26:1920). Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. 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. Historical Background of HoseaBaal and Idolatry. The practice of Baal worship was wide spread in Bible times and was very evil. Since the Ugaritic verified the antiquity and authenticity of this divine name, additional instances have been alleged in the Psalter and in Job. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. In the El-Amarna letters the logogram for the weather-god is conventionally read Addu, but that it is sometimes to be read Baluis indicated by the addition of the phonetic complement-lu, as well as by the names like Mut dIm written syllabically as mu-ut-ba-a-lum. In the Bible, Jezebel is notorious for persecuting the worship of Yahweh and for demanding that the Israelites worship Baal. 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. It proved extremely hard for a monotheistic faith to compete against the Canaanite fertility cult. 11:1011). Baal Peor, or the Baal of Peor, was a local deity worshiped by the Moabites. In the Bible, Baal (also rendered Baal) was an important Canaanite god, often portrayed as the primary enemy of the Hebrew God Yahweh. Baal Worship The Battle for the Israelites' Hearts For nearly a thousand years, a battle raged for the hearts of the Israelite nation. 18 Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve him much. (the Middle Bronze Age), this impressed handle depicts a ship and a leonine dragon, which is the symbol of the Mesopotamian storm god Adad. Baal was the title of the "god" worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. Even now some ancient Jews (white and black) live in Cochin, Kerala, India. God's first command to destroy any forms of idol worship came early in the Bible in Exodus 34:13. . Some suppose Baal to correspond to the sun and Ashtoreth to the moon; others that Baal was Jupiter and Ashtoreth Venus. PDF Canaanite Child Sacrifice, Abortion, and the Bible Baal was the god of rain, wind, and fertility. A series of bad years, which were apparently believed to come in seven-year cycles (cf. The laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Jews to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan. El is praised for his wisdom in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal will give his rain in season. (The suggestion that Jer. For Constantine, the acceptance of Christianity was done solely TO UNIFY TERRITORY, RELIGIONS, AND POLITICAL MOVEMENTS. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. 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. 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. This time, Baal puts up a fight and holds Mot off in battle. These Israelites were lethargic in terms of true, spiritual matters. They were afraid of God, but they did not really change their way of life. Further, they "followed idols, became idolaters, and . What is so interesting is that, by verse 36, God is no longer reporting on the Samaritans but is addressing Israel. Sidon was well connected by trade by the traders of the Pandya kingdom of Tamil Nadu. ed., 1965); H.B. All rights reserved. (Iron Age) temple. 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. 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). 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 biblical allusions to YHWH's victory over the sea preserve echoes of the older exploit of Baal (cf. The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. Baal Worship Idolatry Part 2 - YouTube Who Was Baal in the Old Testament? - pursueGOD.org Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He is the king of the east and governs an army of 66 legions of demons." Did you catch that? . 27:1, 30:7, 51:910; Ezek. 106:28). Given Jezebels religious fervor in the Bible, one would expect to find evidence of Baal worship at Sidon. . 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." 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. 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. Either you are going to be committed to Him or not. Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen. 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). 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. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. Let's exemplify Baal doctrines as preached . Who was Baal? | GotQuestions.org They clash violently until both are prostrate and the Sungoddess warns Mot not to fight with Baal lest El hear and overthrow him. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baals epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. 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). Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." Besides the names Baal and Haddu, the Ugaritic texts furnish a variety of other titles, such as "Mighty Baal" (aliyn bl) and "Prince, Lord of Earth" (zbl bl ars). Second was passing their babies through the fire. As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. 14:2). This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Or about Yahweh? Aztec Religion Beliefs, Practices & Mythology | Religion of the Aztecs Alan, how said anything about John baptizing Jesus? God sends a prophet to people who are cold in their relationship with Godspiritually freezing to deaththough they want to stay that way. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. Ritual prostitution only served to erode the family, eventually leading to the destruction of the nation. But God. Apostasy is a defection from trutha forsaking of one spiritual approach in favor of another. And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. Then stood up Phinehas, and exe Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. The Bible tells us that there were dire consequences for Israel worshiping a false god (Judges 2). As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal's epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. 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. Because of their self-absorption, God's "sudden" punishment will stun the people of the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and the other nations of modern Israel, including some members of the true church. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). Nevertheless, he was still faithful, and he did his job. 26:46). 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. After a sortie against the sea-god, Baal returned to his house and ordered Koshar to install a window; Koshar laughed, reminded Baal of the debate, and complied. Our god is what we give our lives over to. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. II Kings 17:7-17 catalogs the sins of Israel: Widespread idolatry. In Psalms 89:13 afon and yamin, in parellelism with Tabor and Hermon, hardly designate the directions north and south; yamin is almost certainly a corruption of Amana, the southern portion of the Taurus mountains, the alteration of amanah to yamin being occasioned by the misunderstanding of afon as the direction rather than the name of the holy mountain. . In the Bible, the followers of the one true God encounter other gods, or previously worshipped idols themselves. When we see that our thoughts and ways are not His, we should reform and repent. The Sovereign Creator is not a God who allows His favor to be bought with crumbs. 