The demon Baal became famous thanks to medieval grimoires. There he takes a place of honor among the many-faced gathering of hellish entities. In the first part of The Lesser Key of Solomon, Goetia, Baal leads an impressive list of seventy-two demons. According to her, he is a powerful king ruling in the East. Baal has at least 66 legions of hellish spirits at his disposal. And in the work of Johann Weyer "On the Deceptions of Demons" he is mentioned as the Minister of the Underworld, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of Hell and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Fly.
Baal's Appearance
What the demon Baal looks like, also became known thanks to the grimoires. In "Goetia", as in the book by I. Weyer "Pseudo-monarchy of demons", he appears as an unprecedented three-headed creature. His body resembles a shapeless mass, from which many spider legs stick out. The torso of Baal is crowned with a human head of impressive size with a royal crown. The face of the demon, judging by the image in the illustration, is dry and thin, with a huge long nose and gloomyeyes. In addition to the human, two more huge heads come out of his body: on the right - a frog, and on the left - a cat. He may appear in a not so disgusting guise. Man, cat, toad are typical creatures in which the demon Baal reincarnates.
Summon and cast out the demon Baal
Johann Weyer noted in one of his books that the demon Baal, if desired, can make a person invisible or reward with supernatural wisdom. However, to achieve such an honor, it is necessary to meet him in person.
A person who decides to summon a demon in order to receive these talents puts on a metal plate called “lamen” as its symbol. Thanks to him, according to the Goetia, he will receive the attention and respect of Baal. Before calling a demon, a person is advised to draw a protective pentagram with chalk, put candles on its rays and light them. Then the text of Baal's invocation should be read. Rumor has it that it is worth summoning him only on Saturdays.
To get the desired talents, Baal must be released outside the protective circle. However, he is treacherous, cunning and cruel, so this step can entail a huge danger to a person. However, even such a powerful entity as the demon Baal can be sent back to hell. The exorcism of the evil spirit is carried out with the help of a simple phrase from the Papus textbook: "In the name of Adonai, through Gabriel, depart Baal!"
The God Who Became a Demon
Baal was not always a minion of hell. This demonic entity, nowoccupying significant "posts" in hell, once represented a pagan deity. In ancient times it was called Baal, Balu or Bel. This god was worshiped by the Semitic peoples, as well as the Phoenicians and Assyrians. In those days, he seemed to people differently than now: in the form of an old man or a bull.
His name is translated from the general Semitic language as "master" or "master". Initially, the word "baal" was a common denominator of the god in whom the members of individual tribes believed. Then people began to date his name to a certain area. Later, even the title "baal" appeared, which was given to princes and mayors. This word entered the name of the famous Carthaginian commander Hannibal and the Babylonian prince Belshazzar.
Great Deity
From the day of his appearance, Baal managed to visit the god of fertility, sun, sky, war and other things in different tribes and places. Ultimately, he became the Creator of the entire world and the universe. According to historians, Baal was the first global patron god. The center of his cult was in the city of Tire, from where he penetrated into the kingdom of Israel. It later spread to North Africa, modern Europe and Scandinavia, as well as the British Isles. The power of Baal can be compared with the Greek god Zeus and the Egyptian Set.
Savage rituals
The demon, even when he was a great deity, was distinguished by exorbitant cruelty and demanded horrific deeds from a person. To him, people sacrificed their own kind, in particular, children. In honor of Baal rolled insaneorgies, and the priests, who were in a state of ecstasy, engaged in self-mutilation.
Once in Carthage, during the siege of the city by Greek troops, the inhabitants performed the largest act of sacrifice to their deity. Thus, they hoped to get rid of the enemy. The invasion of the Greeks, from the point of view of the Carthaginians, was a direct consequence of the fact that they did not want to give their children to Baal-Hammon, as this deity was called in those places. Instead, the inhabitants of the city sacrificed the offspring of strangers. The Carthaginians, realizing their "guilt", then burned more than two hundred children. And another three hundred inhabitants of the city voluntarily sacrificed themselves, hoping for help that could be provided by the god, and now the demon Baal. A photo of the bas-relief depicting the ceremony is presented below.
Persecution of idolaters
Acts of human sacrifice were also performed by the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel. The prophets Jeremiah and Elijah fought against the idolaters who killed their children in the name of Baal. It was decided to execute the worshipers of the pagan deity. All of them were killed during the religious revolution of the prophet Elijah. The destruction of the pagans led to the weakening of the cult of Baal.
Early Christian prophets also actively resisted the bloody god. The struggle with him ended in the complete victory of the Abrahamic religions, and the image of the deity was severely criticized. And so the demon Baal appeared. In Christianity, he visited, according to various sources, both the Duke of Hell and the Devil himself.
Associations with Beelzebub
Baal is often identified with Beelzebub. ATIn Christianity, he is considered a demon and is mentioned in the Gospel, which says that the Pharisees and scribes called Jesus that way. They believed that Christ cast out demons using the power of Beelzebub.
The translator and commentator of the Bible E. Jerome identified the name of this creature with Baal-Zebub, or "Lord of the Flies", mentioned in the Old Testament. He was also worshiped by the Philistines who lived in the seaside part of the kingdom of Israel in the city of Ekron. Beelzebub is usually depicted as a huge fly-like insect.
His name could also come from the word Zabulus, which was used in those days by the Jews. That's what they called Satan. Based on this, the name "Beelzebub" (Baal-Zebub) means "Baal-devil".
In ancient times, the verb zabal also existed. In rabbinic literature, it is used in the sense of "to take out impurities", therefore the name "Beelzebub" can also be interpreted as "Lord of filth".
In closing
The demon Baal experienced such transformations throughout the history of its existence. He visited both the deity and the Devil himself. And only medieval grinoires, who streamlined the hellish hierarchy, were able to determine the final place of Baal in the Universe.
