Baal
/ˈbɑː.əl/noun
A title used in ancient Near Eastern religions to denote a deity or lord.
Did you know?Baal was often associated with storms and fertility, making him a dual figure of life and destruction in ancient cults.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PSem
*baʿal
“lord, master or owner”
Ancient Canaanite
Canaanite
בַּעַל (Baal)
“a title for various local gods, especially of storms and fertility”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
בַּעַל (Baal)
“a specific god worshipped in Canaan, often opposed by Yahweh worshippers”
Hellenistic Period
Greek
Βάαλ (Baal)
“adopted into Greek texts, maintaining divine connotations but often viewed negatively”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Baal
“used in Christian texts to denote paganism or false gods, often in demonological contexts”
Modern English
English
Baal
“retained as a reference to the ancient deity, often in discussions of occult practices or demonology”
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