Ba'al Worship
or
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
October 12, 2013
Apprentice Graham
bACKGROUND
Master has been talking about Ba’al or Baal for several days. As with my previous essay on “Natural Law”, I was hopeful that if I wrote an essay on the topic of his newest obsession, the incessant chatter would cease. Master agreed to allow me to write a paper and the following is the result of my research.
PART THE FIRST
By going to the primary source, secondary sources and speculation about Ba’al and his worshippers are reduced. The following quotes are from the King James Bible. Any quotes that do not reveal anything about the nature of Ba’al and his followers have not been included in the following. I have taken the liberty of replacing “Ba’al”, since Ba’al is not a proper name. I have used the English translation of “the Master” to clarify who or what Ba’al is to the writers of the Old Testament.
PART THE SECOND
Select commentary on the primary sources.
[And] throw down the altar of the Master that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
Judges 6:25
Therefore on that day he called him Jerub the Master, saying, Let the Master plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. Judges 6:32
And he reared up an altar for the Master in the house of the Master... 1 Kings 16:32
The Master has altars in his service. Unlike Temple Judaism, the Master can be worshiped in various places.
And it came to pass ... that he ... went and served the Master, and worshipped him.
1 Kings 16:31
The followers of the Master serve and worship him.
[And] the prophets of the Master four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, 1 Kings 18:19
The Hebrew word that is translated “prophet” can also be translated as “spokesman or speaker”.
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto the Master, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18
Worship to the Master includes kneeling and, perhaps surprisingly, kissing him.
And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of the Master that his father had made. 2 Kings 3:2
Ahab served the Master a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. 2 Kings 10:18
Ahab was “lukewarm” in his service to the Master, but Jehu is very dedicated to serving him.
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of the Master. 2 Kings 10:25
The followers of the Master use burnt offerings in service to the Master. The Hebrew word means “what is laid on the altar or what is offered on the altar”.
And they brought forth the images out of the house of the Master, and burned them.
2 Kings 10:26
There are multiple images in the Master’s house. It can not be known if all the images are of the Master or if there is a variety of other gods that are worshiped. “House” can be translated as an “assembly”, but this depends on the context.
And they brake down the image of the Master and brake down the house of the Master...
2 Kings 10:27
Since Hebrew does not possess definite and indefinite articles, “the house” could be translated “a house” since there are various locations that worship the Master.
And all the people of the land went into the house of the Master, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of the Master before the altars. 2 Kings 11:18
Because Hebrew does not not definite and indefinite articles (“the”/”a”), we can not know if there were other priests beside Mattan, or if he was the highest priest.
[And] he reared up altars for the Master and made a grove, ... and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 2 Kings 21:3
The author states that the people not only worshiped the Master, but has included the “host of heaven”. The people also serve the “host of heaven”.
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for the Master, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem... 2 Kings 23:4
Items of worship for the Master were not to be used in the temple of the Jewish Lord and these items were burned.
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto the Master, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. 2 Kings 23:5
The priests burn incense to the Master and, we are told, to “all the host of heaven”. Clearly, the “host of heaven” does not include the sun, moon and planets because they are listed separately. The author wants the reader to believe that the backsliders originally worshiped the Master. Later, they worshiped all the “host of heaven” and still later the sun, moon and planets.
For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto the Master. Jeremiah 11:13
Cities were dedicated to the gods.
For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto the Master. Jeremiah 11:17
Once again, incense is offered to the Master.
And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto the Master, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. Jeremiah 32:29
“Drink offerings” to other gods is now listed to show the utter depravity of the followers of the Master, to wit, they worshiped the Master, then the host of heaven, then the planets and now they offer drinks to other gods.
part the third
By translating “Ba’al” with the word “Master”, a clearer image of this idolatry is manifesting. We will continue to substitute words with their English meaning to reach an interesting, although not definitive, conclusion.
And he reared up an altar for the Master in the assembly [or church]of the Master...
1 Kings 16:32
And it came to pass ... that he ... went and served the Master and worshipped him.
1 Kings 16:31
The followers of the Jesus serve and worship him. There is nothing extraordinary in this statement.
[And] the speakers [or priests] of the Master four hundred and fifty, and the speakers [or priests] of the groves four hundred, 1 Kings 18:19
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto the Master and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 1 Kings 19: 18
And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image [or icon] of the Master that his father had made. 2 Kings 3:2
Ahab served the Master a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. 2 Kings 10:18
Ahab was “lukewarm” in his service to Jesus , but Jehu is very dedicated to serving him. Presumably, Jehu promotes Jesus and builds churches to him.
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering … and went to the city of the house of the Master. 2 Kings 10:25
And they brought forth the images [or icons] out of the assembly (or church) of the Master and burned them. 2 Kings 10:26
The images are possibly of Jesus and the saints.
