And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. The ancient Tamils had connections with the Syrians and Sidon. 7:1416). guilty of adopting the ghastly Canaanite practice of child sacrifice. Because of their self-procured wealth and affluence, they think they are being blessed with material things. In Judah the murder of the queen mother, *Athaliah , and of Mattan, priest of Baal, and the smashing of the altars and cult images in the Baal temple (II Kings 11:18) did not wipe out the cult (II Kings 12:34). Once Elijah began preaching, their conscience pricked them, and it encouraged them to worship the true God. Worshipers of Baal Killed. Today, some evangelicals attempt to prepare the people for what is to come, but their teaching is a mixture of right and wrong. The Bible speaks of the destruction of Baal's temples and the idols associated with him. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. With human features as well as the eyebrows, nose and horns of a ram, this painted limestone figurine represents a deity and dates to c. 1650 B.C.E. Observing Christmas and Easter in the name of Christ is no different. 2:11; 3:7; 8:33), while the singular of the word in combination with other terms apparently designated minor or local gods, such as Baal-Berith, Baal-Gad, Baal-Hamon, Baal-Hazor, Baal-Hermon, or, in the feminine form, a goddess, Baalat-Beer, Baalat-Gebal. (the Middle Bronze Age), this impressed handle depicts a ship and a leonine dragon, which is the symbol of the Mesopotamian storm god Adad. For instance, Amos 2:7 describes a deliberate act of ritual prostitution in a pagan temple: "A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name." Isai is music in Tamil and Vallavi means an expert. Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. But when heat is applied, and the blood begins rushing into the affected areas, pain immediately occurs. Although they lived in Israel, Jezebel and her retainers were free to worship Baal. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. 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. Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. 27:1). Note the name of her father, King of the Sidoneans and apparently (Josephus) a priest of Baal as well. If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. Murder and sexual immorality was a part of Baal worship. Notice the dramatic change of attitude in the people. Baal Peor, or the Baal of Peor, was a local deity worshiped by the Moabites. Sun worship came from the ancient pagan religion of Baal. Because such people are drunk through riches' deceptive promise, their judgment is in danger of being radically altered. This shows that the Egyptian Cleopatra had maritime connections with the ancient Kerala Tamils. Gen. 41; II Sam. 33:7) has been made the basis of intriguing speculation by Eissfeldt. Figs and grapes ripen during the dry season and the grain harvest also takes place before the rains resume. This time, Baal puts up a fight and holds Mot off in battle. ; Job 3:8, 7:12, 9:13, 26:1213, 38:811, 40:25). 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. THIS IS A PROFILE OF PRACTICES, DOCTRINES, AND SYMBOLS OF BAAL WORSHIP . 131; Sanh. . He is the king of the east and governs an army of 66 legions of demons." Did you catch that? Thus it is clear that Baal, representing the life-giving rains, fluctuates in his ability to withstand the power of Mot, who represents drought, sterility, and death. The prize of the victory was kingship over the gods and the enthronement ritual guaranteed the natural order of life and the welfare of the society. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Baal, Baal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The violence and injustice in Israelite society ultimately stemmed from the false teaching proclaimed from the pulpits. Isaiah 14:13 alludes to this divine abode as "the Mount of Assembly in the recesses of afon" (har moed be-yarkete afon), the latter phrase being the equivalent of Ugaritic mrym pn or rrt pn, the height or fastness of apn. When Ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to Molech, (also called Milcom in the Bible). Baal was the title of the "god" worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. He awakens them to their spiritual and moral responsibilities. The summer drought did not mean that YHWH had died (like Baal), nor did the return of the rains signal the resurrection. These people, who became known as the Samaritans, feared the Lord but worshipped their own gods. Speech is completely original and produced exclusively by Grace Digital Network Music licensed through Artlist.io Footage licensed through Filmpac.com and S. Since El and Dagn are distinct deities, this seeming confusion over Baal's paternity needs explanation. The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. 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. Those familiar with the Biblical text will recall that Sidon was an influential, wealthy Phoenician city when the kings of Israel and Judah ruled during the Iron Age. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. Blending the lies of this world with the truth of God produces a foul mixture called syncretism (James 3:10-13). 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). Pagan Religious Practices. But who is Baal? Jesus says, "They are blind leaders of the blind. But not all years are good, and in a bad year, or a series of bad years, when the rains fail, the skies become like iron, the land like brass, and man's toil is futile for the earth will not yield its increase (Lev. A religion with such a beginning was doomed to fail, bringing the nation down with it. What modern-day Baals have we worshipped in place of God? Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). In this chapter, the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal have a show-down to prove the power of their God and gods. There was, therefore, continuity in Sidons population from the Bronze to the Iron Age. Theoretically, the Israelites did not believe in idols, but in reality, they did. Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. The Laodicean evaluates himself, saying, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17). Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. When the Israelites, following Moses to the Promised Land, were in the vicinity of Peor, some of them fell into idolatry and worshiped Baal Peor. 3:8; Ps. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen. 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. God wants to transform us from people who are bent on pleasing ourselves to people who show concern for others. The name "Baal" shows up seven times in Hosea (2:8, 2:13, 2:16, 2:17 . BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Hermann, in: DDD, 13238; M.S. Some suppose Baal to correspond to the sun and Ashtoreth to the moon; others that Baal was Jupiter and Ashtoreth Venus. 4. It indeed produces great material prosperity, but it is consumed through self-indulgent gorging. Payment of the full tithe to the food stores of the Temple, some thought, would guarantee that YHWH would open the windows of heaven and pour down overflowing blessings (Mal. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? Of special interest is the designation Aliy (ly) which is twice applied to Baal in the Krt Epic: Before the discovery and recognition of this name in Ugaritic, H.S. They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. The basis of all immorality is selfishness, the exact opposite of what God is. Or about Yahweh? But God. 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. 14:13). The variant form Hadad (hdd) is attested to only once in Ugaritic. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . In other words, God is saying that He was driven to defeat and scatter Israel because they were guilty of exactly the same sin as the Samaritans! Claude Doumet-Serhal of the British Museum details recent excavations at Sidon in her article SidonCanaans Firstborn, published in the July/August 2017 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the . 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. Usually the storm god is illustrated as a striding human figure, but sometimes he is represented by one of his symbols, such as the bull or leonine dragon. 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). He is deceived into thinking that his material prosperity proves that God approves of his conduct and attitudes. 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.. After we accept His calling, He commands us to become moral as He is. 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. The worship of Baal extended in this region to the Jews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians. She gives life to 70 other gods in the Canaanite pantheon. But their carnality and their fear of men persuaded them to worship Baal, because they wanted to be friends with their fellow Israelites. The Baal-worship so often alluded to and described in Holy Writ might, perhaps, be better styled, id-worship, moon-worship, Melek (Moloch)-worship, or Hadad-worship, according to places and circumstances. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! He sends someone long before the real crisis reaches its peak, while it is building. Given Jezebels religious fervor in the Bible, one would expect to find evidence of Baal worship at Sidon. The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baals own temple in the city of Ugarit. Baal's sister-consort Anath demanded that Mot release her brother. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. But Baal was not exclusively a fertility god. He could, and did, withhold the rain from one city and lavish it on another (Amos 4:7). It will be far more terrible than anything ever seen on this earth! ed., 1965); H.B. They were Canaanites and shared numerous similarities, including many of the same gods, with their close neighbors in the southern Levantwho were also predominantly Canaanite. 2008 The Gale Group. What happens if a person, trying to establish a religion, mixes falsehood with the truth of God? 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. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. What is so interesting is that, by verse 36, God is no longer reporting on the Samaritans but is addressing Israel. 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 . Immorality lies in the desire of men to live self-centered lives independent of God, as when Adam and Eve took of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:1-19). You have a cuddly little Baal idol in your child's bedroom without even suspecting it. Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. This article is about Baal worship in the Bible. Prophets and Prophecy (Part 1). Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered!only to go on doing all these abominations? . God's first command to destroy any forms of idol worship came early in the Bible in Exodus 34:13. . He was the god that provided - food - for the people. Actually, there were two gods which were essentially worshiped the same way, Baal and Ashtoreth. In those God calls outthose who, by faith, will voluntarily yield to HimHe is building character based on outgoing love. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan (1968); Albright, Arch Rel; S.M. So-called from Mount Peor, where this worship was celebrated, the Baal of Peor. Baal was simply the title (literally, Lord) of the pagan god Molech. "But there was no voice. However, even though their origins were Canaanite, the Phoenicians established their own distinct culture. Israel "feared other gods" (verse 7). Yet Sidon was a significant site before this period, too. Our god is what we give our lives over to. Either you are going to be committed to Him or not. By the time of the prophet Hosea (mid-8th century bce) the antagonism to Baalism was so strong that the use of the term Baal was often replaced by the contemptuous boshet (shame); in compound proper names, for example, Ishbosheth replaced the earlier Ishbaal. Today Baal churches preach and teach Baal doctrines; prosperity, harvest, sex and fertility. He began to prophesy in a time of immediate crisis, one that would become far worse before it ever improved. Baal and Asherah were two giant stumbling blocks for the people of Israel. Most modern translations use "false," "deceitful," or "faithless," and none of these are wrong, including "divided." 10:1113; 14:22). COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. 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." (Iron Age) temple. With the help of the sun-goddess Shapsh, Anath locates the dead Baal, carries him to the height of apn, and weeping buries him with funerary sacrifices. 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. One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. God's pattern is being established. At the foundation of every community is a way of life that its people live and teach their children. What will happen will affect the entire world, even though the world will not grasp the spiritual significance. A major question about II Thessalonians 2 is the scope of the described events. They simply evolve. (NASB). Their spiritual lethargy for the true God made them uncommitted. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. 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. 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. Discovered in a farmer's field in northeastern Egypt, this inscribed monument bears the name of one of the few pharaohs actually named in the Old . Learn more about Biblical Sidon and Sidonian religion in Claude Doumet-Serhals article SidonCanaans Firstborn in the July/August 2017 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Baal was a false god the feckless Jewish King Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel, attempted to force upon the nation of Israel during the time of Elijah the prophet (see 1 Kings 18). Join the BAS Library today. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God (I Kings 12:26-33). Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E., the handle pictures the storm god as a leonine dragon. 33 Bible Verses about Baal Worship, History So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. A complex religion with traditions and gods from all over the ancient Middle East, Baal worship offered something for everyone. Human-Ram Deity from Sidon. FREE ebook: Israel: An Archaeological Journey. However, God shows there is a possible harmful, secondary effect: As people become financially secure, their attention is diverted from His purpose to vain and unimportant things. 114) or with eschatological victory (Isa. Asherah was a fertility goddess. The worship of Baal was popular in Egypt from the later New Kingdom in about 1400 bce to its end (1075 bce). Paul, in: Biblica, 49 (1968), 3436; U. Oldenburg, The Conflict Between El and Bal in Canaanite Religion (1969). In this article, well discuss what Scripture has to say about Baal, what we know from history about Baal, and why this ultimately matters to us today. What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt? As an example, notice Amos 2:6-7, where Amos chides the Israelites: ". All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. The prophet Haggai attributed the drought and scarcity in his day to the failure to rebuild the Temple (Hag. They believed by their actions they could control and manipulate the Gods. To become moral, we must kill our selfish egos through the use and guidance of God's Holy Spirit. It was a corruption of that religion, for the Israelites syncretized that holy way with Baalism and other idolatries. (Iron Age) temple. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. Jehu's massacre of the Baal worshipers (II Kings 10:1828) did not eradicate bull worship (II Kings 10:31). BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. This viewpoint was developed as the basic and final argument against Baalism. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? 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). Now the word isai, simply means music in Tamil. . It was this Israelite worship of Baal which was challenged by the Hebrew prophet Elijah in his famous conflict with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in I Kings 18, when he challenged the. In Tamil Nadu, the following words payachi paarai, Peyazhwar, payans, pai (meaning devil) are currently in use. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. 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. Baal (/ b e. In the Aztec religion, life existed before humans, and civilization was built after the destruction of the fourth sun. Ugaritic texts tell of other fertility aspects of Baal, such as his relations with Anath, his consort and sister, and also his siring a divine bull calf from a heifer. Sidon was well connected by trade by the traders of the Pandya kingdom of Tamil Nadu. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. This establishes the fact that the Cannanites (Phoenicians) has connections with the Tamil speaking ancient Kerala mariners. 