Baal 58204 226187056 2008-07-17T06:17:53Z EVula 683453 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/68.12.29.154|68.12.29.154]] ([[User talk:68.12.29.154|talk]]) to last version by Twofistedcoffeedrinker {{Semitic deities}} {{otheruses}} '''Ba'al''' (pronounced: {{IPA|[baʕal]}}; Arabic,بعل; Hebrew: בעל) (ordinarily spelled '''Baal''' in English) is a [[Northwest Semitic]] title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the [[Levant]], cognate to [[East Semitic|Assyrian]] ''[[Bel (mythology)|Bēlu]]''. A '''Baalist''' means a worshipper of Baal. "Ba'al" can refer to any god and even to human officials; in some texts it is used as a substitute for [[Hadad]], a god of the rain, thunder, fertility and agriculture, and the [[Sky god|lord of Heaven]]. Since only priests were allowed to utter his divine name Hadad, Ba'al was used commonly. Nevertheless, few if any [[Bible|Biblical]] uses of "Ba'al" refer to [[Hadad]], the lord over the assembly of gods on the holy mount of Heaven, but rather refer to any number of local spirit-deities worshipped as [[cult image]]s, each called ''ba'al'' and regarded in that context as a false god. ==Deities called Ba'al and Ba'alath== [[Image:Baal Ugarit Louvre AO17330.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Ba'al with raised arm, [[14th century BC|14th]]-[[12th century BC]], found at Ras Shamra (ancient [[Ugarit]]), [[Louvre]]]] Because more than one god bore the title "Ba'al" and more than one goddess bore the title "Ba'alat" or "Ba``alah," only the context of a text can indicate which Ba'al 'lord' or Ba'alath 'Lady' a particular inscription or text is speaking of. Though the god [[Hadad]] (or Adad) was especially likely to be called Ba'al, Hadad was far from the only god to have that title. The [[Ugaritic language|Ugaritic]] texts (mainly preserved in the [[Baal cycle|Ba'al cycle]]) place the dwelling of Baal on Mount Saphon,<ref>"This mountain on the northern horizon of Ras Shamra, modern Jebel el-Aqra and Mount Kasios of the Greeks, was the seat of Baal, who was thus Baal-Saphon. Classical and archaeological evidence suggests that Baal Zephon mentioned in the Exodus from Egypt (Exod. xiv.2) was a shrine of the Canaanite Baal". J. Gray, "Texts from Ras Shamra" in D. Winton Thomas, ''Documents from Old Testament Times'' </ref> so references to Baal Zephon in the [[Tanach]] and in inscriptions and tablets referring to the Baal of Mount Saphon may indicate the storm-god Hadad. It is said{{Fact|date=June 2007}} that [[Baal Peor|Ba'al Pe’or]], the lord of Mount Pe’or, whom Israelites were forbidden from worshipping ({{bible|Numbers 25:3}}) was also Hadad. In the [[Canaan]]ite pantheon, Hadad was the son of [[El (god)|El]], who had once been the primary god of the Canaanite pantheon. ===Baal of Tyre=== [[Melqart]] is the son of [[El]] in the Phoenician triad of worship, He was the god of [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyre]] and was often called the Ba'al of [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyre]]. {{bible|1 Kings 16:31}} relates that [[Ahab]], king of [[Israel]], married [[Jezebel (biblical)|Jezebel]], daughter of [[Ithobaal I|Ethba’al]], king of the [[Sidon]]ians, and then served ''habba’al'' ('the Ba'al'.) The [[cult]] of this god was prominent in Israel until the reign of [[Jehu]], who put an end to it ({{bible|2 Kings 10:26}}): <blockquote>And they brought out the pillars (''massebahs'') of the house of the Ba'al and burned them. And they pulled down the pillar (''massebah'') of the Ba'al and pulled down the house of the Ba'al and turned it into a latrine until this day.</blockquote> Some scholars claim it is uncertain whether "Ba'al" 'the Lord' refers to Melqart in Kings 10:26, they point out that Hadad was also worshipped in Tyre. However this position negates the real possibility that Hadad and Melqart are one in the same god, only having different names because of different languages and cultures. Hadad being Canaanite and Melqart being Phoenician. Both Hadad and Melqart are professed to be the son of El both carrying the same secondary position in the pantheons of each culture. This fact reveals them to be the same deity with different names due to different languages. A contemporary example of this