The right remedy, according to Israel's prophets, was to repudiate Baal completely and to seek and return to Israel's true God (Isa. 3:10; cf. A frequent epithet is "Cloud Rider" (rkb rpt) which has an almost identical parallel in Psalms 68:5. What was Baal Peor in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Nevertheless, despite the biblical tendency to avoid the use of the word as a proper name, it is now quite clear that by pre-Israelite times the term had become the usual name of the weather-god of Syria-Palestine. Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God (I Kings 12:26-33). 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. 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. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/ggenova. Baalism in Canaanite Religion and Its Relation to Selected Old - Bible Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. guilty of adopting the ghastly Canaanite practice of child sacrifice. The prophet Haggai attributed the drought and scarcity in his day to the failure to rebuild the Temple (Hag. 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). All rights reserved. Theoretically, the Israelites did not believe in idols, but in reality, they did. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? Or about Yahweh? What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? Matthew 5:17Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. That the World May Know | Fertility Cults of Canaan Top 10 Sacred Prostitutes - Listverse 3:8; Ps. Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. 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. Ashtoreth in the Bible - Definition, Meaning and References Baal's response to Mot's invitation to come and be devoured is abject surrender: "Thy slave am I, thine eternal." Indeed, religion flourished, as Amos, Hosea's contemporary, clearly reports (see Amos 5:21-27). The events leading up to the Day of the Lord will be unmistakable to those with eyes to see. "They built for themselves high places in all their cities . Molech worship included sexual worship of Ashtoreth, his consort. Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. The god Baal was the heathen sun-god spoken of in the Old Testament. The word "Baal" derives from the Semitic stem "bel", meaning "lord". Child Sacrifice and Baal - Moloch - Anglican Orthodox Church In a normal good year, when the rains come in due season, there is no hiatus in productivity, for the land yields its increase, the trees produce their fruit, the threshing overlaps, the vintage overlaps the sowing, and there is food aplenty, prosperity, and peace (Lev. THIS IS A PROFILE OF PRACTICES, DOCTRINES, AND SYMBOLS OF BAAL WORSHIP . Second was passing their babies through the fire. In the Hebrew language, Baal as a noun means "lord or possessor." As a verb, it means "to have dominion over or be lord over." Additionally, the local deity (near Israel) "Baal," was a god of rain and fertility. 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. He then merely floats, going through the motions, even feeling good about himself as he neglects so great salvation (Hebrews 2:3). He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. 2 Kings 10:18-28 NKJV - Worshipers of Baal Killed - Bible Gateway What will happen will affect the entire world, even though the world will not grasp the spiritual significance. Baal and Asherah - HoldToHope Ritual prostitution only served to erode the family, eventually leading to the destruction of the nation. Elijah says disturbing things. BAAL-WORSHIP AMONG THE GENTILES.The evidence is hardly of such weight as to justify us in speaking of a worship of Baal. In the Bible, the followers of the one true God encounter other gods, or previously worshipped idols themselves. Because Canaan depended on rain to grow crops and survive, he was numero uno. 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). One of the rooms in this temple had a bench, where offerings would have been placed, and an altar made of . 33 Bible verses about Baal Worship, History - Knowing Jesus The latter name (Amarna, Addu) is to be related to Arabic hadda ("break," "crash") with reference to thunder. The combined letters o and e is joined to pronounce the sound ye. 29:35, 32:26; Nah. In daily life, they conformed to and reflected the Babylonish system just as Israel does today. 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 One interpretation is that it is a localized occurrence, in the sense of it happening just within the little flockthe church. Human-Ram Deity from Sidon. He wanted people to like him, which is understandable. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal's epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. 1:711). He was the god that provided - food - for the people. Molech was an ancient god worshiped by the people neighboring Israel during Old Testament times. Who Is Baal in the Bible - History and Mythology - Crosswalk.com "Christian" religions of this world have mixed the traditions of paganism with some of the truth of God's Word. In Tamil Nadu, the following words payachi paarai, Peyazhwar, payans, pai (meaning devil) are currently in use. Elijah had to take drastic measures to prevent Baal worship from completely eradicating the worship of the true God (I Kings 18:20-40). He is a loving Master who only is to be obeyed and servedand only on His terms. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." A god Baal apn was known from Egyptian and Akkadian sources before the discovery of the Ugaritic documents. Who were the Sidonians of the Iron Age (c. 1200586 B.C.E.)? 7:1416). 