Baal (mythology)
Baal, a prominent deity in ancient Middle Eastern mythology, particularly within Canaanite culture, was revered as a god of storms and fertility. Represented as a powerful warrior, Baal was believed to reside atop Mount Zaphon, symbolizing control over nature and the life-giving rains essential for agriculture. His mythology includes significant narratives featuring battles against other gods such as Yamm, the sea god, and Mot, the god of death, illustrating the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. Baal's influence extended into biblical texts, where he often appears as a rival to the god of the Israelites, highlighting cultural conflicts and differing religious beliefs of the time.
Archaeological discoveries, especially a library of stone tablets from the ancient city of Ugarit, have provided valuable insights into Baal's characteristics and the Canaanite belief system, which included over 230 deities. Baal’s relationships with other gods, such as his lineage from the creator god El and his ties to the goddess Anat, further enrich his narrative. The complexities of Baal's character and the mythology surrounding him reflect the ancient Canaanites' understanding of the natural world and their spiritual beliefs.
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Baal (mythology)
Baal was one of the primary deities worshiped by several ancient cultures in the Middle East. While there were several gods named Baal, the most significant of the deities was found in the mythology of the Canaanites. Baal was most often portrayed as a strong warrior and was considered the god of storms and fertility. He was said to rule from his palace atop Mount Zaphon, the highest peak in Syria. Baal is referenced several times in the Bible's Old Testament, where he is depicted as the main rival of the god of the Israelites. Much of the information archaeologists have discovered about Baal comes from several ancient stone tablets uncovered in Syria in 1928.
Background
Archaeologists believe the people known as Canaanites originated from the lands to the east and settled the near the Mediterranean Sea around 3200 BCE. They established several cities in the regions of modern-day Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Syria. One of the main Canaanite settlements was the port city of Ugarit, a major trade center on the Mediterranean from about 1450 to 1180 BCE. Canaanite is the name given to the people of Canaan in the Old Testament of the Bible. To the Greeks, the Canaanites were called Phoenicians.
The Canaanite belief system included more than 230 deities. Chief among them was the creator god, El. El was the god of wisdom, and he was the oldest of all the deities. Despite his position as creator, El did not take an active role in the daily lives of humans. He maintained his distance and was said to dwell in the far reaches of the north with his wife, the goddess Asherah. She is often associated with the ocean. In some myths, Asherah and El are the parents of Baal. Other versions say the couple produced all the gods except for Baal. In some accounts, Baal's father is the god of grain, Dagan.
Anat was the goddess of love and war. She was Baal's wife. In some accounts, she was his sister as well. Yamm was the god of the sea and ruler of Earth's waters. The Canaanites considered him a destructive being who brought floods and heavy rains. Mot was the god of death and drought. His home was said to be in the desert wasteland of the underworld.
Overview
Baal, also spelled as ba'al, was a word meaning "lord" or "master" in the Semitic languages of the ancient Middle East. As a result, there were many local deities in the region given the title of baal. The Baal prominent in Canaanite myth was likely a merger of a local deity with the Mesopotamian storm god, Hadad, around the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries BCE. In some cases, the local deity was referred to by his or her geographic place of residence, such as Baal of Aleppo. The Canaanite god was sometimes called Baal of Zaphon, a reference to his mythological home on Mount Zaphon, a peak on the border of Syria and Turkey. The mountain is now called Jebel Aqra.
According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Baal eventually overthrew El to become supreme god of the Canaanites. In these biblical accounts, he also took Asherah as his wife. Baal is mentioned about ninety times in the Old Testament. He is most often referenced as a false god and an opponent of Israel's god. On several instances, the Israelites are punished for worshiping Baal. Other times, they are ordered by their god to destroy altars and relics associated with Baal.
In 1928, archaeologists excavating a tomb in the ruins of Ugarit in northwestern Syria discovered a library of stone tablets that contained a wealth of information about Baal and the Canaanite religion. One tablet depicts Baal as a warrior, wearing a horned helmet and raising a mace over his head as if he is about to strike an opponent. In his other hand, he is holding a spear with vegetation growing from the shaft. The Canaanites considered Baal to be the god of fertility and the lord of the earth in control of nature. He was also the god of storms and responsible for the life-giving rains. Some references to Baal called him "Lord of the Heavens" and "He Who Rides on Clouds."
One myth surrounding Baal depicts him engaging in a battle of supremacy with the sea god, Yamm. Both deities wished to have control over the earth. Yamm sends messengers to El and the assembly of gods, demanding they surrender Baal. The storm god refuses to give himself up and instead confronts Yamm in battle. With the help of the craftsman god, Kotha, Baal strikes Yamm with his mace, defeating him. The myth represents the triumph of the natural cycle of rain over the destructive flooding of Yamm.
Another myth tells the story of Baal and Mot, the god of death and Baal's chief adversary among the gods. After Baal's defeat of Yamm, he holds a great feast to celebrate his victory. Full of pride, Baal realizes he now controls the earth, but he wants dominion over all creation. He sends messengers to Mot and demands the kingship of the underworld. Mot decides to trick Baal and instead invites him to the underworld so he might bring his rains to the desert and quench Mot's thirst. Baal accepts the invitation. Once in Mot's realm, Baal becomes trapped in the land of death.
The absence of Baal causes the rains to stop on Earth. Worried about the ongoing drought, the gods gather to select another deity to replace Baal, whom they fear has died. However, El has a dream in which he sees the end of the drought and the return of the land's fertility. Realizing Baal is alive and being held captive by Mot, Anat sets out in search of her husband. She travels to the underworld and defeats Mot in battle, cutting him into pieces and burning his body. Now free, Baal returns to his palace and once again brings the rains to the land.
Bibliography
Allen, Spencer L. The Splintered Divine. Walter de Gruyter, 2015.
Herrick, Greg. "Baalism in Canaanite Religion and Its Relation to Selected Old Testament Texts." Bible.org, bible.org/article/baalism-canaanite-religion-and-its-relation-selected-old-testament-texts. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.
Jastrow, Morris, Jr., et al. "Ba'al and Ba'al-Worship." Jewish Encyclopedia, www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2236-ba-al-and-ba-al-worship. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.
Mark, Joshua J. "Canaan." Ancient History Encyclopedia, 29 July 2010, www.ancient.eu/canaan/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.
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Wade, Lizzie. "Ancient DNA Reveals Fate of the Mysterious Canaanites." Science, 27 July 2017, www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/ancient-dna-counters-biblical-account-mysterious-canaanites. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017.