Today, some evangelicals attempt to prepare the people for what is to come, but their teaching is a mixture of right and wrong. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. Jehu's massacre of the Baal worshipers (II Kings 10:1828) did not eradicate bull worship (II Kings 10:31). All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. Baal Peor, or the Baal of Peor, was a local deity worshiped by the Moabites. 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). But what was its real effect on the participants and the nation? In Hosea 10:2, God charges Israel with having a divided heart. God's pattern is being established. 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. Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. . What is so interesting is that, by verse 36, God is no longer reporting on the Samaritans but is addressing Israel. In many cases, when the king or the nation had wandered from the way, the prophets were sent to correct them (e.g., II Samuel 12:1-15; I Kings 18:17-19; II Kings 21:10-15). Child sacrifice was a fundamental aspect of Baal worship. Depending on the tradition, she was either Baal's mother, lover, or both. Christ's purpose is to cure, not merely to comfort, so pain will be often involved when dealing with a prophet. Blending the lies of this world with the truth of God produces a foul mixture called syncretism (James 3:10-13). 10:1113; 14:22). 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). Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. For those who think the baptism of John (Yochanan) was something new under the sun recall that he was a Levite as was his father Zechariah (Tsekharya). Baal worship spread rapidly when the king of Israel, Ahab, married Jezebel, the princess of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31-32). Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess consort of Molech. 114) or with eschatological victory (Isa. The word bal, common Semitic for "owner, master, husband," became the usual designation of the great weather-god of the Western Semites. The divine child was named Demarous, one of the cognomens of Zeus-Baal-Hadad. Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. (Iron Age) temple. Baal is said to be one of the first of Solomon's 72 spirits. Either you are going to be committed to Him or not. Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). Today, music performers entice young and old in the practice of the worship of Baal-Peor Even those who have vaguely heard of the name Baal in the Bible know it doesnt have a good connotation. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. The Tetragrammaton should be rendered as Yahoah, with the vav being pronounced as the o in Torah, menorah, Eloah (singular form of Elohim), and Yehoshua (=Joshua, Christs REAL name). When a person is freezing to death, he feels a pleasant numbness that he does not want to end. This full-body immersion was required for converts (giyur) to the sect called The Way (HaDerech) in Acts whether a Pharisaic/Saddusaic Jew or a Gentile proselyte (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism). 7:1416). The latest archaeological discoveries shed light on Biblical Sidon and provide a window into the Sidonians polytheistic religion and worship practices during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. The written form Moloch (in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament), or Molech (Hebrew), is the word Melech or king, transformed by interposing the vowels of bosheth or 'shameful thing'. The only trouble is that people like to feel comfortable in moral mediocrity. Huffmon, Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts (1965), 174; W.F. So the word Jezebel finally means one who is a good musician. We must understand that our god is not what we say we worship but what we serve. The longest of the texts deals with the construction of Baal's house on top of Mount apn. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. 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 ). 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. Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. Horrendous and repulsive aspects of the worship sexual excesses and perversions (Isa. 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. During the summer months the rains cease, but the temporary drought is no threat unless it is abnormally prolonged. The prophet Haggai attributed the drought and scarcity in his day to the failure to rebuild the Temple (Hag. 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. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Sidons Phoenician Temple. Smith, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle (1994). Baal's sister-consort Anath demanded that Mot release her brother. 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. The sequel to this action is furnished by the group of texts which recount Baal's confrontations with Mot. 1:21), would be catastrophic. Their reverence for Him was mere intellectual accommodation intended to appease Him. 57 Bull Baal. Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. Whoever is missing shall not live.". Notice the dramatic change of attitude in the people. . 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. So it was that, about 250 years after it was established, the ten-tribed northern kingdom became extinct as a sovereign nation. 4:12; Hos. Worship of Baal was also carried out right on the housetops of the people, from where sacrificial smoke to their god was frequently seen to rise. In correlating the sequence of events, Baal's victory over the sea-god, Yamm, is probably to be placed near the beginning of the action, since it was presumably this exploit which gained him the dominant position among the gods, just as *Marduk achieved preeminence by defeating the sea-monster Tiamat. Figs and grapes ripen during the dry season and the grain harvest also takes place before the rains resume. How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. Most often, it condemns Baal worship. So it was in the northern kingdom of Israel after its division from the kingdom of Judah. What do we know about the religion surrounding this Canaanite deity, and how did it affect those in the Old Testament? Most of the information they gave turned out to be wrong, to be lies. Moffatt renders this, "They worshipped the Eternal, and they also served their own gods.". Near Baals temple was that of Dagon, given in the tablets as Baals father. 1:711). More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. They believed in a Creator God, but they worshipped Him at the shrines they erected to the Baals. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). 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. The Baal-worship so often alluded to and described in Holy Writ might, perhaps, be better styled, id-worship, moon-worship, Melek (Moloch)-worship, or Hadad-worship, according to places and circumstances. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? The building materials, gold, silver, and lapis lazuli, were procured and the architect-builder Koshar was invited to dinner and consultation. It may be, however, that these extra Baalim are Baal's attendants, mentioned as the seven or eight lads whom Baal is ordered to take with him in his descent into the netherworld. The ancient Tamils had connections with the Syrians and Sidon. Baal's abode was Mount apn, identified as Jebel el-Aqra ("Mount Baldy") some 30 mi. In the El-Amarna letters Canaanite clients addressed the Egyptian king as "My Baal, my Addu." They become "settled on their lees," as it says in Zephaniah 1:12. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. ), from an original Baal-Zebul, which is preserved in this form in the New Testament (Matt. 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.. However, even though their origins were Canaanite, the Phoenicians established their own distinct culture. Jer 32:29. From Easton's Bible Dictionary:Baal-peor: lord of the opening, a god of the Moabites (Numbers 25:3; 31:16; Joshua 22:17), worshipped by obscene rites.
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