would be God in English and Dios in Spanish. [[Josephus]] (''Antiquities'' 8.13.1) states clearly that [[Jezebel (biblical)|Jezebel]] "built a temple to the god of the Tyrians, which they call Belus" which certainly refers to Melqart. In any case, King Ahab, despite supporting the cult of this Ba'al, had a semblance of worship to Yahweh (1Kings 16-22). Ahab still consulted Yahweh's prophets and cherished Yahweh's protection when he named his sons [[Ahaziah of Israel|Ahaziah]] ("Yahweh holds") and Jehoram ("Yahweh is high.") ===Ba'al of Carthage=== The worship of Ba'al Hammon flourished in the [[Phoenicia]]n colony of [[Carthage]]. Ba'al Hammon was the supreme god of the Carthaginians and is generally identified by modern scholars either with the northwest Semitic god [[El (god)|El]] or with [[Dagon]], and generally identified by the [[Greek mythology|Greek]]s with [[Cronus]] and by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] with [[Saturn (mythology)|Saturn]]. The meaning of ''Hammon'' or ''Hamon'' is unclear. In the 19th century when [[Ernest Renan]] excavated the ruins of Hammon ({{unicode|Ḥammon}}), the modern Umm {{unicode|al-‘Awamid}} between [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyre]] and [[Acre, Israel|Acre]], he found two Phoenician inscriptions dedicated to El-Hammon. Since El was normally identified with Cronus and {{unicode|Ba‘al}} Hammon was also identified with Cronus, it seemed possible they could be equated. More often a connection with [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]/[[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] ''{{unicode|ḥammān}}'' 'brazier' has been proposed. Frank Moore Cross argued for a connection to ''{{unicode|Khamōn}}'', the [[Ugaritic language|Ugaritic]] and [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] name for Mount Amanus, the great mountain separating [[Syria]] from [[Cilicia]] based on the occurrence of an Ugaritic description of El as the one of the Mountain Haman. Classical sources relate how the Carthaginians burned their children as offerings to Ba'al Hammon. See '''[[Moloch]]''' for a discussion of these traditions and conflicting thoughts on the matter. Such a devouring of children fits well with the Greek traditions of Cronus. Prostitution as a form of worship also may have been done, especially when the Carthaginians began to recognize Ba'al as a fertility god. Scholars tend to see Ba'al Hammon as more or less identical with the god El, who was also generally identified with Cronus and Saturn. However, Yigal Yadin thought him to be a moon god. Edward Lipinski identifies him with the god [[Dagon]] in his ''Dictionnaire de la civilisation phenicienne et punique'' (1992: ISBN 2-503-50033-1). Inscriptions about Punic deities tend to be rather uninformative. In Carthage and North Africa Ba'al Hammon was especially associated with the ram and was worshiped also as Ba'al Qarnaim ("Lord of Two Horns") in an open-air sanctuary at Jebel Bu Kornein ("the two-horned hill") across the bay from Carthage. Ba'al Hammon's female cult partner was [[Tanit]]. He was probably not ever identified with Ba'al [[Melqart]], although one finds this equation in older scholarship. [[Ba'alat Gebal]] ("Lady of Byblos") appears to have been generally identified with {{unicode|‘Ashtart}}, although [[Sanchuniathon]] distinguishes the two. === Priests of Ba'al=== The Priests of Ba'al are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible numerous times, including a confrontation with the Prophet Elijah ({{bible|1 Kings 18:21-40}}), the burning of incense symbolic of prayer ({{bible|2 Kings 23:5}}), and rituals followed by priests adorned in special vestments ({{bible|2 Kings 10:22}}) offering sacrifices similar to those given to honor YaHWeH ([http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08329a.htm Jehovah] in English). The confrontation with the Prophet Elijah is also mentioned in the Qur'an ([http://www.submission.info/servlet/qtbrowse?pickthall=true&yusufali=true&shakir=true&arabic=true&chapter=37&verseBegin=123&verseEnd=125 37:123-125]) ==''Ba‘al'' as a divine title in Israel and Judah== ::At first the name Ba'al was used by the [[Jew]]s for their God without discrimination, but as the struggle between the