BAAL
(BAALI,
BAALIM)
.—Used
generally,
the
word
ba'al
means
'possessor,'
'inhabitant,'
'controller.'
Thus,
a
married
man
is
called
'possessor
of
a
woman'
(2
S
1125),
a
ram,
'possessor
of
horns,'
and
even
the
citizens
of
a
locaUty
are
denoted
by
this
word
(Jg
9"
20',
1
S
23"'-,
2
S
21").
With
a
similar
meaning,
it
is
applied
to
numerous
Canaanitish
local
deities
(pi.
ba'aiim,
Jg
2"
3'
8'3
lO",
1
S
7'
12'»,
1
K
18";
coll.
sing,
ba'al.
Jg
2i3,
Jer
H'^
etc.;
cf.
Baal-gad,
Baalath-
beer,
and
other
compounds
of
this
word).
These
gods
were
supposed
to
manifest
themselves
in
the
fertility,
or
in
some
startling
natural
formation,
of
the
locality
where
they
were
worshipped.
Such
an
animistic
conception
is
evident
from
the
fact
that
they
were
worshipped
in
high
places
and
in
groves,
where
such
rites
as
prophecy
(Jer
22"),
fornication
(Jer
7»),
self-mutilation
(1
K
IS^'),
and
child-sacrifice
(Jer
19')
were
practised
under
the
guidance
of
kemarim
or
idolatrous
priests
(Zeph
1<).
The
same
idea
is
also
clear
from
the
use
of
this
word
among
the
Arabs,
who
designate
land
irrigated
by
subterranean
springs
as
'Ba'l
land,'
i.e.
land
inhabited
by
a
spirit.
Gradually,
however,
some
of
these
gods
assimilated
more
abstract
powers
(cf.
Baal-berith),
and
as
their
votaries
extended
their
powers
over
a
greater
area,
became
the
Baal
par
excellence,
i.e.
the
con-troller
of
the
destiny
of
his
worshippers
(cf.
Jg
6^,
1
K
1631
1826
1918
[in
the
last
three
passages,
Melkart
of
Tyrel).
So
great
a
predilection
for
cults
of
such
a
nature
was
shown
by
the
Israelites,
from
the
time
of
their
entrance
into
Canaan
untU
the
fall
of
the
monarchy,
that
Jahweh
was
given
this
title.
Thus
Saul,
a
zealous
worshipper
of
Jahweh,
names
(1
Ch
8^)
one
of
his
sons
Eshbaal,
and
one
of
David's
heroes
is
called
(1
Ch
12')
Bealiah
('J"
is
Baal');
cf.
also
Meribbaal
(1
Ch
9"),
Beeliada
(1
Ch
14'),
Jerubbaal
(Jg
8"*).
A
confusion,
however,
of
Jahweh
and
the
Canaanitish
deities
seems
to
have
taken
place,
to
avoid
which,
Hosea
(2"-
")
demands
that
Jahweh
be
no
longer
called
Ba'aii
('
my
Baal'),
but
'Ishi
('my
husband').
Under
the
influence
of
such
prophecies
the
Israelites
abandoned
the
use
of
Baal
for
Jahweh,
and
in
later
times
developed
so
great
an
antipathy
to
this
word
that
later
revisers
substituted
bBsheth
('shameful
thing'),
not
only
wherever
Ba'al
occurred
for
the
Canaanitish
deities
(Hos
9",
Jer
3'"
11"),
but
also,
forgetful
of
its
former
application
to
Jahweh,
in
some
of
the
above
names
(see
Ishbosheth),
supposing
them
to
allude
to
local
gods.
N.
Koenig.
BAAL.—
1.
A
Reubenite
(1
Ch
5').
2.
A
Gibeonite,
granduncle
of
Saul
(1
Ch
833=9™).
BAAL,
BAALAH.BAALATH.-
l.=Kiriath-jearim
(1
Ch
13«,
Jos
159-
1").
2.
Baalath-beer
(Jos
19^,
l
Ch
433
[Baal)),
a
site
in
the
Negeb.
3.
A
city
in
the
S.
of
Judah
(Jos
1529
193,
1
Ch
i^').
i.
Mount
Baalah,
between
Ekron
and
Jabneel
(Jos
15"),
possibly,
as
M.
Clermont-Ganneau
has
suggested,
the
river
(not
mountain)
of
Baal
(now
Nahr
Rubin).
5.
An
unknown
town
of
Dan
(Jos
19^*).
6.
An
unknown
town
(1
K
9"
=
2
Ch
8»).
E.
W.
G.
Mastekman.
BAAL-BERITH
('lord
of
the
covenant').—
The
god
of
Shechem,
where
he
had
a
temple
(Jg
833
94).
called
also
El-berith
(9").
The
'covenant'
may
be
that
amongst
the
Canaanlte
peoples
or
that
between
Canaan-ites
and
Israelites;
or
the
title
may
be
parallel
to
Zeus
Horkios,
the
god
who
presides
over
covenants.
BAAL-GAD
(?
