The Baal Book: A Biography of the Devil.
Introduction: Out on Baal: What shall we make of an Ancient Canaanite God?
“The book is a biography of the devil.” Opening sentence. devil
De Young seeks to provide and alternative to the common narrative the Devil is from the Persian period influenced by zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is not the duality Western scholars think it is.
Moreover in Christianity, the Devil not equally powerful to God.
Devil and Baal portrayed as rebellious servants.
Baal religion saw Baal as a hero for rebelling, but Judaism and Christianity casts that in a different light. rebel
Modern Archaeology and the Scriptures
Modern archaeology a mixed bag, some results are useful, some aren’t. All depends on ‘modernist presuppositions and principles’, both ‘fundamentalist’ and ‘liberal’.
Both groups try to prove/disprove a very ‘literal’ understanding of the scriptures. modernism
The Limitations of “Real”
Literal a slippery term. literalism. The ancient view of the world does not map 1:1 onto modern archaeology.
“For the liberal scholar, insofar as these larger considerations form the biblical narrative, Scripture is not true, or at least not historical. For the conservative scholar, to imply that these larger considerations of meaning shape the biblical narrative outs someone as a liberal and means that they do not believe that the narrative is true, or at least historical.”
Discoveries of Ancient Texts
Perhaps most useful about archaeology is the discovery of texts. Importance of cuneiform and clay-tablets in preserving records.
“Those texts, from Assyrian and Babylonian libraries, are primarily written in Akkadian, a Semitic language that serves as the root of most other Semitic languages, in the way that Sanskrit stands behind Indo-European languages or Latin stands behind the Romance languages.”
Not quite right as Latin more direct than the other two examples. akkadian
Ancient libraries provide background material on ANE and Biblical stories.
Ugarit
ugarit was an important city on the Mediterranean coast. Fell c. 1185 BC. Cf collapse of bronze age 1177 BC bronze-age-collapse
A Window Into Canaanite Language And Liturgical Life
Ugaritic texts predate Hebrew Bible (unless you hold to early date of Exodus and Mosaic authorship, then predate all but a lot of the Torah)
Ugaritic in cuneiform, not later Phoenician alphabet.
Some words that appear only once in Hebrew Bible, have cognates in Ugaritic.
Important document find: the Baal Cycle baal-cycle.
Gives info on Baal stories, and how he was worshipped.
The Purpose of this Book
To make “knowledge about Baal accessible to everyday Bible readers.”
Understanding of Baal enriches understanding of Scriptures.
Book gives overview of Baal stories and beliefs, religious practices including liturgical life.
Scriptures that reference and oppose Baal traditions.
Baal, while experienced by his followers as king of the gods is reveled in the Bible as the Devil, the prince of demons.
Translations and Psalm Numbering
Both Psalm numbers are used with a / between them.
Translations author’s own.
To help reveal connections in consistent way.
But this does not mean equality between texts, as Bible corrects and explains and inverts ANE texts (or stories that were recorded as texts).
Chapter 1: Make Baal: Who Was Baal to His Worshipers?
baal, the most prominent pagan deity for Israel and Judah’s neighbors.
Worship well established by mid second millennium BC (1500 BC). Roughly the time of the early date of the exodus.
Later empires assimilated aspects of Baal, even Greeks and Romans did it with Zeus and Jupiter.
Cult of Baal the primary threat to exclusive worship of YHWH. Israelites often worshipped Baals syncretistically. syncretism
Often tied in with cultural and political influence of Israel’s neighbors.
Who is Baal
Meaning of the word is ‘lord’ or ‘master’ but often used for ‘husband,’ “giving a window into ancient Near Eastern family structures”.
Baal’s father is El ‘god’.
Husband: Gen 20.3, Ex 21.3,22 (CTH - and Hosea 2.16 “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’” But see ### Etymological Argument)
Because it was a word as well as a name, it doesn’t always refer to the deity. Often several deities are known as ‘the baals’ or ‘Baal so-and-so’.