two religions developed, the name Ba'al was given up in Judaism as a thing of shame, and even names like Jerubba'al were changed to Jerubbosheth: Hebrew ''bosheth'' means "shame". ''Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary (1976) ISBN 0-310-23560-X'' The sense of competition between the priestly forces of Yahweh and of Ba'al in the ninth century is nowhere more directly attested than in {{bible|1 Kings 18}}, where, [[Elijah]] the prophet offering a sacrifice to Yahweh, Ba'al's followers did the same. Ba'al in the Hebrew text did not light his followers' sacrifice, but Yahweh sent heavenly fire to burn Elijah's sacrifice to ashes, even after it had been soaked with water. Since ''Ba‘al'' simply means 'Lord', there is no obvious reason for which it could not be applied to Yahweh as well as other gods. In fact, Hebrews generally referred to Yahweh as ''Adonai'' ('My Lord') in prayer (the word ''Hashem'' - 'The Name' - is substituted in everyday speech). The judge [[Gideon]] was also called Jeruba'al, a name which seems to mean 'Ba‘al strives' though it is written in {{bible|Judges 6:32}} that the name was given to mock the god Ba‘al, whose shrine Gideon had destroyed, the intention being to imply: "Let Ba‘al strive as much as he can ... it will come to nothing." After Gideon's [[death]], according to {{bible|Judges 8:33}}, the Israelites went astray and started to worship the Ba‘alîm (the Ba‘als) especially Ba‘al Berith ("Lord of the Covenant.") A few verses later ({{bible|Judges 9:4}}) the story turns to all the citizens of [[Shechem]] &mdash; actually ''kol-ba‘<sup>a</sup>lê š<sup>ə</sup>kem'' another case of normal use of ''ba‘al'' not applied to a deity. These citizens of Shechem support [[Abimelech]]'s attempt to become king by giving him 70 shekels from the House of Ba‘al Berith. It is hard to dissociate this Lord of the Covenant who is worshipped in Shechem from the covenant at Shechem described earlier in {{bible|Joshua 24:25}}, in which the people agree to worship Yahweh. It is especially hard to do so when {{bible|Judges 9:46}} relates that all "the holders of the tower of Shechem" (''kol-ba‘<sup>a</sup>lê midgal-š<sup>ə</sup>kem'') enter ''bêt ’ēl b<sup>ə</sup>rît'' 'the House of El Berith', that is, 'the House of God of the Covenant'. Was "Ba‘al" here a title for El? Or did the covenant of Shechem perhaps originally not involve El at all but some other god who bore the title Ba‘al? Or were there different viewpoints about Yahweh, some seeing him as an aspect of Hadad, some as an aspect of El, some with other perceptions? &mdash; Again, there is no clear answer. Ba'al appears in [[theophoric name]]s. One also finds Eshba'al (one of [[Saul the King|Saul]]'s sons) and Be'eliada (a son of [[David]]). The last name also appears as ''Eliada''. This might show that at some period Ba‘al and El were used interchangeably; even in the same name applied to the same person. More likely a later hand has cleaned up the text. Editors did play around with some names, sometimes substuting the form ''bosheth'' 'abomination' for ''ba‘al'' in names, whence the forms ''Ishbosheth'' instead of ''Eshba'al'' and ''Mephibosheth'' which is rendered ''Meriba'al'' in {{bible|1 Chronicles 9:40}}. {{bible|1 Chronicles 12:5}} mentions the name Be'aliah (more accurately ''b<sup>e</sup>‘alyâ'') meaning "Yahweh is Ba‘al." It is difficult to determine to what extent the 'false worship' which the prophets stigmatize is the worship of Yahweh under a conception and with [[rite]]s, which treated him as a local nature god, or whether particular features of gods more often given the title Ba‘al were consciously recognized to be distinct from Yahwism from the first. Certainly some of the Ugaritic texts and [[Sanchuniathon]] report hostility between El and Hadad, perhaps representing a cultic and religious differences reflected in Hebrew tradition also, in which Yahweh in the ''[[Hebrew Bible|Tanach]]'' is firmly identified with El and might be expected to be somewhat hostile to Ba'al/Hadad and the deities of his circle. But for [[Jeremiah]] and the [[Deuteronomy|Deuteronomist]] it also appears to be [[monotheism]] against [[polytheism]] ({{bible|Jeremiah 11:12}}): <blockquote>Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of [[Jerusalem]] go and cry to the gods to whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the abominination, altars to burn incense to the Ba‘al.