The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel." For a while, both sidesthe Confederate and the Unionaccepted those turncoats and took their information. The Septuagint (LXX) referred to the latter as a stranger [in the land]. This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. was furnished by Harvard University excavations in the form of personal names containing Baal as the theophorous element, such as bybl, "Baal is my father," bl zmr, "Baal sings" or "Baalis strong," bl zkr, "Baal remembers," bl mny, "Baal is my answer," etc. Indeed, religion flourished, as Amos, Hosea's contemporary, clearly reports (see Amos 5:21-27). Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. They believed by their actions they could control and manipulate the Gods. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Virtually all reference to Baal's consort, the violent "Virgin Anath" with whom Baal copulates by the thousand in one of the Ugaritic mythological fragments has been excluded from the Bible, but the goddesses Ashtart (Judg. Christ warned the Pharisees: "For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the traditions of men." Rejection of God's Law. The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. Their spiritual lethargy for the true God made them uncommitted. Baal was considered the supreme. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. Well dive more into this in the historicity of Baal in a few sections. That afon designated the "north" in Hebrew is presumably due to the fact that Mount Casius lies directly north of Palestine. Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. ed., 1965); H.B. A frequent epithet is "Cloud Rider" (rkb rpt) which has an almost identical parallel in Psalms 68:5. As a Semitic common noun baal (Hebrew baal) meant owner or lord, although it could be used more generally; for example, a baal of wings was a winged creature, and, in the plural, baalim of arrows indicated archers. Jesus says, "They are blind leaders of the blind. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. Because Baal was neither alive nor a moral force, his worshippers felt they could communicate with him only by ritual actions that portrayed what they were asking him to do. The biblical allusions to YHWH's victory over the sea preserve echoes of the older exploit of Baal (cf. Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. Indeed, throughout its history, the most important god at Sidon was the storm godknown during the Phoenician period as Baal or Bel. Kings Ahaz and Manasseh, 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 was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. This is the crux of our salvation through Jesus Christ. The actual worship of Ba'al was carried out in terms of imitative magic whereby sexual acts by both male and female temple prostitutes were understood to arouse Ba'al who then brought rain to make Mother Earth fertile (in some forms of the myth, represented by a female consort, Asherah or Astarte). Now another presentation that the Phoenicians who are also connected with the Canaanites had traded with the trading mariners of Kerala, India. Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. Jehu's massacre of the Baal worshipers (II Kings 10:1828) did not eradicate bull worship (II Kings 10:31). As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. They were afraid of God, but they did not really change their way of life. Matthew 5:17Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Although they lived in Israel, Jezebel and her retainers were free to worship Baal. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . Because Canaan depended on rain to grow crops and survive, he was numero uno. How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: And the plague brake in upon them. He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. Baal's abode was Mount apn, identified as Jebel el-Aqra ("Mount Baldy") some 30 mi. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity that is coming soon upon modern Israel. Asherah (Hebrew ), also spelled Ashera, was a major northwest Semitic mother goddess, appearing also in Akkadian sources as Ashratu, in Hittite as Asherdu and in Ugaritic as Athirat.She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods.. 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). Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. Right now, though, we are witnessing a steady defection from the basic principles of the Bible, away from what we call the Judeo-Christian ethic. This god also, apparently according to Canaanite lore, defeated El and had associations with the sun and thunder. I would also challenge the suggestion in the text of the article that the location of Lots cave is known. For this reason, God shows that the preacher, not the civil authority, is the most vital part of the community. The prophet turns the heat on, and they become angry with him when he is actually working to make them better. 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). Ugaritic texts tell of other fertility aspects of Baal, such as his relations with Anath, his consort and sister, and also his siring a divine bull calf from a heifer. (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). . No one answered; no one paid attention" (v. 29 ESV). l /), or Baal (Hebrew: baal), was a title and honorific meaning 'owner', 'lord' in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity.From its use among people, it came to be applied to gods. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. What Tamils are you speaking of? Even those who have vaguely heard of the name Baal in the Bible know it doesnt have a good connotation. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen 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. They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree; and there they burned incense on all the high places, as the nations had done whom the LORD had carried away before them." Unlike Egypt and Mesopotamia, which depend on irrigation, the Promised Land drinks water from the rain of heaven (Deut. The basis of all immorality is selfishness, the exact opposite of what God is. 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. This is no different from what Israel was doing when Amos wrote back in 760 BC. 