Relation of Baal and Hadad. Appear to be parallel traditions, but not identical deities. But scholars hold several views. “Nonetheless, ancient people were just as capable of seeing the parallels and similarities as modern scholars.”
Family Ties
Baal part of a family.
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Father el Highest god because of actions of Baal.
- But El distant from humanity, no evidence of cult for him.
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El’s wife asherah.
- Asherah bore El 70 sons and daughters
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70 sons the council of gods that governed the world and human affairs.
- Baal ruler of the council.
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Others:
- Astarte: goddess of hunting
- Kothar: god of crafting and technology
Asherah ruled with Baal and often depicted in an incestuous relation with Baal. (CTH: See all the times sons in OT tried to usurp fathers in this way, Ruben and Jacob, Absalom and David, other son and Abishag after David’s death. See ## The Baal Cycle)
Shrines to Asherah centered around ‘poles’, carved phalli. [Phallus portion unsourced, appears diversity concerning shape among scholars. Although next sentence seems to indicate more viewed as phalli instead of shaped as phalli.]
Baal married to anath, his sister, goddess of love and war.
Lord of the North
Divine council met at Mt Zaphon. Zaphon is similar to the word for North.
North is then associated with evil throughout the Scriptures.
Mt Zaphon (like Mt Olympus) is a real place: Jebel Aqra/Mt Casius, 20 miles n of Ugarit, near Antioch on the Orontes.
While spiritual geography linked to physical geography, important not to over-literalize. Shrines ancient at that time stood on these mountains.
The Significance of the Storm God
Baal a storm god.
Idea of Pantheon is modern concept, in ancient world each city had it’s own deities. ‘A patchwork quilt of the divine world’. Stories got told when political fortunes changed about the relation of the gods to each other.
Most ruling gods within ancient pagan cults were associated with the storm.
Lightning = fire from heaven. Thunder echoed from mtns to river valleys. Sea embodied chaos. Storms often rolled in from the sea. Phoenicians sought protection from these storms thru Baal. Storms also irrigated crops, hence fertility.
Baal seen to prevail over the cycles of nature, allowing his followers to navigate their own cycles in their lives, including the cycles of life and death (See below [#] for more). ” Nevertheless, the worship of Baal staved off a winter that lasts forever such that spring never comes, so followers came to associate him with the warding off of death.”
However, these facts about Baal treat him as a concept or idea. “In the ancient world as now, however, religion is not primarily a set of concepts or ideas.” Segue to stories.
The Baal Cycle
The Baal Cycle baal-cycle translation of 6 tablets found in Ugarit. While now a single work with coherent movement, may have been drawn from disparate places/sources.
Alternate version of 2 of the tablets exist, made by priest scribal schools.
The Baal cycle lists the name of the king of Ugarit when copied, Niqmaddu II (poss official text), about 3400 years ago. (~1400 BC)
General plot arc is Baal taking control of the cosmos. At start controls skys (storm god) gains dominion over sea and underworld.
El is in background as in common with these types of myths. Can be read as Baal taking El’s place, but not conclusive. No battle between Baal and El (like other myths e.g., Zeus and Kronos) but El does at times support Baal’s opponents. El is also seen as weak, scared of Baal.
Sexual relationship between Baal and Asherah seen as family conquest/usurpation. See Ham, Ruben, and Absalom.
Cycle is that of revolution against chaos, death. Fr De Young also reads as rebellion against El. God upheavals happened within mythology at times connected to political changes. Story of Baal predates Greek and Roman myth and Dey Youngs says the later are dependant on the Baal cycl
“Unlike the way we will see this story told in the Scriptures, Baal is here portrayed as victorious over a weak and feckless father in addition to the primordial forces of the cosmos. This victory is proclaimed despite some details of the story seeming to point in the other direction, highlighting its nature as propaganda from Baal’s perspective. Baal had a gospel, a proclamation of his great victories and accomplishments, the rehearsal of which was at the core of his worship.”
