baal worship practices in the biblesamantha wallace and dj self
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. God's first command to destroy any forms of idol worship came early in the Bible in Exodus 34:13. . He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. (NASB). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Near Baals temple was that of Dagon, given in the tablets as Baals father. Today, some evangelicals attempt to prepare the people for what is to come, but their teaching is a mixture of right and wrong. 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." 106 a ). The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. Baal's 450 prophets worked themselves into a frenzy, cutting themselves, dancing, and chanting to their god. The Semitic word "baal" (meaning '"Lord") was also used to refer to various deities of the Levant. The Jordan River (Nahar ha-Yarden) qualified as a mikveh as its flowing living waters originated from a natural spring (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River). John W. Ritenbaugh The Assyrians deported the population en masse from its homeland in Canaan, transplanting it virtually in toto to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. God sends a prophet to people who are cold in their relationship with Godspiritually freezing to deaththough they want to stay that way. Nyberg had restored it in Deuteronomy 33:12; I Samuel 2:10; II Samuel 23:1; Isaiah 59:18, 63:7; and Hosea 7:16. The word bal, common Semitic for "owner, master, husband," became the usual designation of the great weather-god of the Western Semites. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. He wanted people to like him, which is understandable. The latter name (Amarna, Addu) is to be related to Arabic hadda ("break," "crash") with reference to thunder. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. Fertility was envisaged in terms of seven-year cycles. 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). In mythological texts from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 B.C.E) city-state of Ugarit, she is called "the creatress of the gods"; her consort at Ugarit, the god El, is . A religion with such a beginning was doomed to fail, bringing the nation down with it. This Bible History Daily Article was first published in 2017, British Museum Excavations at Sidon Expose Millennia of History, The Phoenician Alphabet in Archaeology by Josephine Quinn. Or about Yahweh? The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. Recall God's prophecy in Deuteronomy 32:15, predicting that when Israel prospered, then it would rebel. Well dive more into this in the historicity of Baal in a few sections. Their spiritual lethargy for the true God made them uncommitted. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. 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 ). Most modern translations use "false," "deceitful," or "faithless," and none of these are wrong, including "divided." Can we stop with the Yahweh pronunciation once and for all? 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 worship of Baal was popular in Egypt from the later New Kingdom in about 1400 bce to its end (1075 bce). Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. The basis of all immorality is selfishness, the exact opposite of what God is. He was also king of the gods, and, to achieve that position, he was portrayed as seizing the divine kingship from Yamm, the sea god. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. This god also, apparently according to Canaanite lore, defeated El and had associations with the sun and thunder. Discovered in a farmer's field in northeastern Egypt, this inscribed monument bears the name of one of the few pharaohs actually named in the Old . Elijah was sent by God, and he was fulfilling the responsibility of a prophet, to prod the people to whom he was sent to their responsibilities. that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. 14:2, 9; Num. What the Bible says about 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. 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. She gives life to 70 other gods in the Canaanite pantheon. The prize of the victory was kingship over the gods and the enthronement ritual guaranteed the natural order of life and the welfare of the society. Because of their self-procured wealth and affluence, they think they are being blessed with material things. Gray, The Legacy of Canaan (rev. Depending on the tradition, she was either Baal's mother, lover, or both. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered!only to go on doing all these abominations? When we see that our thoughts and ways are not His, we should reform and repent. Baal was the god of rain, wind, and fertility. Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice? Groves and high places were places of worship erected to Canaanite gods and goddesses. The triumph of Baal recounted in the myths and perhaps reenacted in ritual drama gave assurance of help in the present and the future as in the past. They become "settled on their lees," as it says in Zephaniah 1:12. Moffatt renders this, "They worshipped the Eternal, and they also served their own gods.". 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. However, God still holds them responsible because the truth is available. 3:10; cf. Thus, IF one is to pronounce the Tetragrammaton according to the masoretic vowel-markings, then it should probably be pronounced something like yuh-WAH or yuh-HWAH. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. 