</blockquote> ==Multiple Ba‘als and ‘Ashtarts== One finds in the ''Tanach'' the plural forms ''b<sup>ə</sup>‘ālîm'' 'Ba‘als' or 'Lords' and ''‘aštārôt'' '‘Ashtarts', though such plurals don't appear in Phoenician or Canaanite or independent Aramaic sources. One theory is that the people of each territory or in each wandering clan worshipped their own Ba‘al, as the chief deity of each, the source of all the gifts of nature, the mysterious god of their fathers. As the god of [[fertility]] all the produce of the soil would be his, and his adherents would bring to him their tribute of first-fruits. He would be the patron of all growth and fertility, and, by the use of analogy characteristic of early thought, this Ba'al would be the god of the productive element in its widest sense. Originating perhaps in the observation of the fertilizing effect of rains and streams upon the receptive and reproductive soil, Ba'al worship became identical with nature-worship. Joined with the Ba'als there would naturally be corresponding female figures which might be called 'Ashtarts, embodiments of '[[Ashtart]]. Ba'al Hadad is associated with the goddess "Virgin" [[Anat]], his sister and lover. Through analogy and through the belief that one can control or aid the powers of nature by the practice of [[magic (paranormal)|magic]], particularly [[sympathetic magic]], sexuality might characterize part of the cult of the Ba'als and 'Ashtarts. Post-Exilic allusions to the cult of Ba‘al Pe'or suggest that orgies prevailed. On the summits of hills and mountains flourished the cult of the givers of increase, and "under every green tree" was practised the licentiousness which was held to secure abundance of crops. [[Human sacrifice]], the burning of [[incense]], violent and ecstatic exercises, ceremonial acts of bowing and kissing, the preparing of sacred cakes (see also [[Asherah]]), appear among the offences denounced by the post-Exilic prophets; and show that the cult of Ba'al (and 'Ashtart) included characteristic features of worship which recur in various parts of the Semitic (and non-Semitic) world, although attached to other names. But it is also possible that such rites were performed to a local Ba'al 'Lord' and a local 'Ashtart without much concern as to whether or not they were the same as that of a nearby community or how they fitted into the national theology of Yahweh who had become a ruling high god of the heavens, increasingly disassociated from such things, at least in the minds of some worshippers. Another theory is that the references to Ba'als and 'Ashtarts (and Asherahs) are to images or other standard symbols of these deities, that is statues and icons of Ba'al Hadad, 'Ashtart, and Asherah set up in various high places as well as those of other gods, the author listing the most prominent as types for all. The Deuteronomistic editor is as angered and saddened by worshiping of images as by worshiping divinities other than Yahweh and wishes to emphasize the plurality of false deities as opposed to true worship of Yahweh at his single temple in Jerusalem as called for in the reforms of [[Josiah]]. A reminiscence of Ba'al as a title of a local fertility god (or referring to a particular god of subterraneous water) may occur in the [[Talmud]]ic Hebrew phrases ''field of the ba'al'' and ''place of the ba'al'' and [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''ba'l'' used of land fertilised by subterraneous waters rather than by rain. === Common confusion over ''Ba'al'' === Because the word Ba'al is used as a common substitute for the sacred name Hadad, confusion often arises when the same word is used for other deities, physical representations of gods and even people. Historically, this confusion was resolved in the nineteenth century as new archaeological evidence indicated multiple gods bearing the title Ba'al and little about them that connected them to the sun. In 1899, the ''Encyclopædia Biblica'' article ''Baal'' by W. Robertson Smith and George F. Moore states: <blockquote>That Baal was primarily a sun-god was for a long time almost a dogma among