CTH - Definition of Gospel, org a military term. Proclaimed accomplishments and what to be done to receive king/general.
The War with Yam
Baal fights Yam (the sea) first in his attempt to rule the world. (Appears this part of the story from an older independent Yam and Baal story.) At times it appears Baal and El are fighting against Yam and Nahar, but other times, appears El is aiding Yam. The editor that brought them together De Young suggests is giving a new layer of meaning to the composite story.
Who are Yam and Nahar?
Yam literally means ‘sea’. Sea in ANE a place of chaos, boats sailed in sight of land, and shipwrecks and storms were feared. (CTH while sea-going ships usually sailed in sight of land [#cabatoge], this is not true in general of the Phoenicians, and not strictly true of some other sea-going peoples.)
Nahar means ‘river’, less hostile than the sea. Viewed as the source of life as civilization started/thrived near rivers.
In ancient world, the world was created from chaos. Chaos, not ‘nothing’ stood in opposition to being and order. Genesis 1 shows God creating from chaotic elements, but not fighting with them as the ANE myths hold.
Yam has two dragons Lotan (aka Leviathan) and Rachav, who are sea serpents (CTH similar to other myths like Norse).
Coalition Building
Baal seeks to build a coalition, not go at it alone, however the myth portrays him as largely the only competent deity. After other gods cowering with their heads between their legs, Baal rallys them with, ‘lift up your heads, O ye gods.’ This seems to reflect political reality of Baal and other city cults. Baal’s victory grants to him the concepts of “giver of knowledge, understanding, and technology.”
The Enthronement of Baal and His Palace
After his victory over El, Baal wants a palace from El. Palaces typically followed victories in divine myth. Linked to temples, which ancient cities were built around. However Israel was to have one temple, which was a point of tension in that culture.
El doesn’t want to build a palace which in the Baal Cycle suggests a theological argument that the most high god ought not be worshipped as is distant and indifferent to humans. Baal is the champion for humanity; he knows better how to wield power. This argumentation is similar to the Devil’s in the Hebrew Bible.
Eventually El yields and the palace is built, signifying Baal worship is secure, and it’s time for him to be enthroned. Once done El is more or less retired by Baal, and he has lordship over land and sea.
The War with Mot
Yet there’s one region Baal doesn’t hold: death. Death ruled by Mot, the god of death. Mot translates to ‘death’. Mot swallows Baal, but the text breaks off.
Theories about Baal’s Victory over Mot
Possibly Baal dying and being returned to life similar to Osiris or other ANE gods, an annual cycle. However, the rest of the tablets don’t really support this.
Another suggestion is Baal defeats Mot, however this draws on scholars attempting to parallel the Christian story.
Baal, however does not benefit his worshippers in undergoing death. Baal stays in the underworld and establishes dominion there. Cf Gilgamesh.
Politically, this indicates Baal can receive offerings for the dead.
Thru the Baal cycle, Baal has obtained dominion over the sky (heavens), land, sea, and underworld. The cycle acts as propaganda for Baal worship.
When the Bible interacts with the Baal material it treats it as a “cover story” and does not simply dismiss it outright. # Chapter 3: Hey, Baal: Where is Baal in the Old Testament
Other Stories of Baal
The Epic of Keret (Kirta).
Keret another son of El, told to sacrifice to Baal and take a human daughter as wife.
Various calamities follow Keret. Baal’s role is to receive offerings “to grant children and ward off death”
The Story of Aqhat
Daniel (CTH-Danel?) a Syrian folk hero seeks Baal’s help in getting a son: Aqhat.
Aqhat dies, and Anath is sought by Aqhat’s siter Paghit in getting revenge.
(Not marked in text)
A single tablet, talks about Baal creating a bull thru procreation. Possibly the minotaur of Greek myth is influenced by this story.
