baal worship practices in the bible baal worship practices in the bible

that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. Baal was a god of prosperity, god of harvest, sex and fertility. For example, Christmas and Easter are traditions of men, but they are lies. Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. In the mysterious tablets of Ugarit, discovered by Claude Schaeffer, Baal is the God of rain, thunder, and extraordinary bolts of lightning. Yet Sidon was a significant site before this period, too. The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. A common designation of Baal in the Ugaritic myths is bn-dgn "son of Dagn"; but Baal is also considered the son of El who is called "Bull El his [i.e., Baal's] father; El King who begot him [Baal]" (tr il abh; il mlk dyknnh). Many of the practices mentioned were most probable common to the worship of all the Baals; a few others are certainly specific. A prophet's life is not a happy situation. There was, therefore, continuity in Sidons population from the Bronze to the Iron Age. THIS IS A PROFILE OF PRACTICES, DOCTRINES, AND SYMBOLS OF BAAL WORSHIP . 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. One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. Isai is music in Tamil and Vallavi means an expert. While much about Molech's nature and origin are uncertain, the Bible mentions Molech on eight occasions, providing some context regarding the problems associated with this ancient god. Yet if you asked most people who believe and follow this new morality, I suspect few would have ever heard of Baal. In the Old Testament, many of the kings and eventually the whole nation of Israel rebelled against God and chose opposing belief systems. Baal in Smith's Bible Dictionary Baal (2) the supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations, as Ashtoreth was their supreme female divinity. I would also challenge the suggestion in the text of the article that the location of Lots cave is known. The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. He views them as personally rejecting Him and His Word. In other words, prosperity turns people's heads. 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 . . And she has taken over many so-called churches. The Spread of Baalism. 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. Baal Worship Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. The Sovereign Creator is not a God who allows His favor to be bought with crumbs. The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. 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. Life in a land dependent on rainfall enhanced the appeal of the Baal cult and its pervasive influence persisted through the centuries, as the unrelenting protests of the prophets and the sporadic efforts at reform attest. Our god is what we give our lives over to. 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. Photo: Courtesy of Claude Doumet-Serhal. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. . Archaeologists at Sidon have uncovered a 12th-11th-century B.C.E. Prepare to Meet Your God! Another idea is that it pictures a person shifting his weight from one foot to the other, indicating a degree of lameness. 7:1416). 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. The Jews of Christ's day clearly recognized this putrid blend and despised the Samaritans for it. Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. 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. There was tremendous evil to overcome. This shows that the Egyptian Cleopatra had maritime connections with the ancient Kerala Tamils. 28:2); Hezekiah attempted to eliminate it; Manasseh his son again gave it royal support (II Kings 21:3); and Josiah in his turn purged the Temple of YHWH of the utensils made for Baal and Asherah (II Kings 23:4). Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. Worshipers of Baal Killed. Such evil cunning. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. 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). BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Hermann, in: DDD, 13238; M.S. Fertility was envisaged in terms of seven-year cycles. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Molech was another such god. Elijah is quite instructive here. Then stood up Phinehas, and exe Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. "like a bird in a tree. 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. Asherah, another popular deity in Canaan, was the goddess of motherhood and fertility . Meaning of Jezebel: This word can be also pronounced as Isabel. The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baals own temple in the city of Ugarit. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. They see themselves as following the way of God, but their religion has deceived them by failing to teach them His truth. And one of the most famous instances of Israel going head to head with the prophets of Baal comes from 1 Kings 18. 9:20 presents a parallel is mistaken since the Ugaritic text mentions the sea-god and not Death (Mot) in connection with the window.) Elijah had to take drastic measures to prevent Baal worship from completely eradicating the worship of the true God (I Kings 18:20-40). In this article, well discuss what Scripture has to say about Baal, what we know from history about Baal, and why this ultimately matters to us today. (the Middle Bronze Age), this impressed handle depicts a ship and a leonine dragon, which is the symbol of the Mesopotamian storm god Adad. 27:1). It disturbed them. 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. Asherah was a fertility goddess. In the first encounter, Baal is invited to a banquet at which he is to be both guest and main course. "But there was no voice. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . The Largest Baal Worship Service on the Planet is in America August 27, 2017 by Andy Roman "They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." Daniel 5:4. Some suppose Baal to correspond to the sun and Ashtoreth to the moon; others that Baal was Jupiter and Ashtoreth Venus. Nevertheless, he was still faithful, and he did his job. That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Either you are going to be committed to Him or not. The worship of Baal was popular in Egypt from the later New Kingdom in about 1400 bce to its end (1075 bce). 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). 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. At Shittim they attached themselves to Baal-Peor, ate sacrifices for the dead, and indulged in sacred sexual orgies (Num. If you will not be committed to Him, you are going to die.". He is often accused of causing their pain. Alan, how said anything about John baptizing Jesus? 