baal worship practices in the bible baal worship practices in the bible

Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Paul is not writing about apostasy in a small group of people that will give rise to an international personality, but an event on the world scene that creates the right environment to catapult this figure, backed by the power of Satan, to the heights of power. north of Ugarit. Smith, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle (1994). A general understanding about the bamah and . Most of them were just saving themselves and making themselves comfortable in their situation. . The Assyrians deported the population en masse from its homeland in Canaan, transplanting it virtually in toto to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. Asherah (Hebrew ), also spelled Ashera, was a major northwest Semitic mother goddess, appearing also in Akkadian sources as Ashratu, in Hittite as Asherdu and in Ugaritic as Athirat.She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods.. It has been suggested that this clash was indirectly a conflict between Baal and El, with Yamm serving as champion for the venerable El, as the Titans fought on behalf of Kronos in the Greek version of the myth and the stone colossus Ulikummi for Kumarbi in the Hurrian-Hittite version which is roughly contemporary with the Ugaritic texts. Perhaps the clearest example of this is Jeremiah, who moaned and complained to God, "This is more difficult than You ever told me it would be. The Jordan River (Nahar ha-Yarden) qualified as a mikveh as its flowing living waters originated from a natural spring (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River). They were afraid of God, but they did not really change their way of life. Baal remains silent during the exchange, whereas God showers a sopping-wet altar with fire. That afon designated the "north" in Hebrew is presumably due to the fact that Mount Casius lies directly north of Palestine. The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. 74:1314, 89:910, 93:1ff. Some become discouraged with the church because we are always being toldto some measure anywaydisturbing things about ourselves. With the help of wonder weapons supplied and blessed by the versatile Koshar (the craftsman god), Baal was able to defeat and rout the sea-god. The variant form Hadad (hdd) is attested to only once in Ugaritic. In correlating the sequence of events, Baal's victory over the sea-god, Yamm, is probably to be placed near the beginning of the action, since it was presumably this exploit which gained him the dominant position among the gods, just as *Marduk achieved preeminence by defeating the sea-monster Tiamat. When a person is freezing to death, he feels a pleasant numbness that he does not want to end. This second, universal interpretation is a better fit because, when we look at the whole passage, the events and personalities are worldwide in scope. Pagan Religious Practices. In an Akkadian catalogue of Ugaritic deities Baal apn is listed as dIM be-el hurn a-zi, "Storm-God, Lord of Mount azi" (see above; az [z] i being the Hurrian name of Mount apn which survives in the Greek and Latin Kasios/Casius as the name of the storied mountain of the gods). 6:30; II Kings 16:3233) are associated with him. Kings Ahaz and Manasseh, Isaiah 29:13 clarifies what God means: "Therefore the LORD said: 'Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.'" 3:10; cf. In many cases, when the king or the nation had wandered from the way, the prophets were sent to correct them (e.g., II Samuel 12:1-15; I Kings 18:17-19; II Kings 21:10-15). Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. 114) or with eschatological victory (Isa. The worship of Baal extended in this region to the Jews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians. A prophet's life is not a happy situation. (verses 9-11). The cosmic character of afon leads to its use as a synonym for "sky" in Job 26:7: "who stretched out afon on emptiness who suspended earth on naught." Apostasy is a defection from trutha forsaking of one spiritual approach in favor of another. It will be far more terrible than anything ever seen on this earth! Observing Christmas and Easter in the name of Christ is no different. Its is right up there with the thought that we know where Jesus was born, or that one can see a descendant of the original burning bush, etc.. Scott Broberg Fig Tree Ministries. Since Baal was, like almost all ancient deities, a fertility god, the human act of intercourse demonstrated that they wanted Baal to prosper them. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. The combined letters o and e is joined to pronounce the sound ye. Another idea is that it pictures a person shifting his weight from one foot to the other, indicating a degree of lameness. What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt? He was also king of the gods, and, to achieve that position, he was portrayed as seizing the divine kingship from Yamm, the sea god. According to the Bible, centers of worship for Canaanite gods such as Molech and the Baal's were set up in Judah and Israel by apostate kings. For those who think the baptism of John (Yochanan) was something new under the sun recall that he was a Levite as was his father Zechariah (Tsekharya). Meaning of Jezebel: This word can be also pronounced as Isabel. The Lord calls for the worship of him and his idols to be uprooted and destroyed, and for the people to turn away from his false . Baal's resurrection followed Mot's demise, the good news being transmitted through a dream of El: The fields were still parched from the drought and again Anath and Shapsh set out to find Baal. Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. Like ancient Israel, we can easily fall back into our former ways. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the . He was to be an aid in getting them from their state of being merely "churched" to that of being truly religious and servants of the Most High God. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. What modern-day Baals have we worshipped in place of God? Either you are going to be committed to Him or not. Jer 32:29. Or about Yahweh? For example, Christmas and Easter are traditions of men, but they are lies. Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. They believed by their actions they could control and manipulate the Gods. 11:17; I Kings 8:3536; Jer. Right now, though, we are witnessing a steady defection from the basic principles of the Bible, away from what we call the Judeo-Christian ethic. Yet Sidon was a significant site before this period, too. The Sidonians were the inhabitants of ancient Sidon, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea in modern Lebanon. There is no doubt that prosperity is good, but unless one is properly focused and disciplined, it can also be a demanding master because of its power to distract one into idolatry. A second interpretation is that since the falling away contains the definite article, it refers to a unique event in man's history, far greater than anything that has happened before. In some cases, they attempted to attach this practice to worship of the Lord (Ezek 23:39). Let's exemplify Baal doctrines as preached . The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. The Israelites rejected the law of God and relied on the traditions of Gentile nations. a little T-shaped mark that stands for the long-A vowel (like a in father). Even as the Canaanite religion waned, Baal took on a new role as Zeus in the Ancient Greek pantheon. Elijah was sent by God, and he was fulfilling the responsibility of a prophet, to prod the people to whom he was sent to their responsibilities. Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. (the Iron Age). 11:1011). He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. The god Baal was the heathen sun-god spoken of in the Old Testament. Paul, in: Biblica, 49 (1968), 3436; U. Oldenburg, The Conflict Between El and Bal in Canaanite Religion (1969). Doumet-Serhal explains the significance of the handles iconography: The dragon epitomizes the most fundamental ancient mythical perception of the Mesopotamian storm god. . And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:14). Whoever is missing shall not live.". Given Jezebels religious fervor in the Bible, one would expect to find evidence of Baal worship at Sidon. He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. Their commitment went one way, and then it went the other way. John W. Ritenbaugh They think that what they are doing is right, but they are deceived. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/ggenova. Join the BAS Library today. Scholars previously associated the theonym with solar cults and with a variety of unrelated patron deities, but inscriptions have . Who were the Sidonians of the Bronze Age (c. 30001200 B.C.E.)? (the Middle Bronze Age). And she has taken over many so-called churches. All Rights Reserved. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Most modern translations use "false," "deceitful," or "faithless," and none of these are wrong, including "divided." The ancient Tamils had connections with the Syrians and Sidon. They simply evolve. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. Psalm 68 may have been written, in part, as a polemic against Baal worship wherein it is indicated in verse 4 that YHWH is the one who rides the clouds. Anyway she changed her mind and sent his son to Libya etc (The suggestion that Jer. He was overseeing a tevilah (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion_.28Tvilah.29) in a mikveh (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh). For instance, Hezekiahs son rebuilds the shrines of Baal and the Canaanite goddess Asherah that Hezekiah had torn down: He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree; and there they burned incense on all the high places, as the nations had done whom the LORD had carried away before them." The building materials, gold, silver, and lapis lazuli, were procured and the architect-builder Koshar was invited to dinner and consultation. 10:1113; 14:22). Further, in biblical usage when applied to the great weather-god, the singular regularly has the article, "the Baal," which suggests that the word was not regarded as a proper name. In the mythology of Canaan, Baal, the god of life and fertility, locked in mortal combat with Mot, the god of death and sterility. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! Required fields are marked *. What is so interesting is that, by verse 35, it is clear God is no longer addressing Himself to the Samaritans, but to Israel: [T]he LORD had made a covenant and charged [Israel], saying: "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. In short, Scripture has nothing positive to say about Baal. The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. Whatever the case, there is no doubt about Elijah's intent: "How long will you keep shifting from one opinion to the other?" This full-body immersion was required for converts (giyur) to the sect called The Way (HaDerech) in Acts whether a Pharisaic/Saddusaic Jew or a Gentile proselyte (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism). Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. In the Bible, the followers of the one true God encounter other gods, or previously worshipped idols themselves. (Jeremiah 7:8-10). So it was that, about 250 years after it was established, the ten-tribed northern kingdom became extinct as a sovereign nation. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. Sidon was well connected by trade by the traders of the Pandya kingdom of Tamil Nadu. (Iron Age) temple. The contest on Mount Carmel was reported as demonstrating that Baal was an impotent non-entity and that the rain came only from YHWH. 4. Photo: Courtesy of Claude Doumet-Serhal. Updates? He did not like the position God put him in. made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal" (verses 15-16). Through the influence of the Aramaeans, who borrowed the Babylonian pronunciation Bel, the god ultimately became known as the Greek Belos, identified with Zeus. The rains were fully controlled by YHWH who called them from the sea and poured them out on the surface of the earth (Amos 5:8b; 9:6b). The Devil is behind a. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baals epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. A DSS fragment has it spelled Iaw in Greek (iota-alpha-omega), which is consistent with Yahoah; see ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/lxxjewpap/4QLevB.jpg. Burning incense, worship of the sun, moon, astrology, and ancestor worship are all earmarks of the Baal religion. Most of the information they gave turned out to be wrong, to be lies. Mot refused and boasted how he had mangled Baal. Biblical narrative incorporates tales of Baal worship into the traditions of the wilderness wandering, thus tracing Baal worship to the earliest period of Israel's existence. God's pattern is being established. It is urgent that we understand what is involved here because it reveals the cause of God's anger that led to Israel's defeat and scattering. Sometimes the leadership of the nation of Israel tolerated and embraced the deities of other nations. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Israelites "caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger" (verse 17). The longest of the texts deals with the construction of Baal's house on top of Mount apn. Does that way of life conform to the God of the Bible, or does it spring from the mind of men? For Constantine, the acceptance of Christianity was done solely TO UNIFY TERRITORY, RELIGIONS, AND POLITICAL MOVEMENTS. We must understand that our god is not what we say we worship but what we serve. . Nevertheless, he was still faithful, and he did his job. Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. For those early Hebrews, Baal designated the Lord of Israel, just as Baal farther north designated the Lord of Lebanon or of Ugarit. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. He is deceived into thinking that his material prosperity proves that God approves of his conduct and attitudes. Prepare to Meet Your God! Because Baal was neither alive nor a moral force, his worshippers felt they could communicate with him only by ritual actions that portrayed what they were asking him to do. "Christian" religions of this world have mixed the traditions of paganism with some of the truth of God's Word. This viewpoint was developed as the basic and final argument against Baalism. Jehu's massacre of the Baal worshipers (II Kings 10:1828) did not eradicate bull worship (II Kings 10:31). 28:2); Hezekiah attempted to eliminate it; Manasseh his son again gave it royal support (II Kings 21:3); and Josiah in his turn purged the Temple of YHWH of the utensils made for Baal and Asherah (II Kings 23:4). The Laodicean evaluates himself, saying, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17). In the Hebrew Bible, Moloch is presented as a foreign deity who was at times illegitimately given a place in Israel's worship as a result of the syncretistic policies of certain apostate kings. A god Baal apn was known from Egyptian and Akkadian sources before the discovery of the Ugaritic documents. The proposition for the concept is as follows: The Latins called the Phoenicians as Poeni. In the Bible, Jezebel is notorious for persecuting the worship of Yahweh and for demanding that the Israelites worship Baal. A solution has been supplied by a tradition ascribed to the ancient Phoenician priest Sakkunyaton (Greek Sanchuniathn) that when El-Kronos defeated Ouranos, he captured in the battle Ouranos' pregnant concubine and gave her to Dagn. Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen Baal is a Canaanite and Phoeniciandeity and the son of the chief god El. In the parallel Ugaritic list, which is unfortunately very fragmentary, the "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" apparently corresponds to Baal apn, while those following are termed simply Baalim (blm). 3:23). It proved extremely hard for a monotheistic faith to compete against the Canaanite fertility cult. Baal and Asherah were two giant stumbling blocks for the people of Israel. She's most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. 19Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, "They are blind leaders of the blind. In this regard, Elijah was a type of John the Baptist, and Elisha, a type of Christ. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Jews to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The written form Moloch (in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament), or Molech (Hebrew), is the word Melech or king, transformed by interposing the vowels of bosheth or 'shameful thing'. It disturbed them. Baal Worship He just goes to sleep as he is freezing to death. Some suppose Baal to correspond to the sun and Ashtoreth to the moon; others that Baal was Jupiter and Ashtoreth Venus. Notice the dramatic change of attitude in the people. 8. In the formative stages of Israels history, the presence of Baal names did not necessarily mean apostasy or even syncretism. 106 a ). All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind. And of all the foreign gods the Israelites came into contact with, they appeared to struggle the most with worshipping this one. Sacred sex was a key component. For this reason, God shows that the preacher, not the civil authority, is the most vital part of the community. The heyday of Baal worship in Israel came in the days of Elijah, when the Phoenician princess Jezebel launched a massive campaign to promote Baal. The prophet turns the heat on, and they become angry with him when he is actually working to make them better. How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. In those God calls outthose who, by faith, will voluntarily yield to HimHe is building character based on outgoing love. 29:35, 32:26; Nah. Bible Study Hosea Old Testament. Today, music performers entice young and old in the practice of the worship of Baal-Peor In the Old Testament, many of the kings and eventually the whole nation of Israel rebelled against God and chose opposing belief systems. The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. It was under the Sol Invictus cult that CHRISTIANITY as a religion BEGAN TO BE ACCEPTED AND GROW, but THERE WAS A BIG PRICE THE EARLY ROMAN CHURCH HAD TO PAY. However, even though their origins were Canaanite, the Phoenicians established their own distinct culture. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . If Baal triumphed, a seven-year cycle of fertility would ensue; but, if he were vanquished by Mot, seven years of drought and famine would ensue. . In the Ugaritic mythological texts Balu (bl) is the name of the god which is used more than twice as often as his next most frequent name, Haddu (hd). They see themselves as following the way of God, but their religion has deceived them by failing to teach them His truth. Sun worship came from the ancient pagan religion of Baal. He is often accused of causing their pain. His ministry took place about 150 years before Israel was to fall, becoming the Lost Ten Tribes, so God was beginning to make a powerful witness to them. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. The Bible tells us that there were dire consequences for Israel worshiping a false god (Judges 2). Your email address will not be published. 3:8; Ps. The association of the name Baal-Zephon with Israel's exit from Egypt (Ex. The handle displays an impression of a ship with the leonine dragon Uumgal, the storm god Adads attendant, next to it. Today Baal churches preach and teach Baal doctrines; prosperity, harvest, sex and fertility. The conflict of Yahwism and Baalism reached a crisis with Elijah's challenge to Baal's prophets to settle the question whether it was Baal or YHWH who really supplied the rain (I Kings 18). But Jezebels religion is not Jewish whereas the religion of the Tamils is more like that of the Jews. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and as the storm godhe is usually depicted holding a lightning boltwho defeated enemies and produced crops. Who were the Sidonians, and what do we know about their religion? Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. Once Elijah began preaching, their conscience pricked them, and it encouraged them to worship the true God. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. So it was in the northern kingdom of Israel after its division from the kingdom of Judah. Baal was considered the supreme. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. 55:613; Jer. Baal worship was the bane of the Ancient Israelites. This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. Worshipers of Baal Killed. Superstitious fear and sexual rites on the one hand fought against faith and loyalty on the other. Extra-biblical evidence for the flourishing Baal cult at Samaria in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C.E. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. The violence and injustice in Israelite society ultimately stemmed from the false teaching proclaimed from the pulpits. Thus, according to Sakkunyaton, Baal's natural father was Ouranos and Dagn became his foster-father, while El-Kronos effected the transfer. Rejection of God's Law. The worship of Baal penetrated Jewish religious life during the period of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became common in Israel during the rule of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33), and also influenced Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). Study the god Baal, Baal worship, and the presentation of Baal in the Bible. The practice of Baal worship was wide spread in Bible times and was very evil. 2008 The Gale Group. But their carnality and their fear of men persuaded them to worship Baal, because they wanted to be friends with their fellow Israelites. The prophet Haggai attributed the drought and scarcity in his day to the failure to rebuild the Temple (Hag. Baal & Asherah. Knowledge of Baals personality and functions derives chiefly from a number of tablets uncovered from 1929 onward at Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra), in northern Syria, and dating to the middle of the 2nd millennium bce. It may be, however, that these extra Baalim are Baal's attendants, mentioned as the seven or eight lads whom Baal is ordered to take with him in his descent into the netherworld. Some extraordinary discoveries from recent excavations have allowed us to partially reconstruct Sidonian religion during the Bronze and Iron Agesshowing that Baal worship at the site had deep roots. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. I appreciate your consideration, and Im sure the Most High does as well! Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E., the handle pictures the storm god as a leonine dragon. Elijah says disturbing things. All rights reserved. What happens if a person, trying to establish a religion, mixes falsehood with the truth of God? In popular and syncretistic religion in Israel, Yahweh could be equated with both El and Baal. that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. The name is more likely derived from the god Baal. . Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. What made the very name Baal anathema to the Israelites was the program of Jezebel, in the 9th century bce, to introduce into Israel her Phoenician cult of Baal in opposition to the official worship of Yahweh (I Kings 18). This corrupt blending of a holy God with a pagan goddess became part of everyday religious practice, which is why evil king Manasseh put an Asherah pole . What was the rationale behind this perverse, immoral act? Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. He takes something loathsome and vile, something that is a direct affront to almighty God, a pagan idol, and turns it into a cute little children's fairy tale, so that you can buy the book, see the movies, get the cuddly toy, and bingo! Alternate titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim. It was a corruption of that religion, for the Israelites syncretized that holy way with Baalism and other idolatries. A third is that he is describing somebody teetering on a tightrope and trying to maintain his balance. Baal's objection to the window somehow concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but the text is broken at this point. These Israelites were lethargic in terms of true, spiritual matters. While they gave lip service to the Creator, they adopted most of the Canaanitish religion with its lewd immorality, and in actual practice, patterned their life after it. He was considered superior to his father, El, the chief of the deities. One was 260 days and was used for . Historical Background of HoseaBaal and Idolatry. After a textual gap, there is a report that Baal's corpse has been found. Sidons Phoenician Temple. Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? An example of Israel going after Baal leads to their loss of direction and, ultimately, scattering at the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). El and Anath mourn violently, mutilating their faces and bodies. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Then stood up Phinehas, and exe Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. ), from an original Baal-Zebul, which is preserved in this form in the New Testament (Matt. 1:711). In daily life, they conformed to and reflected the Babylonish system just as Israel does today. A vivid description of theophany in a thunderstorm is found in Psalms 18:715 (= II Sam. The summer drought did not mean that YHWH had died (like Baal), nor did the return of the rains signal the resurrection. The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. In Canaan, however, when the solar theology had absorbed the older beliefs, Baal, passing into a sun-god and the goddess who stood at his side becoming a representative of the moon--the pale reflection, as it were, of the sun- -Ashtoreth came to be regarded as the consort of Baal and took the place of the solar goddesses of Babylonia.