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. Immorality lies in the desire of men to live self-centered lives independent of God, as when Adam and Eve took of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:1-19). When religion is ungodly, its power is destructive, and every institution in the nation suffers. What the Bible says about He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E., the handle pictures the storm god as a leonine dragon. To become moral, we must kill our selfish egos through the use and guidance of God's Holy Spirit. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. And of all the foreign gods the Israelites came into contact with, they appeared to struggle the most with worshipping this one. 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). They were Phoenicians. Koshar twice recommended that a window be installed and Baal twice vetoed the suggestion, although Koshar insisted that Baal would have to reconsider. Jesus says, "They are blind leaders of the blind. They were Canaanites and shared numerous similarities, including many of the same gods, with their close neighbors in the southern Levantwho were also predominantly Canaanite. 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. ( The first is the Assyrian crisis, discussed here.) They were straddling the fence in a precarious state of imbalance, attempting to combine the worship of God with the more popular worship of Baal and Asherah. The Cult of Moloch - Jewish Virtual Library 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. 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. In another room was a round base that likely supported a wooden pillar. (NASB). 27:1, 30:7, 51:910; Ezek. Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. Evil practices never go away. 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. Worshipers of Baal Killed. In some cases, they attempted to attach this practice to worship of the Lord (Ezek 23:39). The Semitic word "baal" (meaning '"Lord") was also used to refer to various deities of the Levant. Superstitious fear and sexual rites on the one hand fought against faith and loyalty on the other. Baal | Definition, Myths, Worship, & Facts | Britannica Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen. What the Bible says about Baal Worship - Bible Tools California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. YHWH's victory over the waters is connected either with the rescue of Israel at the Exodus (Ps. made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal" (verses 15-16). For example, Christmas and Easter are traditions of men, but they are lies. 74:1314, 89:910, 93:1ff. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. JezaBel can be respelLt as JezaVel ~ JezaVAl ~ IezaVAL ~ Isaval-lavi ~ an expert in music. (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). Observing Christmas and Easter in the name of Christ is no different. The worship of Baal was popular in Egypt from the later New Kingdom in about 1400 bce to its end (1075 bce). Today Jezebel has built Baal altars in the name of 'church' and led many to Baal worship. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Ahab accommodated his wife's idolatry to the point of building a . 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. 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). Jer 32:29. First was sexual orgies "under every green tree," where promiscuity and perverted sex acts were the norm. In spite of the fact that the word is used as the theophorous element in personal names, such as Eshbaal, Merib-Baal, Jerub Baal, it was long believed that the term remained an appellation and did not become a proper name, except in the case of the Mesopotamian Bel and in late theological speculation. Further, they "followed idols, became idolaters, and . 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. Even as the Canaanite religion waned, Baal took on a new role as Zeus in the Ancient Greek pantheon. Is Baal worship going on in USA and we don't even know it? This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. Some of Judah's kings spent years tearing down shrines and high places to foreign gods (II Chronicles 34:1-7). His opinion of his holiness as compared with God's judgment is so far off base, it causes Jesus Christ to regurgitate him from His body. 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. 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.'" The variant form Hadad (hdd) is attested to only once in Ugaritic. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. The Sidonians were the inhabitants of ancient Sidon, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea in modern Lebanon. Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. Baal's objection to the window somehow concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but the text is broken at this point. During the summer months the rains cease, but the temporary drought is no threat unless it is abnormally prolonged. 14:2, 9; Num. Baal's resurrection followed Mot's demise, the good news being transmitted through a dream of El: The fields were still parched from the drought and again Anath and Shapsh set out to find Baal. Elijah was dealing with the same thing here, albeit spiritually. If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. 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. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. BAAL-PEOR - JewishEncyclopedia.com Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. The violence and injustice in Israelite society ultimately stemmed from the false teaching proclaimed from the pulpits. Did The Canaanites Really Sacrifice Their Children? | Bible Reading Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E. You tricked me." Archaeologists at Sidon have uncovered a 12th11th-century B.C.E. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen But who is Baal? All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. The Semitic word Baal means lord or master, and the ancient people believed he was in charge of all of nature and humans. The prophet turns the heat on, and they become angry with him when he is actually working to make them better. 33 Bible Verses about Baal Worship, History So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. 114) or with eschatological victory (Isa. Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). The above comment is by Prof. Abraham Joseph, M.Sc., M.Phil. Bible Study Hosea Old Testament. Asherah, another popular deity in Canaan, was the goddess of motherhood and fertility . Anyway she changed her mind and sent his son to Libya etc 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. 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.. Recall God's wrath when Aaron made a golden calf at the urging of the Israelites in the wilderness and proclaimed a feast to the Lord (Exodus 32:1-5). 19:5ff.). What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt? Israel's false religion, represented by the altars of Bethel, is at the root of her problems. 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 . What the Bible says about Baal Worship ( From Forerunner Commentary ) 1 Kings 12:26-33 The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Huffmon, Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts (1965), 174; W.F. Portions of ancient Baal liturgy were adapted to the praise of Israel's God, as the Ugaritic poems have shown. 19Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Well dive more into this in the historicity of Baal in a few sections. How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. Prophets and Prophecy (Part 1). The prophet comes along and troubles people by awakening them to their sins, making them feel guilty about their relationships with God and each other. 8. It seemed they couldnt border a single person who didnt try to destroy them or convince them to worship their own gods. But it could have existed long before that, when God established the law, including laws against eating pork, since pig slaughter and sacrifice were a hallmark of Baal worship. This is a prophet's job, a hallmark of a prophet of God. Essentially, the Phoenicians were the Canaanites who survived from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age and who were not supplanted by new people groups (Philistines, Israelites, etc.). The lesson for us becomes clear, because Jesus says the same thing (Matthew 6:24; 12:25). The word is used as the name of a town in ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 1:4, Joshua . 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. 10 Signs You Have Bowed Your Knee to Baal Charisma News The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baals own temple in the city of Ugarit. . The ancient Tamils had connections with the Syrians and Sidon. Possibly even more treacherous than this was a parallel development: mixing the worship of Yahweh and Baal. The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. Groves and high places were places of worship erected to Canaanite gods and goddesses. Ahaz fostered Baal worship (II Chron. Updates? 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. Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Hermann, in: DDD, 13238; M.S. Such evil cunning. 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. The tablets, although closely attached to the worship of Baal at his local temple, probably represent Canaanite belief generally. "like a bird in a tree. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Baal, Baalim - New Advent 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). Yet, he was in trouble his whole life, from his teenage years on. 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. They were not committed to the side that they were supposed to be on. Thus, according to Sakkunyaton, Baal's natural father was Ouranos and Dagn became his foster-father, while El-Kronos effected the transfer. Through the influence of the Aramaeans, who borrowed the Babylonian pronunciation Bel, the god ultimately became known as the Greek Belos, identified with Zeus. Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. Most modern translations use "false," "deceitful," or "faithless," and none of these are wrong, including "divided." Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. The only trouble is that people like to feel comfortable in moral mediocrity. 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. Only the individual could decide which side he would be on, because Elijah made it clear, "God does not want you the way you are. Avot 5:11 on the connection between tithing and rain). Unlike Egypt and Mesopotamia, which depend on irrigation, the Promised Land drinks water from the rain of heaven (Deut. Even now some ancient Jews (white and black) live in Cochin, Kerala, India. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! For instance, Amos 2:7 describes a deliberate act of ritual prostitution in a pagan temple: "A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name." In short, Scripture has nothing positive to say about Baal. Given Jezebels religious fervor in the Bible, one would expect to find evidence of Baal worship at Sidon. Photo: Courtesy of Claude Doumet-Serhal. We are seeing the same thing today, but at times, it is harder to recognize because we are accustomed to it, and it is not happening overnight. Baal (/ b e. Moloch | Definition & Facts | Britannica Asherah - New World Encyclopedia Paul, then, is letting the church know that it need not be concerned about missing the end time. 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. In the mysterious tablets of Ugarit, discovered by Claude Schaeffer, Baal is the God of rain, thunder, and extraordinary bolts of lightning.