Ba'al Zevuv

בעל זבוב


Better known to us as Beelzebub (or Beezlebub even, though not among the scholars!) He was worshipped at Ekron, one of the five principal cities of the Pelishtim, and consulted by King Achaz-Yah (אֲחַזְיָה - Ahaziah) in 2 Kings 1:2.

King Achav's (Ahab's) wife was queen Jezebel, properly Iy-Zevel, the daughter of Et-Ba'al (אתבעל) king of Tsur (Tyre); she encouraged and patronised both Ba'al and Asherah worship in Yisra-El until Eli-Yahu (Elijah) swept it away (1 Kings 16:31; 18:4; 21:5; 2 Kings 9:7).

The same root also gives Ba'al Zevel ("Lord of the Dross", where Ba'al Zevuv is "Lord of the Flies"), and Zevulun, the 6th son of Ya'akov, usually mispronounced Zebulon in English, and quite likely an indication that the tribe acquired its name from the worship of Ba'al Zevul, just as Asher did from either Osher or Asherah, Yisaschar from either Yah Shachur the "Black Madonna" or Yah Shachar the dawn star, and Gad from the god of Fortune.

The Galileans later accused Jesus of worshipping him as the Prince of Demons (Matthew 12, 10:25, Luke 11).


See also my notes to Yachle-El.



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