Religion as Ritual Participation
These stories relate to the ritual life of Ugarit. Religion is not ‘a system of propositional truths to be believed.’ No disbelief of Moabite Chemosh or Edomite Qos.
At the time these stories would have been held as true if not historical. (No x years before date.)
Their value lay in worshippers participating in them thru ritual.
Worship makes one like the object of worship. 1 Corinthians 10:20-22.
[No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (ESV)]
Christianity radical as it overturned the order of tyranny and stated all humans were human.
Chapter 2: Baal Out: How Was Baal Worshiped?
Baal cult similar to ANE religion as a whole.
ANE gods were seen to have multiple bodies, e.g., idols.
While gods often had contradictory descriptions, seen as correct (but not exhaustive) among worshipers. NO systematic theology.
Sacrificial Rituals
Information is scattered. Many documents not translated.
Calendar structured around solstices and equinoxes. Earth sought to harmonize with heavens.
Differing Roles of Priest and King
While in Christian and Jewish context priest and kings are different, this was not the case in the ANE pagan context.
The king was the high priest, and thought to be divine or partially divine. He was a low-ranking member of the council of gods, unlike most of humanity.
The king was to restore justice and promote harmony, if he couldn’t it’s likely he’d be overthrown
Annual Festivals
- King and royal family processed through city to temple.
- Ritual bed in temple, where king would consort with goddess.
- Goddess represented by shrine prostitute.
Festival of idols and tents, representing mountain. Procession of idols to tents. This an inversion, where gods come down instead of people ascending.
Sacrifices of bulls and rams. Baal would get the largest portion by far. Sacrifices a major economic pipeline including accoutrements such as wine and oil.
In contrast to Israel, animals killed by strangulation, and blood (likely) not drained from animal. The Torah has strict prohibitions against both practices.
Human Sacrifice
While human sacrifice occurred it was not regular (like in MesoAmerican culture). HS an extreme measure, Baal priests would first engage in self-harm to gain attention of Baal.
Infant sacrifice somewhat more common, but not as common as the Roman accounts make it appear. Sometimes perverse first fruits to guarantee fertility.
Israel not supposed to offer child sacrifice, but did.
Baal’s Temples
- Temples
- cities
- shrines
- standing stones
Temple of Baal-Shamin well preserved until Daesh.
Syrian Temples
Large courtyard devoted to rituals, idol of Baal at the back. Two large pillars at entrance of different materials. May represent jugular and carotid. (CTH: Note King Solomon’s temple pillars Boaz and Jachin, 1/3 Kings 7.15-22, 2 Chronicles 3.15-17)
Shrines
Usually outside of cities. At a place of encounter, tree, spring, etc.
Shrines kept by local elders, could be hereditary. Shrines often had ritual sexual component. Often shrines, being more agricultural/countryside were concerned with fertility.
Standing stones
Local pilgrimages to sites of events in Baal stories, sometimes with inscriptions.
Bull Baal
Bull symbolism ancient in ANE cults, dating back to neolithic. Bull opposite sea, represented “power, virility, dominion.”
In Scripture, sea dragon is Leviathan, bull is Behemoth (beast of beasts).
Gilgamesh defeats the bull of heaven, angering the gods. Bull El and Bull Ball indicate the might of those gods.
Other gods described as calves and heifers.
Likely the destruction of Canaanite livestock in Joshua due to participation in fertility rituals. Cf Zeus as a bull.
Chthonic Baal
(CTH-Cthullu could be related to/inspired by the word chthonic…)
Baal a chthonic deity due to association with underground and contest with Mot.
Ancestor worship in ANE differs from East Asian.
The Underworld after death
Whereas in East Asian, ancestors something like minor deities that interact with the living, in ANE death feared and there was no concept of heaven, all went to the grave (Sheol) or Earth (eretz)
Death was feared even by kings, and the epics tell of their attempts to avoid it. The fate of those in the underworld came in visions or dreams to them. Terrifying stories involved something of the underworld terrorizing humanity.