10:25, 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18). The prophet Amos particularizes the epidemic of social injustice in the Kingdom of Israel. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. 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. Asherah, mother of the gods, was prevailed upon to intercede with El to gain permission for the building. Jer 32:29. At one point in A Stillness at Appomattox by Bruce Catton, he deals with soldiers who left the service of their armyeither the Confederate army or the Union army. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble." But church is where we come to have our minds stretched and measured against Christ's standard. Israel's false religion, represented by the altars of Bethel, is at the root of her problems. Paul, in: Biblica, 49 (1968), 3436; U. Oldenburg, The Conflict Between El and Bal in Canaanite Religion (1969). Ashtar the Awful (ttrr) was then nominated to replace Baal, but when he ascended the throne, his feet did not reach the footstool nor his head the top and so he declined to reign on the heights of apn and descended from Baal's throne, but ruled over all El's earth. That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the . She gives life to 70 other gods in the Canaanite pantheon. Drought and the Fall of the Hittite Empire. because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. Child Sacrifice, Transgender Issues and Baal Worship 29:35, 32:26; Nah. Near Baals temple was that of Dagon, given in the tablets as Baals father. 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. Thus, they developed a syncretic religious system, a blending of the truth of God and outright paganism. 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 myths also tell of Baals struggle to obtain a palace comparable in grandeur to those of other gods. John W. Ritenbaugh In the El-Amarna letters Canaanite clients addressed the Egyptian king as "My Baal, my Addu." The Baal-worship so often alluded to and described in Holy Writ might, perhaps, be better styled Cid-worship, moon-worship, Melek ()-worship, or Hadad-worship, according to places and circumstances.Many of the practices mentioned were most probably common to the worship . The Israelites displayed a pandemic failure to love their fellow man. Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. The sequel to this action is furnished by the group of texts which recount Baal's confrontations with Mot. Sidons Phoenician Temple. Sidon is the birth place of Jezabel. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God (I Kings 12:26-33). Like ancient Israel, we can easily fall back into our former ways. It indeed produces great material prosperity, but it is consumed through self-indulgent gorging. Adad (the Canaanite Hadad, the Semitic Hadda, the Hurrian Teshub, the Egyptian Resheph, the Phoenician Baal/Bel, the Sumerian Ishkur) is the Mesopotamian storm god, who has special maritime, celestial and meteorological attributes important to the well-being of sailors. (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. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. A frequent epithet is "Cloud Rider" (rkb rpt) which has an almost identical parallel in Psalms 68:5. But who is Baal? (verse 8). Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. While it is acceptable to say that it was in what is now Jordan, to point to a particular cave and say, This is it. is ridiculous. Some scholars believe that the Canaanites also sacrificed pigs and that God prohibited his people from eating pork in part to prevent this horrible cult from being established among them. Blending the lies of this world with the truth of God produces a foul mixture called syncretism (James 3:10-13). 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. The bird cannot make up its mind where it wants to settle down, so it just keeps hopping around. A major question about II Thessalonians 2 is the scope of the described events. 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. 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. Baal remains silent during the exchange, whereas God showers a sopping-wet altar with fire. Their reverence for Him was mere intellectual accommodation intended to appease Him. 10 Signs You Have Bowed Your Knee to Baal Charisma News 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. YHWH's victory over the waters is connected either with the rescue of Israel at the Exodus (Ps. 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. The Worship of Baal - Bible History Further, in biblical usage when applied to the great weather-god, the singular regularly has the article, "the Baal," which suggests that the word was not regarded as a proper name. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. Assyria, a kingdom known as much for its innovative weapons as for their brutal implementation, conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 718 BC. 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. Omissions? a little T-shaped mark that stands for the long-A vowel (like a in father). Baal (/ b e. 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. It is related that on one occasion a strange ruler came to the place where Peor was worshiped, to sacrifice to him; but when he heard of this silly practise, he caused his soldiers to attack and kill the worshipers of the god (Sifre, Num. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! 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." During the summer months the rains cease, but the temporary drought is no threat unless it is abnormally prolonged. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen The handle displays an impression of a ship with the leonine dragon Uumgal, the storm god Adads attendant, next to it. 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. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. 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 contest on Mount Carmel was reported as demonstrating that Baal was an impotent non-entity and that the rain came only from YHWH. Can we stop with the Yahweh pronunciation once and for all? Silapadikaram, a Tamil Classic, mentions more than 200 musical instruments. Scott Broberg Fig Tree Ministries. But God has a different perspective; He says they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17). Baal | Definition, Myths, Worship, & Facts | Britannica (Jeremiah 7:8-10). Ahab accommodated his wife's idolatry to the point of building a . A complex religion with traditions and gods from all over the ancient Middle East, Baal worship offered something for everyone. The Kingdom of Israel fell below the historian's radar. The prophet Haggai attributed the drought and scarcity in his day to the failure to rebuild the Temple (Hag. As we study the operation of the spirit of Baal in the Bible, one can see the fruit of its operation in the USA.. 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. Elijah had to take drastic measures to prevent Baal worship from completely eradicating the worship of the true God (I Kings 18:20-40). Sidons Storm God. Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E. The Semitic word Baal means lord or master, and the ancient people believed he was in charge of all of nature and humans. The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. The Devil is behind a.