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. As an example, notice Amos 2:6-7, where Amos chides the Israelites: ". In the Ugaritic mythological texts Balu (bl) is the name of the god which is used more than twice as often as his next most frequent name, Haddu (hd). In contrast, the church has had periods of strength and weakness all throughout its historyit goes through cycles of rallying around truth and then gradually letting it slip. 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. What modern-day Baals have we worshipped in place of God? Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. The right remedy, according to Israel's prophets, was to repudiate Baal completely and to seek and return to Israel's true God (Isa. The only trouble is that people like to feel comfortable in moral mediocrity. Those familiar with the Biblical text will recall that Sidon was an influential, wealthy Phoenician city when the kings of Israel and Judah ruled during the Iron Age. Photo: Courtesy of Claude Doumet-Serhal. The violence and injustice in Israelite society ultimately stemmed from the false teaching proclaimed from the pulpits. 3:8; Ps. north of Ugarit. The Jews of Christ's day clearly recognized this putrid blend and despised the Samaritans for it. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! They were primarily devoted to the worship of Baal and Asherah (or Asherim, Asheroth). That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the . What do we know about the religion surrounding this Canaanite deity, and how did it affect those in the Old Testament? . Remember, this falling away sets the stage for the man of sin, who will have tremendous influence over humanity. 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. Figs and grapes ripen during the dry season and the grain harvest also takes place before the rains resume. ), from an original Baal-Zebul, which is preserved in this form in the New Testament (Matt. Asherah was a fertility goddess. Isaiah 14:13 alludes to this divine abode as "the Mount of Assembly in the recesses of afon" (har moed be-yarkete afon), the latter phrase being the equivalent of Ugaritic mrym pn or rrt pn, the height or fastness of apn. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). Since you mentioned John baptizing Jesus. 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. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. An example of Israel going after Baal leads to their loss of direction and, ultimately, scattering at the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. There was, therefore, continuity in Sidons population from the Bronze to the Iron Age. Baal is said to be one of the first of Solomon's 72 demons. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. The Israelites rejected the law of God and relied on the traditions of Gentile nations. Note the name of her father, King of the Sidoneans and apparently (Josephus) a priest of Baal as well. 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. Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. ; Job 3:8, 7:12, 9:13, 26:1213, 38:811, 40:25). Baal worship was the bane of the Ancient Israelites. One interpretation is that it is a localized occurrence, in the sense of it happening just within the little flockthe church. Required fields are marked *. (verses 9-11). The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! "Christian" religions of this world have mixed the traditions of paganism with some of the truth of God's Word. 22:816). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal's epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. 10:25, 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18). Updated: 12/07/2022 1:711). It is urgent that we understand what is involved here because it reveals the cause of God's anger that led to Israel's defeat and scattering. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens. l, b . . . 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. (the Middle Bronze Age). 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. At Ras-Shamar, Baal was referred to as the son of Dagon, the Philistines chief god. The Septuagint (LXX) rendered Joshua, the son of Nun, in Greek as Iesous; the same was used for Christs name in the NT. A large part of this world's appeal is its offer of financial security. (The suggestion that Jer. YHWH's victory over the waters is connected either with the rescue of Israel at the Exodus (Ps. It was a corruption of that religion, for the Israelites syncretized that holy way with Baalism and other idolatries. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:14). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. (II Kings 17:35-38). In Hebrew, it is rendered Yehoshua, and in Aramaic, Yeshua. Baal's objection to the window somehow concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but the text is broken at this point. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." That afon designated the "north" in Hebrew is presumably due to the fact that Mount Casius lies directly north of Palestine. In daily life, they conformed to and reflected the Babylonish system just as Israel does today. 8. They used the name of God frequently, saying they trusted Him, but they filled the nation with stealing, lying, and murder. Sacred sex was a key component. You have a cuddly little Baal idol in your child's bedroom without even suspecting it. In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity that is coming soon upon modern Israel. The worship of Baal extended in this region to the Jews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians. Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. 