neviim (=Prophets), and Ketuvim (=Writings). For seven days a fire burned inside the building, and when it subsided, the house was plated with gold, silver, and lapis lazuli. The worship of Baal in Syria-Palestine was inextricably bound to the economy of the land which depends on the regularity and adequacy of the rains. Baal is said to be one of the first of Solomon's 72 demons. "Whatever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Updated: 12/07/2022 Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. In the Hebrew Bible, Moloch is presented as a foreign deity who was at times illegitimately given a place in Israel's worship as a result of the syncretistic policies of certain apostate kings. Who Was Baal? - Topical Studies - Bible Study Tools 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). linked to Molech (also called Milcom in the Bible). The prophet turns the heat on, and they become angry with him when he is actually working to make them better. Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. Scott Broberg Fig Tree Ministries. This second, universal interpretation is a better fit because, when we look at the whole passage, the events and personalities are worldwide in scope. 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. Elijah was sent by God, and he was fulfilling the responsibility of a prophet, to prod the people to whom he was sent to their responsibilities. Baal was a cruel, sensuous, and revolting false god whose worship involved sexual degradation and lewdness. A common designation of Baal in the Ugaritic myths is bn-dgn "son of Dagn"; but Baal is also considered the son of El who is called "Bull El his [i.e., Baal's] father; El King who begot him [Baal]" (tr il abh; il mlk dyknnh). Appendix 5. Canaanite Religions and Baal Worship - JesusWalk The heyday of Baal worship in Israel came in the days of Elijah, when the Phoenician princess Jezebel launched a massive campaign to promote Baal. The handle displays an impression of a ship with the leonine dragon Uumgal, the storm god Adads attendant, next to it. With human features as well as the eyebrows, nose and horns of a ram, this painted limestone figurine represents a deity and dates to c. 1650 B.C.E. He could, and did, withhold the rain from one city and lavish it on another (Amos 4:7). Worship of Baal was also carried out right on the housetops of the people, from where sacrificial smoke to their god was frequently seen to rise. He then merely floats, going through the motions, even feeling good about himself as he neglects so great salvation (Hebrews 2:3). In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity that is coming soon upon modern Israel. While much about Molech's nature and origin are uncertain, the Bible mentions Molech on eight occasions, providing some context regarding the problems associated with this ancient god. 11:1011). Archaeologists at Sidon have uncovered a 12th-11th-century B.C.E. What is so interesting is that, by verse 35, it is clear God is no longer addressing Himself to the Samaritans, but to Israel: [T]he LORD had made a covenant and charged [Israel], saying: "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. Baal was the god of rain, wind, and fertility. . Who was Baal? | GotQuestions.org (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). That there were minor Baalim also at Ugarit is indicated by a god list in Akkadian (see Ugaritica, 5, p. 44 ll. These people, who became known as the Samaritans, feared the Lord but worshipped their own gods. Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. 2 Kings 10:18-28 NKJV - Worshipers of Baal Killed - Bible Gateway The worship of Baal penetrated Jewish religious life during the period of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became common in Israel during the rule of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33), and also influenced Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! Your email address will not be published. During the summer months the rains cease, but the temporary drought is no threat unless it is abnormally prolonged. Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. Revelation 2:14 "THE DOCTRINES OF . These Israelites were lethargic in terms of true, spiritual matters. Notably, an impressed handle found near a Canaanite grave at the site depicts Sidons storm god and a ship. Thus, IF one is to pronounce the Tetragrammaton according to the masoretic vowel-markings, then it should probably be pronounced something like yuh-WAH or yuh-HWAH. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. A major question about II Thessalonians 2 is the scope of the described events. Since the root tr in Arabic is connected with artificial irrigation, it is apparent that Ashtar's failure to measure up to Baal represents the inadequacy of irrigation as a substitute for natural rainfall. 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. First was sexual orgies "under every green tree," where promiscuity and perverted sex acts were the norm. 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'. None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. Isa. After a textual gap, there is a report that Baal's corpse has been found. In the parallel Ugaritic list, which is unfortunately very fragmentary, the "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" apparently corresponds to Baal apn, while those following are termed simply Baalim (blm). Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Rejection of God's Law. Charles Whitaker 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. Unlike Egypt and Mesopotamia, which depend on irrigation, the Promised Land drinks water from the rain of heaven (Deut. For those who think the baptism of John (Yochanan) was something new under the sun recall that he was a Levite as was his father Zechariah (Tsekharya). In Judah the murder of the queen mother, *Athaliah , and of Mattan, priest of Baal, and the smashing of the altars and cult images in the Baal temple (II Kings 11:18) did not wipe out the cult (II Kings 12:34). This is exactly what God warns us to flee, and the only way to come out of it is by developing and maturing in our relationship with God. Even now some ancient Jews (white and black) live in Cochin, Kerala, India. l, b . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 28:2); Hezekiah attempted to eliminate it; Manasseh his son again gave it royal support (II Kings 21:3); and Josiah in his turn purged the Temple of YHWH of the utensils made for Baal and Asherah (II Kings 23:4). Baal rejoiced and celebrated with a banquet. 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. PDF WE ARE PRACTICING BAAL-PEOR WORSHIP LIKE ISRAEL OF OLD WE - Numbers1317 Jesus says, "They are blind leaders of the blind. Baal in Smith's Bible Dictionary Baal (2) the supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations, as Ashtoreth was their supreme female divinity. They see themselves as following the way of God, but their religion has deceived them by failing to teach them His truth. This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. Ginsberg, Kitvei Ugarit (1936); J. Oberman, Ugaritic Mythology (1948); A.S. Kapelrud, Baal in the Ras Shamra Texts (1952); M. Dahood, in: Studi Semitici, 1 (1958), 7578; N. Habel, Yahweh Versus Baal: A Conflict of Religious Cultures (1964); J. However, before the war was over, both sides were summarily executing anybody who did this because those traitors could not be trusted. Through the window, a cleft in the clouds, Baal gave forth his holy voice which convulsed the earth and sent his enemies scurrying to the hills and woods. The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). For one to keep on coming to services and leaving, like a theatergoer, without his options, opinions, or decisions resolved but deferred, is an erosion of character. Ahab accommodated his wife's idolatry to the point of building a . God set up the Levites within Israel to function as the teachers of His way of life, and He sent the prophets as watchdogs on the Levites and civil leaders. In the Bible, the followers of the one true God encounter other gods, or previously worshipped idols themselves. Baal Worship Idolatry Part 2 - YouTube According to the Bible, centers of worship for Canaanite gods such as Molech and the Baal's were set up in Judah and Israel by apostate kings. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? Elijah was dealing with the same thing here, albeit spiritually. 33 Bible Verses about Baal Worship, History So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. This connects with the curse of Laodiceanism because God shows in the Laodiceans what can happen spiritually as people increase materially. Verse 15 points out that the people "rejected [God's] statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them." 3:23). The Largest Baal Worship Service on the Planet is in America All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. So it was that, about 250 years after it was established, the ten-tribed northern kingdom became extinct as a sovereign nation. Baal was considered the supreme. Their reverence for Him was mere intellectual accommodation intended to appease Him. The Bible speaks of the destruction of Baal's temples and the idols associated with him. Corrections? Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. His ministry took place about 150 years before Israel was to fall, becoming the Lost Ten Tribes, so God was beginning to make a powerful witness to them. However, it was not the religion God gave through Moses, but idolatry that flourished! In some cases, they attempted to attach this practice to worship of the Lord (Ezek 23:39). Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. Most often, it condemns Baal worship. Certainly not those of east Asia. Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part Two), Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen, He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true. 7:1416). One of the rooms in this temple had a bench, where offerings would have been placed, and an altar made of . 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. II Kings 17:7-17 catalogs the sins of Israel: Widespread idolatry. Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice? With the help of wonder weapons supplied and blessed by the versatile Koshar (the craftsman god), Baal was able to defeat and rout the sea-god. 9:20 presents a parallel is mistaken since the Ugaritic text mentions the sea-god and not Death (Mot) in connection with the window.) Today Jezebel has built Baal altars in the name of 'church' and led many to Baal worship.
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