scholars, and is still often repeated. This doctrine is connected with theories of the origin of religion which are now almost universally abandoned. The worship of the heavenly bodies is not the beginning of religion. Moreover, there was not, as this theory assumes, one god Baal, worshipped under different forms and names by the Semitic peoples, but a multitude of local Baals, each the inhabitant of his own place, the protector and benefactor of those who worshipped him there. Even in the [[astrotheology|astro-theology]] of the [[Babylon]]ians the star of Bēl was not the sun: it was the planet [[Jupiter (planet)|Jupiter]]. There is no intimation in the OT that any of the Canaanite Baals were sun-gods, or that the worship of the sun (Shemesh), of which we have ample evidence, both early and late, was connected with that of the Baals ; in <small>2</small> K. 2<sub>35</sub> cp <sub>11</sub> the cults are treated as distinct.</blockquote> ==The demon entitled ''Baal''== {{main|Baal (demon)}} [[Image:Bael.jpg|thumb|250px|The ''Dictionnaire Infernal'' illustration of Baal.]] ''Other spellings'': Bael, Baël (French), Baell. Baal is sometimes seen as a [[demon]] in [[Christianity]]. This is a potential source of confusion. Until archaeological digs at [[Ugarit|Ras Shamra]] and [[Ebla]] uncovered texts explaining the [[Syria]]n pantheon, the demon Ba‘al Zebûb was frequently confused with various Semitic spirits and deities entitled Baal, whereas in some Christian writings, it might refer to a high-ranking devil or to [[Satan]] himself. In the ancient world of the [[Persian Empire]], as [[monotheism|monotheistic]] strains of thought were gaining steam, from the [[Indian Ocean]] to the [[Mediterranean Sea]], worship of deities represented by idols was being rejected in favor of the cult of [[Yahweh]]. In the [[Levant]] the idols were called "ba'als", each of which represented a local spirit-deity or "demon". Worship of all such spirits was rejected as immoral, and many were in fact considered malevolent and dangerous. Early [[demonology|demonologists]], unaware of [[Hadad]] or that "Ba'al" in the Bible referred to any number of local spirits, came to regard the term as referring to but one personage. Baal (usually spelt "Bael" in this context; there is a possibility that the two figures are not connected) was ranked as the first and principal king in [[Hell]], ruling over the East. According to some authors Baal is a duke, with 66 legions of demons under his command. During the English [[Puritan]] period, Baal was either compared to Satan or considered his main lieutenant. According to [[Francis Barrett (occultist)|Francis Barrett]], he has the power to make those who invoke him invisible. While the Semitic high god Ba'al Hadad was depicted as a human, a ram, or a bull, the demon Bael was in [[grimoire]] tradition said to appear in the forms of a man, cat, toad, or combinations thereof. An illustration in [[Collin de Plancy]]'s 1818 book ''[[Dictionnaire Infernal]]'' rather curiously placed the heads of the three creatures onto a set of [[spider]] legs. In 1979, [[Jeff Rovin]] added to the confusion with ''The Fantasy Encyclopedia'', in which [[Astaroth]] was given Baal's likeness, including in a new illustration. This error has been repeated elsewhere, such as a Baal-like Astaroth as #102 in the [[Monster in My Pocket]] series. ===Ba'al Zebûb=== {{main|Beelzebub}} [[Image:Beelzebub.png|right|thumb|Beelzebub as depicted in [[Collin de Plancy]]'s ''[[Dictionnaire Infernal]]'' (Paris, 1825).]] Another version of the demon Baal is [[Beelzebub]], or more accurately Ba‘al Zebûb or Ba‘al Z<sup>ə</sup>bûb (Hebrew בעל-זבוב, Ba'al zvuv), who was originally the name of a deity worshipped in the [[Philistine]] city of [[Ekron]]. Ba‘al Zebûb might mean 'Lord of Zebûb', referring to an unknown place named Zebûb, a [[pun]] with 'Lord of flies', ''zebûb'' being a [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] collective noun meaning 'fly'. This may mean that the Hebrews were derogating the god of their enemy. Later, Christian writings referred to Ba‘al Zebûb as a [[demon]] or [[devil]], often interchanged with '''Beelzebul'''. Either form may appear as an alternate name for Satan or may appear to refer to the name of a lesser