After death the shade of a human would be destroyed by demons or fade as their memory faded.
Fear of the Mighty Dead
Negative aspect to pagan worship, appeasing beings opposed to humanity. For example Resheph the god of plage and vengeance. Worship directed ‘toward’ him was more about keeping him away and warding him off. When the powerful died, they remained powerful in the underworld. They didn’t rule hell, but devoured others less powerful than they.
Og, king of Bashan, one of these powerful dead: the Rephaim. (Deuteronomy 3.11) A subset of the Nephilim, giants/tyrant.
Appeasing the Rephaim
Annual festival to appease Raphaim shades. First on behalf of current king, so when he died and the Raphaim met him it’d go well.
In connection with Baal, while contesting death and ending up in the underworld might seem like defeat, because of his power of terror, could be seen as victory. But the Scriptures relate this differently.
Baal and Zeus
In Persian wars, the Greeks encountered the semitic gods directly. Already they had understood similar to their own gods. Zeus identified with Baal.
Appears parts of Greek myth (thru Hesiod) derived from Syrian religion (or protoEuropean my in general) then reunited when encountered later.
What’s the difference between us?
In addition to the storm imagery, both Zeus and Baal got their present power by rebellion.
In Asia minor, these mixed and over time, completely identified.
Outside of cities in Roman-Grecian period, the shrines used the older language and rituals of Baal worship.
Rome versus Baal Hammon
In North Africa, conflict between Romans and Carthaginians (Semitic Phonecians) ensured religions clashed. Rome disdained human infant sacrifice. While award of Jupiter and Baal overlap, they refused to publicly hold they were the same as infant sacrifice reminded Romans of a past they’d like to forget.
Significance of the Baal Cult in the Old Testament
Understanding Baal worship sheds light on OT reaction to it.
God reveals himself to a West Semitic people in contrast to Baal.
Chapter 3: Hey, Baal: Where Is Baal in the Old Testament?
The texts of the OT interact with Baal worship in several ways. Judah and Israel pre-exile often worshipped Baal. Psalms reappropriate Baal language for YHWH. The prophets correct the claims of Baal.
Is Yahweh Actually Baal?
Taught in academia that YHWH is org a Canaanite storm god like (or identical to Baal) and only later did he become the only God.
Old Testament Scholarship minus the Old Testament
See canon-and-literature for inspiration for next books
OT more about studying ancient Israel rather than the text itself. They to construct a ‘real’ history of Israel and Judah from archaeology and a hermeneutic of suspicion. Often read thru a overarching history theme like class struggle, evolution, etc. (CTH–Cf. Hegelianism, Marxism.)
Texts of OT assigned late, often because of their supposed advanced development; this is circular reasoning.
Questionable Evidence: Inscriptions
The archeological evidence for YHWH as storm god boils down to some inscriptions. These do not list YHWH as part of a pantheon, and his name is not in the Baal texts. A few at height of Samarian (Northern) Kingdom 700s BC refer to YHWH and his Asherah. Which could be a goddess (as we know the Northern Kingdom syncretized) or cultic place of worship. While Israel and Judah’s “on-the-ground” worship was syncretistic, the should have known better and not worshipped in that way, but archeology cannot show what ‘should be’, but only insight into what was.
Another inscription (700s BC) may refer to a conflation of YHWH and Qos of Edom. But the inscription would be talking about then current state of affairs not origins.
Other inscriptions from much earlier (1400s BC) identify YHWH as the God of Shasu (Levant) Bedouins. As this is around the time of the Exodus, it’d be Midians, Edomites, and Ishmaelites. In Torah, other Abrahamic groups were depicted as worshipping YHWH.
Etymological Arguement
YHWH in Hebrew “He who causes things to be” But scholars take that as too sophisticated for Bronze age humans and link it to Edomite word, “He blows” and therefore YHWH is a storm god. But this is several leaps of logic.