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). However, it was not the religion God gave through Moses, but idolatry that flourished! If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. But who is Baal? While they gave lip service to the Creator, they adopted most of the Canaanitish religion with its lewd immorality, and in actual practice, patterned their life after it. 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. Alternate titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim. 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). Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. Elijah is quite instructive here. (the Iron Age). The summer drought did not mean that YHWH had died (like Baal), nor did the return of the rains signal the resurrection. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. Because such people are drunk through riches' deceptive promise, their judgment is in danger of being radically altered. The sum of what Elijah said is actually spiritually dangerous, due to the fact that God is judging. Canaanite Religions and Baal Worship by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson Audio (12:51) Free E-mail Bible Study Grace: Favor for the Undeserving. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E. This viewpoint was developed as the basic and final argument against Baalism. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Baal, Baal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). If you will not be committed to Him, you are going to die.". Apostasy is a defection from trutha forsaking of one spiritual approach in favor of another. Smith, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle (1994). Revelation 2:14 "THE DOCTRINES OF . Corrections? In Tamil Nadu, the following words payachi paarai, Peyazhwar, payans, pai (meaning devil) are currently in use. Asherah, mother of the gods, was prevailed upon to intercede with El to gain permission for the building. Christ warned the Pharisees: "For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the traditions of men." Even as the Canaanite religion waned, Baal took on a new role as Zeus in the Ancient Greek pantheon. The songs of His Temple would ordinarily be happy and joyous songs of praise to God, but He will turn the songs of their templesung to Baal in the name of the Lordto wailing, for the numbers of the dead will be unimaginable. Baal and Asherah were two giant stumbling blocks for the people of Israel. In the mysterious tablets of Ugarit, discovered by Claude Schaeffer, Baal is the God of rain, thunder, and extraordinary bolts of lightning. It will be far more terrible than anything ever seen on this earth! A vivid description of theophany in a thunderstorm is found in Psalms 18:715 (= II Sam. Kings Ahaz and Manasseh, Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Some extraordinary discoveries from recent excavations have allowed us to partially reconstruct Sidonian religion during the Bronze and Iron Agesshowing that Baal worship at the site had deep roots. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. Paul, then, is letting the church know that it need not be concerned about missing the end time. By submitting to Him, we take a small step in being transformed into what He is. It proved extremely hard for a monotheistic faith to compete against the Canaanite fertility cult. Claude Doumet-Serhal of the British Museum details recent excavations at Sidon in her article SidonCanaans Firstborn, published in the July/August 2017 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. The cosmic character of afon leads to its use as a synonym for "sky" in Job 26:7: "who stretched out afon on emptiness who suspended earth on naught." God set up the Levites within Israel to function as the teachers of His way of life, and He sent the prophets as watchdogs on the Levites and civil leaders. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. . In those God calls outthose who, by faith, will voluntarily yield to HimHe is building character based on outgoing love. Baal & Asherah. For those early Hebrews, Baal designated the Lord of Israel, just as Baal farther north designated the Lord of Lebanon or of Ugarit. Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. Gen. 41; II Sam. What Is the Meaning of Psalm 91 and Why Is it Popular? BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. II Kings 17:7-17 catalogs the sins of Israel: Widespread idolatry. But church is where we come to have our minds stretched and measured against Christ's standard. If Baal triumphed, a seven-year cycle of fertility would ensue; but, if he were vanquished by Mot, seven years of drought and famine would ensue. Join the BAS Library today. 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. How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. Verse 15 points out that the people "rejected [God's] statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them." In the parallel Ugaritic list, which is unfortunately very fragmentary, the "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" apparently corresponds to Baal apn, while those following are termed simply Baalim (blm). . Pagan Religious Practices. The bird cannot make up its mind where it wants to settle down, so it just keeps hopping around. Baal was the title of the "god" worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. 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). THIS IS A PROFILE OF PRACTICES, DOCTRINES, AND SYMBOLS OF BAAL WORSHIP . 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). guilty of adopting the ghastly Canaanite practice of child sacrifice. Yet, he was in trouble his whole life, from his teenage years on. Whether it turns out to be the falling away remains to be seen. The basis for this view was the fact that in biblical usage the plural of the term, with the article, "the Baalim," appears to designate minor local gods (Judg.