devil. As with several religions, the names of any earlier foreign or "[[paganism|pagan]]" deities often became synonymous with the concept of an adversarial entity. The [[demonization]] of Ba‘al Zebûb led to much of the modern religious personification of Satan as the adversary of the [[Abrahamic God]]. Some scholars have suggested that Ba'al Zebul which means 'lord prince' was deliberately changed by the worshippers of Yahweh to Ba'al Zebub ('lord of the flies') in order to ridicule and protest the worship of Ba'al Zebul. (NIV Study Bible published by Zondervan) == Non-religious usage of ''Ba'al'' == '''{{transl|sem|Ba'al}}''' ([[Beth (letter)|Bet]]-[[Ayin]]-[[Lamed]]; '''בַּעַל''' / '''בָּעַל''', [[Standard Hebrew]] '''{{unicode|Báʕal}}''', [[Tiberian Hebrew]] '''{{unicode|Báʕal}}''' / '''{{unicode|Báʕal}}''') is a northwest [[Semitic language|Semitic]] word signifying 'The Lord, master, owner (male), keeper, husband' cognate with [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''[[Bel (mythology)|Bēl]]'' of the same meanings. The feminine form is [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] '''בעלת''' '''{{unicode|Baʕalat}}''', Hebrew '''בַּעֲלָה''' '''{{unicode|Baʕ<sup><small>a</small></sup>lah}}''' signifying 'lady, mistress, owner (female), wife'. The words themselves had no exclusively religious connotation, just as "father" or "lord" are used in religious meaning today&mdash;but they were not used in reference between a superior and an inferior or of a master to a slave. The words were used as titles in reference to one or various [[polytheism|gods and goddesses]], either in declaration of the deity as the Lord or Lady of a particular place (or rite), or standing alone as a term of [[reverence]]. == ''Ba'al'' in Judaism == From the [[Tanach]]: {{bible|Genesis 14:13}} ''{{unicode|ba‘<sup>a</sup>lê b<sup>ə</sup>rît-’Abrām}}'' 'lords of the covenant of Abram', i.e. 'holders of an agreement with Abram', i.e. 'confederates of Abram' or 'allies of Abram'; {{bible|Genesis 20:3}}: ''{{unicode|b<sup>ə</sup>‘ulat bā‘al}}'' 'lady of a lord', i.e. 'wife of a man'; {{bible|Genesis 37:19}}: ''{{unicode|ba‘al haḥ<sup>a</sup>lōmôt}}'' 'lord of the dreams', i.e. 'the one who made himself important in his dreams' or simply 'the dreamer'; {{bible|Exodus 21:3}}: ''{{unicode|ba‘al ’iššâ}}'' 'lord of a woman', i.e. 'married man'; {{bible|Exodus 21:22}}: ''{{unicode|ba‘al hā’iššâ}}'' 'lord of the woman', i.e. 'husband of the woman'; {{bible|Exodus 24:14}}: ''{{unicode|mî-ba‘al dəbārîm}}'' 'who (is) lord of matters', i.e. 'whoever possesses some matter', i.e. 'whoever has a problem'; {{bible|Leviticus 21:4}}: ''{{unicode|ba‘al b<sup>ə</sup>‘ēmmā<sup>y</sup>w}}'' 'lord in his people', i.e. 'man of importance among his people'; {{bible|Deuteronomy 24:4}}: ''{{unicode|ba‘lāh hāri<sup>’</sup>šôn}}'' 'her lord the former', i.e. 'her former husband'; and so forth. But these should suffice to show the range of the words. [[Rabbi Meir]], one of Judaism's greatest second century [[Tannaim]] is known as “רבי מאיר בעל-הנס - Rabbi Meir Baal Haneis” (“Rabbi Meir, Master of Miracles”) due to miracles he performed to save people from harm. In medieval Judaism, a [[rabbi]] versed in mysticism was called [[Baal Shem|Ba‘al Shem]] 'Master of the Name' with no perception of any connection with ''Ba‘al'' as a title for a pagan god. Rabbi [[Israel ben Eliezer]] ([[1698]]&ndash;[[1760]]) who founded the [[Hassidic]] movement, was commonly known during his later life as [[Baal Shem Tov|Ba‘al Shem Tov]] ("Good Master of the Name") and is still commonly called by that title today. == ''Ba'al'' in Fiction == [[Baal (play)|Baal]] is the name of the amoral protagonist of [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s first play (1918), itself made into an [[Baal (opera)|opera of the same name]] (1980) by [[Friedrich Cerha]]. Baal is the [[antichrist]] in the [[Robert R. McCammon]] novel by the same name. [[Ba'al (Stargate)|Ba'al]] is a member of the fictional alien race, the [[Goa'uld]], portrayed by [[Cliff Simon]] in the [[Science-Fiction]] television series ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' who makes appearances in seasons 5 through 10. Baal is the Lord of Destruction, one of the three brother