El and Anath mourn violently, mutilating their faces and bodies. Issuing a challenge to his enemy Mot (death), who presumed to rule gods and men, Baal dispatched his messengers to Mot's infernal, filthy abode, warning them not to get close to Mot's rapacious jaws. After a sortie against the sea-god, Baal returned to his house and ordered Koshar to install a window; Koshar laughed, reminded Baal of the debate, and complied. Join the BAS Library today. linked to Molech (also called Milcom in the Bible). Baal and Asherah were two giant stumbling blocks for the people of Israel. For those early Hebrews, Baal designated the Lord of Israel, just as Baal farther north designated the Lord of Lebanon or of Ugarit. 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. Commentaries are at odds over what the Hebrew word translated divided means. There was tremendous evil to overcome. Baal was the god of agriculture and fertility in Canaan, becoming a fallen angel and a demon. From Easton's Bible Dictionary:Baal-peor: lord of the opening, a god of the Moabites (Numbers 25:3; 31:16; Joshua 22:17), worshipped by obscene rites. Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 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. What modern-day Baals have we worshipped in place of God? Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. Israel "feared other gods" (verse 7). 55:613; Jer. Figs and grapes ripen during the dry season and the grain harvest also takes place before the rains resume. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. Thus, they developed a syncretic religious system, a blending of the truth of God and outright paganism. 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). For Constantine, the acceptance of Christianity was done solely TO UNIFY TERRITORY, RELIGIONS, AND POLITICAL MOVEMENTS. ADD. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." The name Baal in the Bible is most commonly associated with the Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility, the rain, the sun, and the storm. And that happened with the Canaanites and Baal. He is deceived into thinking that his material prosperity proves that God approves of his conduct and attitudes. Ginsberg, Kitvei Ugarit (1936); J. Oberman, Ugaritic Mythology (1948); A.S. Kapelrud, Baal in the Ras Shamra Texts (1952); M. Dahood, in: Studi Semitici, 1 (1958), 7578; N. Habel, Yahweh Versus Baal: A Conflict of Religious Cultures (1964); J. His opinion of his holiness as compared with God's judgment is so far off base, it causes Jesus Christ to regurgitate him from His body. 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. Consequently, during this tumultuous time, most Jews kept their faith and identity outwardly but bowed to Baal when necessary to appease Jezebel as well as mainstream culture. Avot 5:11 on the connection between tithing and rain). Worship of Baal was also carried out right on the housetops of the people, from where sacrificial smoke to their god was frequently seen to rise. After we accept His calling, He commands us to become moral as He is. The Bible speaks of the destruction of Baal's temples and the idols associated with him. God's pattern is being established. The Semitic word "baal" (meaning '"Lord") was also used to refer to various deities of the Levant. Despite Gods efforts to dissuade them, the Israelites engaged with the Canaanite culture a little too much and adopted their practices, including Baal worship. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. He sends someone long before the real crisis reaches its peak, while it is building. Whoever is missing shall not live.". . 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." 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. 1:21), would be catastrophic. The biblical allusions to YHWH's victory over the sea preserve echoes of the older exploit of Baal (cf. In Hebrew, it is rendered Yehoshua, and in Aramaic, Yeshua. . Updates? Paul, then, is letting the church know that it need not be concerned about missing the end time. Sidons Storm God. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. It disturbed them. Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. l, b . The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baals own temple in the city of Ugarit. 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. In another room was a round base that likely supported a wooden pillar. The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. Baal is said to be one of the first of Solomon's 72 demons. ), from an original Baal-Zebul, which is preserved in this form in the New Testament (Matt. If the rains failed and drought and death came upon the land and people, it was not because Mot had mangled Baal and made the glowing sun-goddess destructive; it was rather YHWH's way of meting out merited punishment to a faithless and sinful people (Deut. In Tamil Nadu, the following words payachi paarai, Peyazhwar, payans, pai (meaning devil) are currently in use. 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). Baal, of course, could not talk to them, but if he could, he would probably have said basically the same thing, so the people were in a very uncomfortable situation. Yet Sidon was a significant site before this period, too. Either you are going to be committed to Him or not. Baal transformed into Zeus, who transformed into Jupiter, etc. It may seem easy to point the finger at the ancient Israelites and say, How could you let a bull statue into Israel? They were primarily devoted to the worship of Baal and Asherah (or Asherim, Asheroth). 