. Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice? Our god is what we give our lives over to. Usually the storm god is illustrated as a striding human figure, but sometimes he is represented by one of his symbols, such as the bull or leonine dragon. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. Meaning of Jezebel: This word can be also pronounced as Isabel. Looking at these two definitions we can say . As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. (verse 8). In daily life, they conformed to and reflected the Babylonish system just as Israel does today. The Israelites fell into the worship of this idol(Numbers 25:3,5,18; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalm 106:28; Hosea 9:10). The sequel to this action is furnished by the group of texts which recount Baal's confrontations with Mot. El and Anath mourn violently, mutilating their faces and bodies. Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen. This shows that the Egyptian Cleopatra had maritime connections with the ancient Kerala Tamils. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! 27:1, 30:7, 51:910; Ezek. Study the god Baal, Baal worship, and the presentation of Baal in the Bible. Gen. 41; II Sam. Yet, he was in trouble his whole life, from his teenage years on. Let's exemplify Baal doctrines as preached . ed., 1965); H.B. 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). Koshar twice recommended that a window be installed and Baal twice vetoed the suggestion, although Koshar insisted that Baal would have to reconsider. 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! But what was its real effect on the participants and the nation? One of the rooms in this temple had a bench, where offerings would have been placed, and an altar made of piled and unhewn stones, which recalls the Biblical command to make altars of uncut stones (see Exodus 20:25). Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. However, before the war was over, both sides were summarily executing anybody who did this because those traitors could not be trusted. FREE ebook: Israel: An Archaeological Journey. Those familiar with the Biblical text will recall that Sidon was an influential, wealthy Phoenician city when the kings of Israel and Judah ruled during the Iron Age. Worshipers of Baal Killed. Despite Gods efforts to dissuade them, the Israelites engaged with the Canaanite culture a little too much and adopted their practices, including Baal worship. Baal was a fertility and earth god of the ancient cultures and was later exported to Egypt where he was worshipped as the storm god. The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baals own temple in the city of Ugarit. Thus, according to Sakkunyaton, Baal's natural father was Ouranos and Dagn became his foster-father, while El-Kronos effected the transfer. The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. 19:5ff.). 114) or with eschatological victory (Isa. Notably, an impressed handle found near a Canaanite grave at the site depicts Sidons storm god and a ship. 2:13) and *Asherah (Judg. Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. First was sexual orgies "under every green tree," where promiscuity and perverted sex acts were the norm. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. 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). 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. This connects with the curse of Laodiceanism because God shows in the Laodiceans what can happen spiritually as people increase materially. Most often, it condemns Baal worship. Well dive more into this in the historicity of Baal in a few sections. 25:111; Ps. 106:28). The god of arts and crafts, Kothar, then proceeded to build for Baal the most beautiful of palaces which spread over an area of 10,000 acres. . 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. 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). By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. The Spread of Baalism. In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity that is coming soon upon modern Israel. In the Bible, Baal (also rendered Baal) was an important Canaanite god, often portrayed as the primary enemy of the Hebrew God Yahweh. The Devil is behind a. Despite having the power and support of the king of Israel and his . 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. 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. 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. Can we stop with the Yahweh pronunciation once and for all? In other words, prosperity turns people's heads. "They built for themselves high places in all their cities . BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. They were primarily devoted to the worship of Baal and Asherah (or Asherim, Asheroth). Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. The rains were fully controlled by YHWH who called them from the sea and poured them out on the surface of the earth (Amos 5:8b; 9:6b). None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. "Christian" religions of this world have mixed the traditions of paganism with some of the truth of God's Word. The songs of His Temple would ordinarily be happy and joyous songs of praise to God, but He will turn the songs of their templesung to Baal in the name of the Lordto wailing, for the numbers of the dead will be unimaginable. Corrections? He was also king of the gods, and, to achieve that position, he was portrayed as seizing the divine kingship from Yamm, the sea god. Indeed, religion flourished, as Amos, Hosea's contemporary, clearly reports (see Amos 5:21-27). Silapadikaram, a Tamil Classic, mentions more than 200 musical instruments. It may seem easy to point the finger at the ancient Israelites and say, How could you let a bull statue into Israel? He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. 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. This god also, apparently according to Canaanite lore, defeated El and had associations with the sun and thunder. It may be, however, that these extra Baalim are Baal's attendants, mentioned as the seven or eight lads whom Baal is ordered to take with him in his descent into the netherworld. He then merely floats, going through the motions, even feeling good about himself as he neglects so great salvation (Hebrews 2:3). 1:21), would be catastrophic. Baal remains silent during the exchange, whereas God showers a sopping-wet altar with fire. 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). Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. The Israelites rejected the law of God and relied on the traditions of Gentile nations. Christ's purpose is to cure, not merely to comfort, so pain will be often involved when dealing with a prophet. Sacred sex was a key component. In the Aztec religion, life existed before humans, and civilization was built after the destruction of the fourth sun. The prophet Amos particularizes the epidemic of social injustice in the Kingdom of Israel. He was overseeing a tevilah (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion_.28Tvilah.29) in a mikveh (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh). Note the name of her father, King of the Sidoneans and apparently (Josephus) a priest of Baal as well. 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 bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them (2 Kings 21:3). 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 The Sovereign Creator is not a God who allows His favor to be bought with crumbs. 10:1113; 14:22). 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. Baal transformed into Zeus, who transformed into Jupiter, etc. He is a loving Master who only is to be obeyed and servedand only on His terms. Tamil is connected with the Phoenician. 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.. Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. Ahab accommodated his wife's idolatry to the point of building a . Baal's response to Mot's invitation to come and be devoured is abject surrender: "Thy slave am I, thine eternal." Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). 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'. Most modern translations use "false," "deceitful," or "faithless," and none of these are wrong, including "divided." Reuben Alcalay, a famous Hebrew lexicographer, stated that Yehoshua is closely related to Let there be So, lets be intellectually honest and start using the proper English translation: Joshua. Baal was a god of prosperity, god of harvest, sex and fertility. Their spiritual lethargy for the true God made them uncommitted. The Laodicean evaluates himself, saying, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17). These soldiers would surrender themselves to the other side to be given a bit of favor and put into prison. Mot refused and boasted how he had mangled Baal. The association of the name Baal-Zephon with Israel's exit from Egypt (Ex. II Kings 17:5-6 relates the ultimate consequence. 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." Elijah prepared the way for Elisha, who had a double portion of Elijah's spirit and did many more miracles. In correlating the sequence of events, Baal's victory over the sea-god, Yamm, is probably to be placed near the beginning of the action, since it was presumably this exploit which gained him the dominant position among the gods, just as *Marduk achieved preeminence by defeating the sea-monster Tiamat. (Iron Age) temple. Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. 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. When a person is freezing to death, he feels a pleasant numbness that he does not want to end. 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." Israel's false religion, represented by the altars of Bethel, is at the root of her problems. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:14). The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. Possibly even more treacherous than this was a parallel development: mixing the worship of Yahweh and Baal. Now the word isai, simply means music in Tamil. They become "settled on their lees," as it says in Zephaniah 1:12. 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! In Hebrew, it is rendered Yehoshua, and in Aramaic, Yeshua. The Lord calls for the worship of him and his idols to be uprooted and destroyed, and for the people to turn away from his false . Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered!only to go on doing all these abominations? (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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Since their rejection of the house of David under Jeroboam I, the Israelites had practiced a syncretistic religion (Amos 5:21-26; 8:14; I Kings 12:25-33). 33:7) has been made the basis of intriguing speculation by Eissfeldt. For example, Christmas and Easter are traditions of men, but they are lies. Gray, The Legacy of Canaan (rev. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. 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. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baals epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. 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. Alternate titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim. A falling away is taking place right now. 131; Sanh. Its prosperity played a part in corrupting the Israelites' hearts, which is why Hosea mentions the divided or disloyal heart in context with its bountiful fruit. This is no different from what Israel was doing when Amos wrote back in 760 BC. 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. 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). Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. Baal, of course, could not talk to them, but if he could, he would probably have said basically the same thing, so the people were in a very uncomfortable situation. Actually, there were two gods which were essentially worshiped the same way, Baal and Ashtoreth. They believed in a Creator God, but they worshipped Him at the shrines they erected to the Baals. Baal is also referred to about 12 times as "the Rider of the Clouds" which undoubtedly testifies to his control over the rain and storms. 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." In those God calls outthose who, by faith, will voluntarily yield to HimHe is building character based on outgoing love. 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. 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). A prophet's life is not a happy situation. The latter name (Amarna, Addu) is to be related to Arabic hadda ("break," "crash") with reference to thunder. Drought and the Fall of the Hittite Empire. 3:10; cf. Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. The biblical allusions to YHWH's victory over the sea preserve echoes of the older exploit of Baal (cf. 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.. Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. ( The first is the Assyrian crisis, discussed here.) God sends a prophet to people who are cold in their relationship with Godspiritually freezing to deaththough they want to stay that way. 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.