demons and rulers of Hell called the 'Prime Evils' in the video game ''[[Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]''. In the video game [[Baldur's Gate]], you play the role of one of the son of Bhaal. In [[Baldur's gate II]] and extension [[Throne of Bhaal]] you meet and fight all the other sons of Bhaal. In the Playstation 2 game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (and its remake Persona 3: FES) Beezlebub is the most powerful form of the Devil arcana, obtainable by completing the Tanaka Social Link. In the RPG ''[[In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas]]'' and its American remake ''[[In Nomine (role-playing game)|In Nomine]]'' Baal is [[Hell]]'s Demon Prince of War, and has a deep, but somewhat friendly, rivalry with the [[Archangel]] [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]]. Baal appears (along with [[Oribas]], [[Gaap]], [[Asmodeus]], [[Astaroth]], and [[Amon]]) as one of the six most powerful demon crests in the game ''[[Shadow Hearts: Covenant]]''. It is depicted with bird-like features and sadistic illusionist tendencies by pretending to be the character's deceased daughter/wife to get him to commit suicide. Ironically, he was depicted (with the other 63 demons available) to be controlled by [[King Solomon]]. Not directly referenced as Ba'al, but [[Beelzebub]] or 'The Lord of the Flies' was a demonic figure depicted as a sow's head planted on a stick sharpened at two ends, who speaks to the [[Jesus]] figure, [[Simon]], in [[William Golding]]'s novel [[Lord of the Flies]]. In multiple SRPG games made by [[Nippon Ichi Software]] (most notably, the [[Disgaea]] series), Baal often appears as an optional boss, and the strongest opponent in the game. In the role-playing game [[Vampire: the Masquerade]], a primarily antagonistic vampire clan called the [[Baali]] are said to be somehow connected the demonic Baal, a connection reinforced by the preponderance of infernal and demonic themes present in the clan. In Warhammer 40,000, Baal is the fictional home planet of the vampiristic Blood Angels In the PlayStation game [[Grandia]], Baal is the main antagonist. ==See also== {{FixBunching|beg}} {{Mythology portal}} {{FixBunching|mid}} {{Ancient Near East portal}} {{FixBunching|end}} *[[Adon]] *[[Adonis]] *[[Ars Goetia]] *[[Ba'al (Stargate)]] *[[Ba`al Shamîm|Ba‘al Shamîm]] *[[Baal Peor]] *[[Beelzebub]] *[[Bel (mythology)|Bel]] *[[Belial]] *[[Canaanite religion]] *[[El-Gabal]] *[[Hadad]] *[[Melqart]] *[[Moloch]] *[[Set (mythology)|Set]] *[[The Lesser Key of Solomon]] ==Notes== <!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php --> {{reflist|2}} ==External links== * [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02175a.htm ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', entry "Baal, Baalim"] *[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/directory.jsp?letter=b ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', entries "Ba'al", "Ba'al-worship", "Ba'al-Ha-bayit" etc] * [http://www.cwru.edu/univlib/preserve/Etana/encyl_biblica_a-d/baal-baca.pdf Article '''Baal''' by W. Robertson Smith and George F. Moore in ''Encyclopædia Biblica'',(edited T. K. Cheyne and J. Sutherland Black), MacMillan: London, 1899)] (PDF format. Still quite accurate.) * [http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S41.html Bartleby: ''American Heritage Dictionary'': Semitic roots: b<sup>c</sup>l]. *[http://www.barca.fsnet.co.uk/baal-hammon.htm Punic images of Baal Hammon described.] *[http://www.religionswissenschaft.unizh.ch/idd/prepublications/e_idd_baal.pdf Iconography of Baal (PDF format)] *[http://www.baalhaneis.com/ Rabbi Meir '''Baal''' Haneis] [[Category:Carthaginian mythology]] [[Category:Deities in the Hebrew Bible]] [[Category:Sky and weather gods]] [[Category:West Semitic gods]] [[Category:Phoenician mythology]] [[ar:بعل آمون]] [[ca:Baal]] [[cy:Baal]] [[da:Baal]] [[de:Baal (Gott)]] [[et:Baal]] [[es:Baal]] [[eo:Baalo]] [[fa:بعل]] [[fr:Baal]] [[gl:Baal]] [[ko:바알]] [[id:Baal]] [[it:Baal]] [[he:בעל (אל)]] [[lad:Baal]] [[lb:Baal (Mythologie)]] [[lt:Baalas]] [[hu:Baál]] [[nl:Baäl]] [[ja:バアル]] [[no:Baal]] [[pl:Baal]] [[pt:Baal]] [[ro:Baal]] [[ru:Баал]] [[sl:Baal]] [[fi:Baal]] [[sv:Baal]] [[tr:Baal]] [[uk:Ваал]] [[wo:Baal]] [[zh:巴力]]