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. l /), or Baal (Hebrew: baal), was a title and honorific meaning 'owner', 'lord' in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity.From its use among people, it came to be applied to gods. All through the Old Testament, the people of Israel fell into Baal and Asherah worship, and it is no different for us today. For one to keep on coming to services and leaving, like a theatergoer, without his options, opinions, or decisions resolved but deferred, is an erosion of character. Their commitment went one way, and then it went the other way. This is God's way of showing that Israel abused its prosperity: It used its prosperity for the purposes of idolatry. Theoretically, the Israelites did not believe in idols, but in reality, they did. . Archaeologists at Sidon have uncovered a 12th11th-century B.C.E. This shows that the Egyptian Cleopatra had maritime connections with the ancient Kerala Tamils. Or about Yahweh? Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. This article is about Baal worship in the Bible. Blending the lies of this world with the truth of God produces a foul mixture called syncretism (James 3:10-13). He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. It seemed they couldnt border a single person who didnt try to destroy them or convince them to worship their own gods. In the Bible, the followers of the one true God encounter other gods, or previously worshipped idols themselves. Elijah had to take drastic measures to prevent Baal worship from completely eradicating the worship of the true God (I Kings 18:20-40). 19:5ff.). When Elijah preached his message, it put the people in a bind because they knew their conscience was telling them that they had to commit themselves to God or to Baal. The Devil is behind a. Baal rejoiced and celebrated with a banquet. What was the rationale behind this perverse, immoral act? "They built for themselves high places in all their cities . If you will not be committed to Him, you are going to die.". Baal was a fertility and earth god of the ancient cultures and was later exported to Egypt where he was worshipped as the storm god. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. Whatever the case, there is no doubt about Elijah's intent: "How long will you keep shifting from one opinion to the other?" It will be far more terrible than anything ever seen on this earth! 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. 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. Baal Worship The Battle for the Israelites' Hearts For nearly a thousand years, a battle raged for the hearts of the Israelite nation. He began to prophesy in a time of immediate crisis, one that would become far worse before it ever improved. This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. (Jeremiah 7:8-10). A general understanding about the bamah and . What the Bible says about Baal Worship ( From Forerunner Commentary ) 1 Kings 12:26-33 The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Then stood up Phinehas, and exe Then they linked up with Baal Peor, attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. Thus, IF one is to pronounce the Tetragrammaton according to the masoretic vowel-markings, then it should probably be pronounced something like yuh-WAH or yuh-HWAH. It indeed produces great material prosperity, but it is consumed through self-indulgent gorging. In spite of the fact that the word is used as the theophorous element in personal names, such as Eshbaal, Merib-Baal, Jerub Baal, it was long believed that the term remained an appellation and did not become a proper name, except in the case of the Mesopotamian Bel and in late theological speculation. north of Ugarit. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. Baal was a god of prosperity, god of harvest, sex and fertility. El is praised for his wisdom in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal will give his rain in season. And of all the foreign gods the Israelites came into contact with, they appeared to struggle the most with worshipping this one. The Sovereign Creator is not a God who allows His favor to be bought with crumbs. Now another presentation that the Phoenicians who are also connected with the Canaanites had traded with the trading mariners of Kerala, India. 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. You have a cuddly little Baal idol in your child's bedroom without even suspecting it. Adad (the Canaanite Hadad, the Semitic Hadda, the Hurrian Teshub, the Egyptian Resheph, the Phoenician Baal/Bel, the Sumerian Ishkur) is the Mesopotamian storm god, who has special maritime, celestial and meteorological attributes important to the well-being of sailors. 33 Bible Verses about Baal Worship, History So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. Alternate titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim. In the Hebrew language, Baal as a noun means "lord or possessor." As a verb, it means "to have dominion over or be lord over." Additionally, the local deity (near Israel) "Baal," was a god of rain and fertility. 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. 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. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Sidon is the birth place of Jezabel. In artistic depictions and archeological finds, Baal took the shape of a bull or ram and had associations with fertility. Nevertheless, he was still faithful, and he did his job. Second was passing their babies through the fire. One would think that, if altars increase during this period of prosperity, then religion is flourishing. But their carnality and their fear of men persuaded them to worship Baal, because they wanted to be friends with their fellow Israelites. 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! The latter title has a biblical echo in the corrupted form Baal-Zebub (II Kings 1:2ff. Canaanite Religions and Baal Worship by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson Audio (12:51) Free E-mail Bible Study Grace: Favor for the Undeserving. 19 Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. I prefer transliterating the sheva with [*] rather than any other English vowel letter, so I prefer Y*HWaH to YuHWaH or to YaHWeH, for that matter. In the first encounter, Baal is invited to a banquet at which he is to be both guest and main course. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? Baal worship spread rapidly when the king of Israel, Ahab, married Jezebel, the princess of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31-32). Child sacrifice was a fundamental aspect of Baal worship. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? The first mention of Molech is in Leviticus 18:21 in which the . Since the root tr in Arabic is connected with artificial irrigation, it is apparent that Ashtar's failure to measure up to Baal represents the inadequacy of irrigation as a substitute for natural rainfall. Although Baal is mentioned almost 100 times in the Bible, he is best known from the narratives of I and II Kings which include the story of the Phoenician princess Jezebel (d. c. 842 BCE), who encouraged his worship, and her struggle with the prophet Elijah, champion of the cult of Yahweh. The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. 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. Ahaz fostered Baal worship (II Chron. But who is Baal? We must understand that our god is not what we say we worship but what we serve. The Jews of Christ's day clearly recognized this putrid blend and despised the Samaritans for it. The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canonbut none more so than the Book of Kings, where they play a prominent role in assessing the performance of a king.Often referred to as "high places" in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar. As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. But Jezebels religion is not Jewish whereas the religion of the Tamils is more like that of the Jews. A prophet's life is not a happy situation. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). Elijah was dealing with the same thing here, albeit spiritually. 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. While much about Molech's nature and origin are uncertain, the Bible mentions Molech on eight occasions, providing some context regarding the problems associated with this ancient god. Christ's purpose is to cure, not merely to comfort, so pain will be often involved when dealing with a prophet. The sum of what Elijah said is actually spiritually dangerous, due to the fact that God is judging. A complaint is made to Bull El, father of the gods, that Baal has no house like other gods. With Baal's functions accredited to YHWH, it was natural and fitting that some of Baal's titles would also be taken over. 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. Life in a land dependent on rainfall enhanced the appeal of the Baal cult and its pervasive influence persisted through the centuries, as the unrelenting protests of the prophets and the sporadic efforts at reform attest. 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). 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.. We need to be reminded of it because it can have a detrimental effect on us. Dated to c. 1750 B.C.E. 11:17; I Kings 8:3536; Jer. "Whatever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Some of Judah's kings spent years tearing down shrines and high places to foreign gods (II Chronicles 34:1-7). ( The first is the Assyrian crisis, discussed here.) In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. For seven days a fire burned inside the building, and when it subsided, the house was plated with gold, silver, and lapis lazuli. Jun 2. Take the word isabel; it can be split as isa bel or as isai bel. And she has taken over many so-called churches. 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." 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. The Spread of Baalism. Huffmon, Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts (1965), 174; W.F. (the Middle Bronze Age), this impressed handle depicts a ship and a leonine dragon, which is the symbol of the Mesopotamian storm god Adad. The Semitic word Baal means lord or master, and the ancient people believed he was in charge of all of nature and humans. The basis for this view was the fact that in biblical usage the plural of the term, with the article, "the Baalim," appears to designate minor local gods (Judg. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan (1968); Albright, Arch Rel; S.M. 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." Apparently in anticipation of developments the artisan god Koshar had cast furnishings of gold and silver. Worshipers of Baal Killed. I know the firstborn of Creation through and for Him everything was made would appreciate it! Burning incense, worship of the sun, moon, astrology, and ancestor worship are all earmarks of the Baal religion. 10:25, 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18). You tricked me." During the summer months the rains cease, but the temporary drought is no threat unless it is abnormally prolonged. All Rights Reserved. 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). (Iron Age) temple. Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. Ritual prostitution only served to erode the family, eventually leading to the destruction of the nation. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. He was the god that provided - food - for the people. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. He was considered superior to his father, El, the chief of the deities. 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? . None of the foolish practices of the heathen could bring the rains; only YHWH could and did (Jer. Now the word isai, simply means music in Tamil. The above comment is by Prof. Abraham Joseph, M.Sc., M.Phil. Recall God's prophecy in Deuteronomy 32:15, predicting that when Israel prospered, then it would rebel. 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. The handle displays an impression of a ship with the leonine dragon Uumgal, the storm god Adads attendant, next to it. Baal in Smith's Bible Dictionary Baal (2) the supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations, as Ashtoreth was their supreme female divinity. 