Duet 32.8-9 YHWH allots land to nations often understood by modern scholarship as El allotting. However Israel not one of the 70 nations, but a new nation created by God. (Compare Hosea, Not-My-People)
Hosea 2.16 You call call me My Ishi (man) and not My Baal (lord). Both words for husband. This is not talking about Israel worshiping Baal then YHWH, but in the context of Hosea, it’s that God is faithful to faithless Israel. Ishi and Baal are words for husband, but first is congenial not dominating.
Baal Peor
First encounter with Baal and Israel was at Peor in Moab at a high place (shrine).
Shrine Prostitution
A specific instance of the above general practice from Chapter 2.
Pagan view of sexuality contrasts wit the Scriptures need for chasity for both sexes. Also sexuality and reproduction tied together.
Balaam and Israel’s Temptation
Numbers 25 (previous chapters about Balaam, but 25 about the temptation at Peor)
Talking donkey reveals that the animal knows more about the spiritual world than the famous prophet.
But Balaam learns that Israel is unconquerable when she is faithful, and easy defeated when she is not (Num 31.16). Ironically in the history of Israel, they fail to learn this.
Balaam in NT is connected to apostacy (2 Peter 2.15, Jude 11, Apocalypse 2.14)
By joining themselves to Baal, God sends a plague. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, stops the plague by killing Zimri and his lover, a daughter of the Midianite tribal chief, in the act. For this zeal he and his descendants were given the high priesthood.
Unrepentant Sin and the Community
A significant role of the priest is preserving purity. Sin has its effect on communities. Various ways to confront it, but excommunication last resort, but even that has the hope that the sinner may be restored.
Baal in the Psalms
Psalms and Job interact with Baal worship. These are poetic forms. Often Baal language is reappropriated for YHWH. Language is inverted or recast. While scholars understand this as Yahweh and Baal are similar, the inversions tells a different story.
Psalm 18/17
This psalms takes Baal language and applies it to YHWH. Psalm is about the deliverance of David from his enemies, who are Baal’s followers.
Vv. 4-6 reference God delivering David from the place of the dead. God is superior to Baal, and the underworld shakes at his presence.
Storm imagery used for God (vv. 9-14) showing Baal is powerless. YHWH defeated the sea (vv. 15-16)
Psalm 24/23
V 1 states everything is the Lord’s, not Baal’s. He established it’s rule upon the waters (Yam and Nahar). Note, no struggle.
V 3 is sarcastically addressed to Baal, no rebel can take the Most High’s place but only one who has a pure heart.
But while Baal cannot ascend, the Lord descends to the underworld telling the gates “to lift up your heads” that (they may be destroyed) and he can enter. This parodies the Baal Cycle wher Baal rallies the fellow sons of El with the cry “Lift up your heads, ye gods.”
In the Church this Psalm is used at Pascha (CTH-and the Ascension) to tell of Christ’s defeat of death.
Psalm 29/28
This psalm calls on the sons of God to worship YHWH. YHWH is not one of them but exceeding them, God of gods. He is presented as speaking and things happen, without struggle.
Psalm 48/47
Zion, the Mountain of God. Divine Council. Yet one oblique reference to Baal in stating Zion (not Zaphon) in the far north (48.2 cf Isaiah 14.13).
Psalm 68/67
Paschal Psalm
Og one of the giants, ruler of Bashan, servant of Baal.
Psalm 89/88
YHWH presiding over council of gods. But YHWH is in a category by himself. Hermon and Tabor emblematic of north and south (CTH- tranfiguration?).
Psalm 104/103
Vespers psalm.
Meditation on Creation. No chaos struggle. God plays with Leviathan.
Job
Job includes a poetic description of the creation of the world. (Chapter 38) But this is done to question Job as to if he can really understand the answers he wants. He can’t even understand creation. Rather Job should embrace humility and trust God.