'Baal
of
fortune').—
A
place
under
Hermon,
in
the
valley
of
Lebanon,
referred
to
only
as
the
northern
limit
of
the
country
conquered
by
Joshua
(Jos
11"
12'
13').
Various
identifications
have
been
suggested,
all
uncertain.
Perhaps
Banias
is
the
most
probable.
See
C^bakea
Philippi.
R.
A.
S.
Macausteh.
BAAL-HAMON.
—
The
unknown
site
of
Solomon's
vineyard
(Ca
8").
BAAL-HANAN.—
1.
A
king
of
Edom
(Gn
3638'-,
1
Ch
1"').
2.
A
Gederite
(1
Ch
27^8).
BAAL-HAZOB.
—
Beside
Ephraim,
where
were
Absalom's
sheep-shearers
(2
S
13^3).
Identified
by
Conder
with
Tell
'Asur,
a
mountain
4960
ft.
above
the
sea,
an
hour's
ride
N.E.
of
Beitin.
R.
A.
S.
Macalister.
BAAL-HERMON
(Jg
38,
1
Ch
5^8).—
See
Hehmon.
BAALE-
JUDAH
=
Baalah,
No.
1,
i.e.
Kiriath-jearim.
BAALIS
.-King
of
Ammon
in
time
of
Gedaliah
(
Jer40"
)
.
BAAL-MEON.
—
A
city
of
Moab
assigned
to
Reuben.
The
name
occurs
in
Nu
3238
as
Baal-meon,
but
in
Jos
13"
as
Beth-baal-meon
;
both
forms
being
found
also
on
the
Moabite
Stone;
cf.
Ezk
25',
1
Ch
58;
also
Beth-meon
of
Jer
48^.
It
is
to
be
identified
with
the
modern
Ma'
in,
about
5
miles
S.W.
of
Medeba.
G.
L.
Robinson.
BAAL-PEOR.—
The
local
deity
of
Mt.
Peor
(Dt
43i>,
Nu
25').
In
Dt
48''
and
Hos
9""
it
is
perhaps
the
name
of
a
place.
BAAL-PERAZm.
—
An
unidentified
site
near
Jeru-salem
(2
S
52»,
1
Ch
14").
BAALSAKEUS
(1
Es
9<8)=Maaseiah
of
Neb
8'.
BAAL-SHALISHAH
(2
K
4«).—
An
unknown
site,
probably
somewhere
in
Mt.
Ephraim.
BAAL-TAMAR.—
An
unknown
site
near
Bethel
and
Gibeah
(Jg
4').
BAALZEBUB
(BEELZEBUB).—
A
Philistine
god
wor-shipped
at
Ekron
(2
K
I*-
s.
6.
i6)_
whose
name
in
the
form
of
Beelzebul
(AV
and
RV
Beelzebub)
has
been
applied
to
the
'prince
of
the
devils'
(Mt
lO^s
\2'",
Mk
322,
Lk
ll"-
"8.
n).
The
OT
form,
'Baal
(controller,
inhabiter)
of
flies,'
indicates
either
that
the
god
was
thought
to
appear
as
a
fly,
or
that,
besides
oracular
powers,
he
possessed
the
ability
to
increase
or
destroy
these
insects.
On
the
other
hand,
if
the
NT
spelling,
'Baal
of
the
mansion
(temple),'
is
to
be
preferred,
it
would
seem
to
indicate
that
the
OT
form
is
a
deliberate
perversion
originating
with
some
pious
scribe,
who
was
perhaps
offended
at
such
a
title
being
given
to
any
other
than
Jahweh.
Such
an
interpretation
would
account
for
the
variation
in
spelling,
and
for
its
applica-tion
to
Satan,
whose
realm
was
called
'the
house'
par
excellence
among
the
Jews
of
the
NT
period.
N.
KOENIQ.
BAAL-ZEPHON.—
Ex
14=,
Nu
33';
the
name
of
a
place
near
the
spot
where
the
Israelites
crossed
the
Red
Sea,
apparently
a
shrine
of
'
Baal
of
the
north.'
The
corresponding
goddess
'Baalit
of
the
north'
is
named
along
with
the
god
of
Kesem
(Goshen),
in
an
Egyp.
papyrus
of
the
New
Kingdom,
as
worshipped
at
Memphis.
F.
Ll.
Griffith.
BAADA.
—
1.
2,
Two
of
Solomon's
commissariat
officers
(1
K
412.
w).
3.
Father
of
Zadok,
one
of
those
who
rebuilt
Jerusalem
(Neh
3').
4.
One
of
the
leaders
who
returned
with
Zerubbabel;
possibly
identical
with
the
preceding,
and
with
Baanah
No.
3.
BAANAH.
—
1.
One
of
the
murderers
of
Ishbosheth
(2
S
4'-i2).
2.
A
Netophathite
(2
S
23=9,
1
Ch
ll'").
3.
One
of
those
who
returned
with
Zerubbabel
(Ezr
2\
Neh
7'
10"
[71).
BAANI.—
1
Es
934
=
Bani
of
Ezr
108*.
BAARA.—
Wife
of
a
Benjamite
(1
Ch
S').
78