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. Sidon was well connected by trade by the traders of the Pandya kingdom of Tamil Nadu. You have a cuddly little Baal idol in your child's bedroom without even suspecting it. They clash violently until both are prostrate and the Sungoddess warns Mot not to fight with Baal lest El hear and overthrow him. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Child sacrifice was a fundamental aspect of Baal worship. In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity that is coming soon upon modern Israel. The Bible speaks of the destruction of Baal's temples and the idols associated with him. 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. However, God shows there is a possible harmful, secondary effect: As people become financially secure, their attention is diverted from His purpose to vain and unimportant things. Further, they "followed idols, became idolaters, and . II Kings 17:7-17 catalogs the sins of Israel: Widespread idolatry. God sends a prophet to people who are cold in their relationship with Godspiritually freezing to deaththough they want to stay that way. In Psalms 48:23, Mount Zion is equated with "the recesses of afon" (the phrase quoted above from Isa. BAAL-WORSHIP AMONG THE GENTILES.The evidence is hardly of such weight as to justify us in speaking of a worship of Baal. Baal's objection to the window somehow concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but the text is broken at this point. 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. With human features as well as the eyebrows, nose and horns of a ram, this painted limestone figurine represents a deity and dates to c. 1650 B.C.E. But God has a different perspective; He says they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17). Baal's house was constructed in an extraordinary fashion. Sidons Phoenician Temple. The basis of all immorality is selfishness, the exact opposite of what God is. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Payment of the full tithe to the food stores of the Temple, some thought, would guarantee that YHWH would open the windows of heaven and pour down overflowing blessings (Mal. The latter title has a biblical echo in the corrupted form Baal-Zebub (II Kings 1:2ff. * Jesus is a transliteration of the Latin; it is NOT a translation! 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. First was sexual orgies "under every green tree," where promiscuity and perverted sex acts were the norm. 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. 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. Baal was different from his adherents merely in that he was above them. Their commitment went one way, and then it went the other way. 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. Baal, of course, could not talk to them, but if he could, he would probably have said basically the same thing, so the people were in a very uncomfortable situation. (Iron Age) temple. The name Baal in the Bible is most commonly associated with the Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility, the rain, the sun, and the storm. It has been suggested that this clash was indirectly a conflict between Baal and El, with Yamm serving as champion for the venerable El, as the Titans fought on behalf of Kronos in the Greek version of the myth and the stone colossus Ulikummi for Kumarbi in the Hurrian-Hittite version which is roughly contemporary with the Ugaritic texts. 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. Baal worship also included, at times, child sacrifice, which we see some Israelite kings engaging with later on. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." The Israelites displayed a pandemic failure to love their fellow man. And of all the foreign gods the Israelites came into contact with, they appeared to struggle the most with worshipping this one. What the Bible says about 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 33:7) has been made the basis of intriguing speculation by Eissfeldt. Who Was Baal? Anath then dismembered Mot, scattered and burned the pieces, and gave them to the birds. El is praised for his wisdom in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal will give his rain in season. God wants to transform us from people who are bent on pleasing ourselves to people who show concern for others. Who were the Sidonians of the Bronze Age (c. 30001200 B.C.E.)? 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. This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. Or about Yahweh? Who were the Sidonians, and what do we know about their religion? The divine child was named Demarous, one of the cognomens of Zeus-Baal-Hadad. The Septuagint (LXX) rendered Joshua, the son of Nun, in Greek as Iesous; the same was used for Christs name in the NT. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen 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. Since the Ugaritic verified the antiquity and authenticity of this divine name, additional instances have been alleged in the Psalter and in Job. Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. In Tamil Nadu, the following words payachi paarai, Peyazhwar, payans, pai (meaning devil) are currently in use. The sum of what Elijah said is actually spiritually dangerous, due to the fact that God is judging. The word "Baal" derives from the Semitic stem "bel", meaning "lord". 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 title of the "god" worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. Jesus says, "They are blind leaders of the blind. 11:1011). Matthew 5:17Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. John W. Ritenbaugh . 1:4; Hab. 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. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Of special interest is the designation Aliy (ly) which is twice applied to Baal in the Krt Epic: Before the discovery and recognition of this name in Ugaritic, H.S. One interpretation is that it is a localized occurrence, in the sense of it happening just within the little flockthe church. The bulk of the Ugaritic mythological texts is concerned with the activities of Baal. Baal Worship The Battle for the Israelites' Hearts For nearly a thousand years, a battle raged for the hearts of the Israelite nation. But not all years are good, and in a bad year, or a series of bad years, when the rains fail, the skies become like iron, the land like brass, and man's toil is futile for the earth will not yield its increase (Lev. 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). Sift through the storied history of ancient Israel. At the foundation of every community is a way of life that its people live and teach their children. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God (I Kings 12:26-33). But God. 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. Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. 