An “Alternate” Creation Story
Once (cth-when?) scholars thought Job was early and an older version of the creation myth. But this argument isn’t made anymore since Job thought to be late.
Beyond Human Comprehension
Job integrated with rest of Hebrew Scriptures, so earliest readers did not think they were incompatible. Job account is to show God is beyond human comprehension.
Baal themes. 38 Sea (CTH - And in Greek v 17 God opens the gates of death and the keepers of Hades cower.) YHWH controls the stars and the seasons and the great beasts: Behemoth and Leviathan.
Jezebel
Most known Baal story in the Bible. Elijah & the prophets of Baal(3 Kingdoms 17 - 4 Kingdoms 2)
Some background tho is useful as the Bible was written when Baal worship still existed.
Jeroboam’s New Religion
Omri’s son, Ahab married Jezebel introducing Baal worship. Previously it was ostensibly YHWH worship tho very different from the Torah.
The first king of the Northern Kingdom, Jeroboam established shrines at Bethel and Dan so the Israelites wouldn’t have to go to Jerusalem.
Omri and Jezebel
The scriptures do not say much about Omri, save he was wicked. (3 Kingdoms 16.21-28) But he built Samaria, established trade relations and his name is even in Assyrian inscription. Israel is described as ‘House of Omri’. Relations established relations. Jezebel literally means ‘where is baal’, so likely corrupted from her real name.
Repression of Yahweh Worship
Ahab and Jezebel replaced Yahwehism with Baal worship.
The prophets of Yahweh were suppressed, violently if needed, but many of the people accepted the change easily.
Jezebel brought in hundreds of Baal’s prophets, which were similar to Balaam son of Beor.
Elijah Confronts the House of Ahab
Elijah means ‘My God is Yahweh’. He sets up a conflict between Yahweh and Baal, by telling Ahab it wouldn’t rain. Baal, a storm god, is shown impotent. After 3 years, Elijah calls for a ‘prophetic showdown’.
This showdown also was designed to strike at the heart of the conception of Baal that his worshipers held. The Baal Cycle describes Baal as the one who wields the fire from heaven—the thunderbolt. While the rain, related to fertility, was associated with the favor Baal’s followers sought from him, the thunderbolt was associated with his power and wrath. Elijah had shown that Baal did not control the rain. Elijah now arranges a challenge to show that he did not have the power of the thunderbolt either.
Not only does Baal not throw the thunderbolt, but Elijah soaks the offering before praying. Yahweh provides the lightning, burning up the offering and the altar.
Elijah executes rough justice to kill the prophets of Baal.
Death and Succession
When Jezebel hears this she swears death to Elijah. The dynasty collapses however, and Jehu hunts down all of the house of Ahab.
The Devil’s Fall
The devil is portrayed in similar ways to an inversion of the Baal cycle. The devil seeks to destroy humanity, not one to prayed to receive blessings. The devil failed in his rebellion against the most High God.
Genesis 3
The serpent suffers a fall. Serpent from Hebrew ‘n-ch-sh’ which has several meanings, serpent, dragon, shining, deceitful.
This being attempts to seduce the first woman into partaking of the knowledge of good and evil—knowledge for which she is not ready. He promises that doing so will make her like him and his fellow powers. Contained within this promise is the central notion of later paganism: To worship and serve a spiritual power is to become like it—to acquire its powers. The serpent offers the woman the opportunity to follow and thereby become like him, rather than being faithful to the true God who created her and thereby becoming like Him in time. She follows the serpent’s prodding and leads the first man to do the same. In seeking the worship, and thereby the destruction, of the crown of God’s creation, humanity, the serpent has rebelled against his own Creator.
Tho the angels were a little higher than man, by his fall the Devil would become lower than all. He is banished to eat dust, that man returns to. Yet he will be abased further, for one of the Woman’s descendants will crush his head.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel prophecies against neighboring nations.
After he predicts the downfall of Tyre’s ruler, Ezekiel turns to (28.11) another figure, the ‘king’ of Tyre. This figure was present in Eden and a guardian cherub.