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). Since El and Dagn are distinct deities, this seeming confusion over Baal's paternity needs explanation. Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. 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. 14:2, 9; Num. But Baal was not exclusively a fertility god. Because Canaan depended on rain to grow crops and survive, he was numero uno. That afon designated the "north" in Hebrew is presumably due to the fact that Mount Casius lies directly north of Palestine. In this chapter, the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal have a show-down to prove the power of their God and gods. The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. He describes Israel as a luxuriant grape vine sending runners in every direction, indicating a bountiful crop. 8. Horrendous and repulsive aspects of the worship sexual excesses and perversions (Isa. The practice of Baal worship was wide spread in Bible times and was very evil. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Pagan Religious Practices. Because such people are drunk through riches' deceptive promise, their judgment is in danger of being radically altered. He did not like the position God put him in. Silapadikaram, a Tamil Classic, mentions more than 200 musical instruments. Sift through the storied history of ancient Israel. Given Jezebels religious fervor in the Bible, one would expect to find evidence of Baal worship at Sidon. They were Phoenicians. Its prosperity played a part in corrupting the Israelites' hearts, which is why Hosea mentions the divided or disloyal heart in context with its bountiful fruit. The laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Jews to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan. The Septuagint (LXX) referred to the latter as a stranger [in the land]. What is so interesting is that, by verse 36, God is no longer reporting on the Samaritans but is addressing Israel. Scholars previously associated the theonym with solar cults and with a variety of unrelated patron deities, but inscriptions have . Some scholars believe that the Canaanites also sacrificed pigs and that God prohibited his people from eating pork in part to prevent this horrible cult from being established among them. The prophet Amos particularizes the epidemic of social injustice in the Kingdom of Israel. One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. That there were minor Baalim also at Ugarit is indicated by a god list in Akkadian (see Ugaritica, 5, p. 44 ll. The god of arts and crafts, Kothar, then proceeded to build for Baal the most beautiful of palaces which spread over an area of 10,000 acres. BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. * Jesus is a transliteration of the Latin; it is NOT a translation! Possibly even more treacherous than this was a parallel development: mixing the worship of Yahweh and Baal. God's difference from us is that He is holy; He is moral and we are immoral. This second, universal interpretation is a better fit because, when we look at the whole passage, the events and personalities are worldwide in scope. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. The Largest Baal Worship Service on the Planet is in America August 27, 2017 by Andy Roman "They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." Daniel 5:4. 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. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens. Unlike Egypt and Mesopotamia, which depend on irrigation, the Promised Land drinks water from the rain of heaven (Deut. Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen. Val is related to valimai in Tamil. 9:20 presents a parallel is mistaken since the Ugaritic text mentions the sea-god and not Death (Mot) in connection with the window.) What Tamils are you speaking of? that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. 26:46). The prophet turns the heat on, and they become angry with him when he is actually working to make them better. The most prominent idol that they worshiped was Baal. It was a corruption of that religion, for the Israelites syncretized that holy way with Baalism and other idolatries. In a normal good year, when the rains come in due season, there is no hiatus in productivity, for the land yields its increase, the trees produce their fruit, the threshing overlaps, the vintage overlaps the sowing, and there is food aplenty, prosperity, and peace (Lev. At Shittim they attached themselves to Baal-Peor, ate sacrifices for the dead, and indulged in sacred sexual orgies (Num. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Baal was the title of the "god" worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. 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. Hope Bolingeris an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, and the author 21+ books. The Israelites fell into the worship of this idol(Numbers 25:3,5,18; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalm 106:28; Hosea 9:10). I would also challenge the suggestion in the text of the article that the location of Lots cave is known. The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism . So it was that, about 250 years after it was established, the ten-tribed northern kingdom became extinct as a sovereign nation. . Prophets and Prophecy (Part 1). Baal was considered the supreme. The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble." . In Hosea 10:2, God charges Israel with having a divided heart. Baal was simply the title (literally, Lord) of the pagan god Molech. One of the rooms in this temple had a bench, where offerings would have been placed, and an altar made of piled and unhewn stones, which recalls the Biblical command to make altars of uncut stones (see Exodus 20:25). Even those who have vaguely heard of the name Baal in the Bible know it doesnt have a good connotation. 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!