Dernière modification le 30/09/2026.
An ancient, complex deity with many incarnations, Baal sometimes also encompasses several deities.
Introduction
Spelled Ba’al (בָּעַל) in Hebrew, Baal is a very ancient god found in various regions of the Mediterranean basin.
He is known as Bēl among the Akkadians, where he represents several gods, and in Mesopotamia under various names, the best known of which are Adad, Hadad, Addu, and Haddu.
Origins
Originally, Baal was a Mesopotamian deity. Under the name Baal Hadad, he served the storm god Ninurta or Ea, depending on the account. He is also mentioned alongside Shamash, the god of justice; Nanna, the god of fertility; and Shala, the god of grain. At that time, he was already associated with the bull, which would become one of his primary symbols.
The Heyday of Ugarit
It was in the city of Ugarit in northern Syria that the cult of Baal reached its peak. The son of Dagan, he was a major god of the sky. A friend of the sun, he was the one who brought rain, but also storms. He was also associated with war.
Since Ugarit was a trading city, it spread its religion. This is how it spread to Phoenicia. There, he became the husband of Astarte, the goddess of love whose origins trace back to the Mesopotamian Ishtar. This is how he inspired the Baal Cycle, which tells his story.
The Old Testament
He is mentioned in the Bible, where Jezebel promotes his worship and opposes Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh. She fails, and Yahweh is proclaimed the one true God. Although Jezebel tried to continue promoting the worship of Baal, she was ultimately executed, and most of the sites dedicated to Baal were destroyed. The worship of Baal persisted within polytheistic traditions, and over time he came to be regarded as the enemy of Yahweh.
The New Testament and Islam
The New Testament, based on his name Ba’al Zebud, rendered it as Beelzebub, who is known as Belzebuth. In Islam, he is sometimes associated with Iblis, the equivalent of Satan.
Description
Baal is often depicted as a young man or a bull with slender horns.
Functions
Regardless of the region in which he is found, the name Baal is often translated using terms that evoke superiority and supremacy, with the title of “lord” or “master” underscoring his importance.
As in many mythologies—such as Greek mythology with Zeus and Hindu mythology with Indra—he is often associated with lightning, as he is a deity superior to the others. He is therefore a god of thunder and, among the Phoenicians in a broader sense, the god of weather (in the sense of climate).
He is also a god of fertility among the Mesopotamians.
History
The Baal Cycle (Ugaritic narrative)
El’s Estate
This story begins when Baal proclaims himself the future king of the gods, chosen by El, the lord of the gods. However, El chooses Yam instead, who immediately asserts his authority and forces the other gods to work for him.
The gods complain to Asherah, who offers Yam countless treasures. But Yam only desires Asherah, and she agrees to offer herself to him in exchange for freeing the gods. Asherah informs El of this agreement, which is accepted by all the gods except one. Baal sees this agreement as an insult to Asherah and vows to kill Yam for it.
Baal’s Betrayal
Considered a traitor, Yam sends emissaries to the court of the gods to offer his submission. All the gods bow before the emissaries, but once again Baal refuses, deeming his peers cowards.
The court makes no decision regarding Baal, and Yam sends emissaries once again—this time even more aggressive ones who fail to observe the established rituals honoring El and his court. Baal is outraged yet again, and the other gods must restrain him from killing the emissaries.
Once again, he faces no punishment, but El promises the emissaries that he will come to Yam with magnificent gifts. Baal is furious at this ultimatum but sees it as an opportunity to kill Yam. However, he is realistic—Yam is far too powerful for him.
Help will come from Kothar-wa-Khasis, who offers to forge two clubs for him—Yagrush and Aymur—capable of killing Yam if he uses them correctly.
Baal steps before Yam, without any gifts, and strikes him once on the shoulder with Yagrush. But Yam feels nothing, so Baal strikes him a second time between the eyes with Aymur, and Yam collapses. He then brings Yam’s body back to court to prove his victory and throws it into the sea. He then becomes the king of the gods.
Mot’s Revenge
However, not everyone approves of his authority—including Mot, the god of death—and Mot sends the monster Lotan. But Baal defeats him, further fueling Mot’s wrath, and Mot seeks to devour him. But he knows he cannot defeat death with his magical weapons. So he uses a double, allowing it to be devoured in his place, and pretends to be dead.
As the god of rain—and since all the gods believe him to be dead—he causes the rain to stop. The land becomes parched, which angers Anat, the goddess of war, love, and fertility, toward Mot. Anat kills Mot, who then comes back to life.
Just as Mot reappears and is at his most vulnerable, Baal emerges from his hiding place and subdues him, forcing him to acknowledge Baal’s authority and then to retreat to the underworld. Mot agrees, and Baal’s unchallenged reign begins.
The Biblical Baal
In the Bible, Baal appears in the story of Jezebel, who promoted his worship, in opposition to the prophet Elijah, who encouraged the worship of Yahweh.
Jezebel married King Ahab and led him astray into the worship of Baal. However, her attempt to spread the cult in her new country of residence failed. This, nevertheless, fueled her rivalry with Elijah—an ideological battle in which they could not agree on which god was the true one.
So they decided to let Baal and Yahweh face off on Mount Carmel. A bull was offered as a sacrifice on a cold altar, and each side would call upon its god. The side whose god answered the call would be the victor. Jezebel had her priests call upon Baal for an entire day, to no avail, while Elijah looked on mockingly.
When it was his turn, Elijah called upon Yahweh, and instantly fire came down from heaven to set the pyre ablaze. With his victory secured, Elijah had all the priests put to death and declared Yahweh to be the true God.
Jezebel refused to admit defeat and continued to promote the worship of Baal until General Jehu had her executed.
References
External link (fr): The Cycle (Ministry of Culture)