The doom of the king of Tyre has already happened, he has been kicked out of the mountain of God. Baal was the deity Tyre worshipped and is identified with the devil.
Just as the serpent, Eve, and Adam are addressed separately regarding the consequences of their actions, so here the misled, wicked human is addressed separately from his spiritual corruptor. The language used in both oracles is similar, reflecting the fact that the human king has become the son or image of the being he worships. This also means that he will share that being’s fate.
Isaiah
Isaiah 14 describes the king of Babylon. This is in the midst of a section directed toward nations, not individuals. This power behind the throne is said to have ruled in anger, and is the cause of false worship. Isaiah describes him in terms familiar to Baal. His fall began from the morning star. Yet unlike Baal propaganda, Isaiah states Baal’s rebellion failed with him confined to Sheol.
The Enthronement of the Son of Man
Daniel 7 One like a Son of Man rides the clouds and is enthroned. The Ancient of Days described as El
Psalm 24/23 used in ascension service Ascension
Prayers of Baptism say Christ has defeated Baal.
Chapter 4: Baal Bonds: What Happens to Baal in the New Testament?
Berissus preserved many Baal traditions in Greek in 3rd cent. BC.
Baal worship was waning and NT interacts diff than OT. But Baal often assimlated to Zeus
Beelzebub
While the rebel story of Baal was discussed in 2nd Temple Judaism, he often was just named as ‘the evil one’.
beliel Eph 6.16, 2 Thess 3.3
Beelzebub Lord of the flies reference to either corpses or animal excriment.
Baal as Satan and the Devil
Satan from Hebrew ‘Adversary’ Devil from Greek ‘slanderer/betrayer’ cth- ‘to scatter’
In Job, the Satan accuses the righteous, but in Christ’s ministry he is cast from this role and ther pwoer of death also taken from him.
The Devil, Zeus
The Greeks assimlated Baal and Zeus in 4th cent. BC They attempted to do so with Zeus and YHWH, but did not go so well (See the Maccabees).
Later on Jupiter aslo assimlated to Baal. Rev 2.13 temple of Zus called throne of Satan.
In this context the Messiah would need to judge the Devil
The Antichrist
Beliel, yokeless one. Ascension of Isaiah, lawless one. pagan nations refered to as sons of Beliel
Incarnation of the Son of God.
But the anti-messiah was the pagan rulers that opposed God, and were servents/sons of the evil one.
Rome the ‘manifestation of the rule of Satan over their present evil age.’
But Christians with St Paul (unlike many other 2nd temple groups) understood the real warfare was spiritual warfare.
Paul sought to preach to and convert the pagan emporer of Rome. Later realized in St Constantine.
Conclusion: Skip Baal: Why Is Baal Still Important?
Modern society loves a rebel.
Milton the Devil as a romantic figure.
Albert Camus ‘rebellious impulse ends in self-destruction’
Yet real freedom is the freedom to do good.
The Scriptures correct this story. They tell the truth of where a rebel like Baal ended up. They tell the truth about where he is leading his worshipers and followers. Baal’s false story is a false gospel. It tells of victories that were, in fact, defeats. It praises someone unworthy of praise for deeds left undone. It steals for Baal claims of glory and power that rightly belong to the true God. This story is a weapon of the evil one who brought whole nations to share in his fate. This story encouraged them to commit atrocities. More important than correcting the record, the Scriptures tell another story. They tell a true story of the true Son of God, the Lord Jesus the Messiah. They tell the story of His real victories, culminating in His victory over death. This true gospel, this true story, is also one that the followers of Christ participate in through ritual. But it is a story that leads His followers to the end of Christ’s journey—to resurrection, glorification, and eternal life. The telling of this story, partici- pating in it, and living it out in one’s own life, is the core of Christianity.
References
Dates
2025-10-26 date note started
(2025-W43-7)
2025-W43
2025-10