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). Baal worship is something I associated only with Old Testament Bible days. Archaeologists at Sidon have uncovered a 12th-11th-century B.C.E. His overall conduct may not be too bad, but his poor self-analysis persuades him that he has no urgent need to seek God any further. The sum of what Elijah said is actually spiritually dangerous, due to the fact that God is judging. 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). Like ancient Israel, we can easily fall back into our former ways. By submitting to Him, we take a small step in being transformed into what He is. At Shittim they attached themselves to Baal-Peor, ate sacrifices for the dead, and indulged in sacred sexual orgies (Num. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. Sacred sex was a key component. ), from an original Baal-Zebul, which is preserved in this form in the New Testament (Matt. The Masoretic text has the 4 letters YHWH with a sheva under the Y, pronounced yuh, and a Qamats below the W, i.e. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. They clash violently until both are prostrate and the Sungoddess warns Mot not to fight with Baal lest El hear and overthrow him. However, God still holds them responsible because the truth is available. 4:12; Hos. The proposition for the concept is as follows: The Latins called the Phoenicians as Poeni. 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). 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). Before descending to the realm of death, Baal copulates with a heifer and begets a male offspring. When a person is freezing to death, he feels a pleasant numbness that he does not want to end. Alternate titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim. In daily life, they conformed to and reflected the Babylonish system just as Israel does today. Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. 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. Burning incense, worship of the sun, moon, astrology, and ancestor worship are all earmarks of the Baal religion. The myths also tell of Baals struggle to obtain a palace comparable in grandeur to those of other gods. Elijah was dealing with the same thing here, albeit spiritually. However, before the war was over, both sides were summarily executing anybody who did this because those traitors could not be trusted. Rejection of God's Law. Since you mentioned John baptizing Jesus. 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. that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. We need to be reminded of it because it can have a detrimental effect on us. Baal was a god of prosperity, god of harvest, sex and fertility. The god Baal was the heathen sun-god spoken of in the Old Testament. For those early Hebrews, Baal designated the Lord of Israel, just as Baal farther north designated the Lord of Lebanon or of Ugarit. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. 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 ). Commentaries are at odds over what the Hebrew word translated divided means. The tablets, although closely attached to the worship of Baal at his local temple, probably represent Canaanite belief generally. Your email address will not be published. People like to feel comfortable. . (The Book of Amos) (Part Two), Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen, He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true. The association of the name Baal-Zephon with Israel's exit from Egypt (Ex. The Kingdom of Israel fell below the historian's radar. Not a BAS Library member yet? Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice? Archeological excavations have dated information about Baal back as far as the second millennium BC, and the spread of Baal worship caught fire in Egypt in 1400 BC. Apostasy is a defection from trutha forsaking of one spiritual approach in favor of another. Baal remains silent during the exchange, whereas God showers a sopping-wet altar with fire. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. The Bible is full of colorful characters, from Noah to Moses to Jesus. Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel." The first mention of Molech is in Leviticus 18:21 in which the . Child sacrifice was even practiced in the Valley of Hinnom just outside of Jerusalem. Gray, The Legacy of Canaan (rev. The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. Ritual prostitution only served to erode the family, eventually leading to the destruction of the nation. . 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. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/ggenova. If you will not be committed to Him, you are going to die.". Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. Today, music performers entice young and old in the practice of the worship of Baal-Peor No one answered; no one paid attention" (v. 29 ESV). 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. This is the crux of our salvation through Jesus Christ. In the El-Amarna letters Canaanite clients addressed the Egyptian king as "My Baal, my Addu." Baal worship spread rapidly when the king of Israel, Ahab, married Jezebel, the princess of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31-32). 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. Even now some ancient Jews (white and black) live in Cochin, Kerala, India. "Christian" religions of this world have mixed the traditions of paganism with some of the truth of God's Word. In the Judeo-Christian tradition Asherah is considered a false Canaanite deity and a major source of temptation to the Israelites. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. 11:1011). A complaint is made to Bull El, father of the gods, that Baal has no house like other gods. The longest of the texts deals with the construction of Baal's house on top of Mount apn.