The demon Baal gained fame thanks to the medieval grimoires. There he occupies an honorable place among the many-sided gathering of hellish entities. In the first part of Solomon’s Small Key, Goetia, Baal leads an impressive list of seventy-two demons. According to her, he is a powerful king, ruling in the East. At the disposal of Baal are at least 66 legions of hellish spirits. And in the work of Johann Weier “On the deception of demons,” he is mentioned as the Minister of the Underworld, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Hell and the Main Cross of the Order of the Fly.
The appearance of Baal
What the demon Baal looks like has also become known thanks to the grimoires. In Goetia, as in I. Weyer’s book, 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 body of Baal is crowned with a human head of impressive size with a royal crown. Judging by the image in the illustration, the demon's face is dry and thin, with a huge long nose and frowning eyes. In addition to the human body, two other huge heads come out of his body: on the right - a frog, and on the left - a cat. He may appear not in such a disgusting appearance. A man, a cat, a toad are typical creatures in which the demon Baal transforms.
Summon and Exile the Baal Demon
Johann Weyer noted in one of his books that the demon Baal, if desired, can make a person invisible or reward supernatural wisdom. However, in order to achieve such an honor, it is necessary to meet him in person.
A person who decides to summon a demon to receive these talents puts on himself a metal plate called the "lamen" as his symbol. Thanks to him, according to Goetia, he will receive the attention and respect of Baal. Before invoking a demon, it is recommended that a person draw a protective pentagram with chalk, put candles on its rays and light them. Then you should read the text of Baal's invocation. Rumor has it that it is worth calling him only on Saturdays.
To get the desired talents, Baal must be released outside the protective circle. However, he is treacherous, insidious and cruel, so this step can entail a huge danger to humans. 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 textbook of Papus: “In the name of Adonai, through Gabriel, come out of Baal!”
God who became a demon
Baal was not always a henchman of the underworld. This demonic entity, now occupying significant “posts” in hell, was once 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 presented himself to people differently than now: in the form of an old man or a bull.
His name is translated from the common Semitic language as "master" or "master." Initially, the word "baal" was a common nomenclature of God, in which members of individual tribes believed. Then people began to name his name in a certain area. Later, even the title “baal” appeared, which was given to the princes and mayors. This word was included in the name of the famous Carthaginian commander Hannibal and the Babylonian prince Belshazzar.
Great deity
From the day of its appearance, Baal in different tribes and places managed to visit the god of fertility, sun, sky, war and other things. Ultimately, he became the Creator of the whole world and the Universe. According to historians, Baal was the first global patron god. The center of his cult was in the city of Tira, from where he penetrated into the kingdom of Israel. Later it spread to North Africa, modern Europe and Scandinavia, as well as to the British Isles. By the power of Baal, one can compare 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 acts from a man. People sacrificed to themselves like him, in particular, children. Crazy orgies rolled up in honor of Baal, and the priests, who were in a state of ecstasy, were engaged in self-mutilation.
Once in Carthage, during the siege of the city by Greek troops, the inhabitants committed 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-Hammond, as they called this deity in those places. Instead, city residents sacrificed offspring of strangers. The Carthaginians, realizing their "guilt", then burned more than two hundred children. And three hundred residents of the city voluntarily sacrificed themselves, hoping for the help that God, and now the demon Baal, could provide. A photo of the bas-relief depicting the ceremony is presented below.
Pursuit of idolaters
Acts of human sacrifice were also committed by the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel. The idolaters who killed their children in the name of Baal were fought by the prophets Jeremiah and Elijah. Admirers of the pagan deity, it was decided to execute. All of them were killed during the religious revolution of the prophet Elijah. The destruction of the pagans led to the weakening of the Baal cult.
The early Christian prophets also showed active resistance to 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. So the demon Baal appeared. According to various sources, he visited Christianity both by the Duke of Hell and the Devil himself.
Associations with Beelzebub
Baal is often identified with Beelzebub. In Christianity, he is considered a demon and is mentioned in the Gospel, which states that the Pharisees and scribes called Jesus that. They believed that Christ cast out demons using the power of Beelzebub.
The name of this creature is the translator and commentator of the Bible E. Jerome identified with the Baal-Zebub or “Lord of the Flies” mentioned in the Old Testament. He was also worshiped by the Philistines who lived in the coastal part of the kingdom of Israel in the city of Ekron. Beelzebub is usually depicted as a huge insect, similar to a fly.
His name could come from the word Zabulus, which was used in those days by Jews. So they called Satan. Based on this, the name "Beelzebub" (Baal Zebub) means "Baal the Devil."
In antiquity, the verb zabal also existed. In rabbinical literature, it is used in the meaning "to take out impurities", therefore the name "Beelzebub" can be interpreted as "Lord of filth."
Finally
The Baal demon has experienced such transformations in its entire history. He visited both the deity and the Devil himself. And only the medieval Grinoes, ordering the hellish hierarchy, were able to determine the final place of Baal in the universe.