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! The god Baal was the heathen sun-god spoken of in the Old Testament. Issuing a challenge to his enemy Mot (death), who presumed to rule gods and men, Baal dispatched his messengers to Mot's infernal, filthy abode, warning them not to get close to Mot's rapacious jaws. 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). As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. Updates? According to the Bible, centers of worship for Canaanite gods such as Molech and the Baal's were set up in Judah and Israel by apostate kings. He was the god that provided - food - for the people. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. He is often accused of causing their pain. Today,. The second major background factor that we need to grasp somewhat to read Hosea well is the worship of the Canaanite god Baal (s). His overall conduct may not be too bad, but his poor self-analysis persuades him that he has no urgent need to seek God any further. 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 . Baal worship is and has always been pagan; today it is replacing the laws and beliefs based upon Judaeo-Christian roots, which honours the GOD of the Bible, His laws and His ways. Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. Whether it turns out to be the falling away remains to be seen. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. Its prosperity played a part in corrupting the Israelites' hearts, which is why Hosea mentions the divided or disloyal heart in context with its bountiful fruit. And she has taken over many so-called churches. Asherah, mother of the gods, was prevailed upon to intercede with El to gain permission for the building. Most of them were just saving themselves and making themselves comfortable in their situation. A general understanding about the bamah and . Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E. These people, who became known as the Samaritans, feared the Lord but worshipped their own gods. Actually, there were two gods which were essentially worshiped the same way, Baal and Ashtoreth. Everything Joshua* (Yehoshua) did was in accordance with the TaNaKh, which is an acrostic for Torah (=Law/Instruction), Neviim (=Prophets), and Ketuvim (=Writings). Paul, then, is letting the church know that it need not be concerned about missing the end time. 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. . 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. Psalm 68 may have been written, in part, as a polemic against Baal worship wherein it is indicated in verse 4 that YHWH is the one who rides the clouds. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Baal was different from his adherents merely in that he was above them. He is the king of the east and governs an army of 66 legions of demons." Did you catch that? The Sidonians were the inhabitants of ancient Sidon, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea in modern Lebanon. A major question about II Thessalonians 2 is the scope of the described events. Doumet-Serhal explains the significance of the handles iconography: The dragon epitomizes the most fundamental ancient mythical perception of the Mesopotamian storm god. He describes Israel as a luxuriant grape vine sending runners in every direction, indicating a bountiful crop. When Elijah preached his message, it put the people in a bind because they knew their conscience was telling them that they had to commit themselves to God or to Baal. 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. In artistic depictions and archeological finds, Baal took the shape of a bull or ram and had associations with fertility. Elijah is quite instructive here. 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. Adad (the Canaanite Hadad, the Semitic Hadda, the Hurrian Teshub, the Egyptian Resheph, the Phoenician Baal/Bel, the Sumerian Ishkur) is the Mesopotamian storm god, who has special maritime, celestial and meteorological attributes important to the well-being of sailors. The worship of Baal extended in this region to the Jews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians. And Asherah and Baal led the way together (Judges 3:7, 1 Kings 18:19, 2 Kings 23:4). A DSS fragment has it spelled Iaw in Greek (iota-alpha-omega), which is consistent with Yahoah; see ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/lxxjewpap/4QLevB.jpg. 4. 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. In the El-Amarna letters the logogram for the weather-god is conventionally read Addu, but that it is sometimes to be read Baluis indicated by the addition of the phonetic complement-lu, as well as by the names like Mut dIm written syllabically as mu-ut-ba-a-lum. Take the word isabel; it can be split as isa bel or as isai bel. Scott Broberg Fig Tree Ministries. Avot 5:11 on the connection between tithing and rain). Ahaz fostered Baal worship (II Chron. Ginsberg, Kitvei Ugarit (1936); J. Oberman, Ugaritic Mythology (1948); A.S. Kapelrud, Baal in the Ras Shamra Texts (1952); M. Dahood, in: Studi Semitici, 1 (1958), 7578; N. Habel, Yahweh Versus Baal: A Conflict of Religious Cultures (1964); J. Learn more about Biblical Sidon and Sidonian religion in Claude Doumet-Serhals article SidonCanaans Firstborn in the July/August 2017 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Smith, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle (1994). Israel's false religion, represented by the altars of Bethel, is at the root of her problems. Moffatt renders this, "They worshipped the Eternal, and they also served their own gods.". . In the Bible, Baal (also rendered Baal) was an important Canaanite god, often portrayed as the primary enemy of the Hebrew God Yahweh. He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. Today, music performers entice young and old in the practice of the worship of Baal-Peor 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. Tamil is connected with the Phoenician. It was under the Sol Invictus cult that CHRISTIANITY as a religion BEGAN TO BE ACCEPTED AND GROW, but THERE WAS A BIG PRICE THE EARLY ROMAN CHURCH HAD TO PAY. I appreciate your consideration, and Im sure the Most High does as well! Perhaps the clearest example of this is Jeremiah, who moaned and complained to God, "This is more difficult than You ever told me it would be. Worshipers of Baal Killed. The only trouble is that people like to feel comfortable in moral mediocrity. Further, they "followed idols, became idolaters, and . In the mysterious tablets of Ugarit, discovered by Claude Schaeffer, Baal is the God of rain, thunder, and extraordinary bolts of lightning.