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. The building materials, gold, silver, and lapis lazuli, were procured and the architect-builder Koshar was invited to dinner and consultation. But what was its real effect on the participants and the nation? Near Baals temple was that of Dagon, given in the tablets as Baals father. All 450 prophets of Baal do not escape the slaughter that takes place after that. This god also, apparently according to Canaanite lore, defeated El and had associations with the sun and thunder. The myths also tell of Baals struggle to obtain a palace comparable in grandeur to those of other gods. All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind. . Prophets and Prophecy (Part 1). Baal was the title of the "god" worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. 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. Actually, there were two gods which were essentially worshiped the same way, Baal and Ashtoreth. 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." 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. The Hebrew word suggests "smoothness" or "flattering," describing people who "talk the talk" but do not "walk the walk.". 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. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. Sometimes the leadership of the nation of Israel tolerated and embraced the deities of other nations. 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 viewpoint was developed as the basic and final argument against Baalism. If it is of men, it will not work very long. Baal was considered the supreme. When religion is ungodly, its power is destructive, and every institution in the nation suffers. Gen. 41; II Sam. In artistic depictions and archeological finds, Baal took the shape of a bull or ram and had associations with fertility. All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. Mot refused and boasted how he had mangled Baal. This is exactly what God warns us to flee, and the only way to come out of it is by developing and maturing in our relationship with God. The god of arts and crafts, Kothar, then proceeded to build for Baal the most beautiful of palaces which spread over an area of 10,000 acres. There are several ideas as to exactly what Elijah meant by "How long will you falter between two opinions?" The Laodicean evaluates himself, saying, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17). 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 . Baal rejoiced and celebrated with a banquet. Gray, The Legacy of Canaan (rev. Learn about the Canaanite-Phoenician deities who were called Baal, which means Lord. In their spiritually unaware state, they will be incredulous at God's punishment for "such a little bit of sin." This describes to a T what Israel did then and their descendants are continuing to do today. Elijah prepared the way for Elisha, who had a double portion of Elijah's spirit and did many more miracles. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). Notably, an impressed handle found near a Canaanite grave at the site depicts Sidons storm god and a ship. Christ's purpose is to cure, not merely to comfort, so pain will be often involved when dealing with a prophet. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. The Masoretic text has the 4 letters YHWH with a sheva under the Y, pronounced yuh, and a Qamats below the W, i.e. Murder and sexual immorality was a part of Baal worship. Huffmon, Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts (1965), 174; W.F. Molech was an ancient god worshiped by the people neighboring Israel during Old Testament times. 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." The Semitic original of this name has been recognized in one of Baal's names in Ugaritic: (The name is to be connected with the root dmr, "be strong, brave," and is probably the same as that of Abraham's son Zimrn (damarn), the -n afformative being preserved in the genitive case of the Greek form Demarountos). 106 a ). John W. Ritenbaugh Christ warned the Pharisees: "For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the traditions of men." When the rain failed, it was inevitable that some would question YHWH's power and resort to Baal. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! Sidons Storm God. Child sacrifice was even practiced in the Valley of Hinnom just outside of Jerusalem. He awakens them to their spiritual and moral responsibilities. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. l, b . The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. Baal worship was the bane of the Ancient Israelites. One of the rooms in this temple had a bench, where offerings would have been placed, and an altar made of . Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice? . The Bible is full of colorful characters, from Noah to Moses to Jesus. 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. Extra-biblical evidence for the flourishing Baal cult at Samaria in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C.E. FREE ebook: Israel: An Archaeological Journey. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. This life-and-death struggle pitted the worship of Baal against the worship of Jehovah. Biblical Sidon is perhaps most infamously known as the birthplace of the Phoenician princess Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31), who became queen of the Israelites during King Ahabs reign in the ninth century B.C.E. A complaint is made to Bull El, father of the gods, that Baal has no house like other gods. Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. 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. They were not committed to the side that they were supposed to be on. The Sidonians were the inhabitants of ancient Sidon, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea in modern Lebanon. Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. Possibly even more treacherous than this was a parallel development: mixing the worship of Yahweh and Baal. 4. 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. This is typical Israeliltish syncretism, but it will not work. Apostasy is a defection from trutha forsaking of one spiritual approach in favor of another. 1:711). 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). What modern-day Baals have we worshipped in place of God? 8. Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. 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. A third is that he is describing somebody teetering on a tightrope and trying to maintain his balance. As we study the operation of the spirit of Baal in the Bible, one can see the fruit of its operation in the USA.. When Ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to Molech, (also called Milcom in the Bible). 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. 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. The association of the name Baal-Zephon with Israel's exit from Egypt (Ex. 2:13) and *Asherah (Judg.