And they brake down the image of the Master and brake down the assembly [or church] of the Master... 2 Kings 10:27
Since the Hebrew language does not possess definite and indefinite articles, “the house” could be translated “a house” since there are various locations that worship Jesus.
And all the people of the land went into the assembly [or church] of the Master and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly and slew Mattan the priest of the Master before the altars. 2 Kings 11:18
Because Hebrew does not possess definite and indefinite articles [“the” / ”a”], we can not know if there were other priests beside Mattan, or if he was the highest priest.
[And] he reared up altars for the Master and made a grove ... and worshipped [or venerated] all the host of heaven and served them. 2 Kings 21:3
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for the Master, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven [or saints] and he burned them without Jerusalem... 2 Kings 23:4
Items of worship for Jesus were not to be used in the temple of the Jewish Lord and these items were burned.
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and ... burned incense unto the Master, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven [or saints]. 2 Kings 23:5
For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods [or patron saints], O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto the Master. Jeremiah 11:13
For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto the Master. Jeremiah 11:17
Once again, incense is offered during the worship of Divine Liturgy.
And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto the Master, and poured out drink offerings [or communion] unto other gods (or saints), to provoke me to anger. Jeremiah 32:29
conclusion
The text of the Old Testament can not be dated from the internal evidence. We can only conclude that these verses were written by people who saw all images as idolatry. For the purposes of this essay, these authors will be referred to as “proto-Islamic”, that is, before Islam was a religion distinct from Christianity. Clearly, the Jewish people do not have an issue with images as the Temple had images of cherubs on the walls and the ark of the covenant had two statues covering the lid of the ark. From the above text, we can conclude that these anti icon believers were in the minority, since the text indicates that Jesus and saints had the majority of the people as followers. All people, from leaders to the masses, were eager to follow Jesus.
Since Christians believe that Jesus was God incarnate, that is, come in the flesh, depicting Jesus on an icon was not idolatry, since he is a man. The saints or all those in heaven are also displayed on icons. The author of Jeremiah was an extreme anti idolator, since he describes offerings that are not Orthodox practice.
The text indicates that Christianity was the dominate religion, as we are told there are hundreds of priests and many patron saints of cities and even patron saints of streets. Altars, or more likely, icons are found throughout the city. The Churches are eventually destroyed and the worship of the one true God is instituted. It is likely these events happened after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, since Hagia Sophia still has mosaics of Jesus and the saints.
Since Christians believe that Jesus was God incarnate, that is, come in the flesh, depicting Jesus on an icon was not idolatry, since he is a man. The saints or all those in heaven are also displayed on icons. The author of Jeremiah was an extreme anti idolator, since he describes offerings that are not Orthodox practice.
The text indicates that Christianity was the dominate religion, as we are told there are hundreds of priests and many patron saints of cities and even patron saints of streets. Altars, or more likely, icons are found throughout the city. The Churches are eventually destroyed and the worship of the one true God is instituted. It is likely these events happened after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, since Hagia Sophia still has mosaics of Jesus and the saints.
Post Script
Apprentice Graham has done fine work with some basic ideas, i.e., not getting carried away with fantastic ideas and coming to a reasonable, although by no means, provable conclusion. Unfortunately, Apprentice Graham has completely ignored the well known chronology of the Old Testament and created several anachronisms by placing the events of the Old Testament in the late Middle Ages. As this paper stands, we are left with the uneasy feeling conclusion that the Old Testament was written after the New Testament. Somewhat puzzling is why Apprentice Graham has omitted the universally known aspect of Baal worship,i.e., Baal as a rain god. With so much emphasis on the definition and meaning of words, one wonders if Apprentice Graham is aware that this website is titled "Some people call me the Greatest Occultist of the Twenty First Century" and not "Some people call me the Greatest Philologist of the Twenty First Century". In the occult, like philology, proof is often lacking and the validity or value of the work, as always, is left to the Gentle Reader.
Select Commentary on the Two Babylons
An extensive paper demonstrating the evidence that Alexander Hislop has misunderstood a confused version of history. The ultimate finding is that there were not two Babylons, but one Babylon.
Ba'al as referenced from the Oxford English Dictionary.
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Judges ii. 13
The sones of Yrael..serueden to Baalym and Astaroth.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Judges ii. 13
Serued Baal and Astaroth.
1603a T. Cartwright Confut. Rhemists New Test. (1618) 134
Baalists..calling for fire to bee sent.
1618a J. Sylvester Tobacco Battered 190
Tobacco's smoakie-mists..from the Iberian Baalists.
1625a E. Chaloner Six Serm. (1629) 38
Hath not superstition and Baalisme infected..our land?
1639 R. Sanderson Serm. II. 134
Elijah once said to the Baalites, etc.
1642 N. Warton in Archæol. XXXV. 332
Our soildiers could not forbeare dauncing in the holie quire, whereat the Baalists were sore displeased.
1645 Milton On Christ's Nativity: Hymn xxii, in Poems 10
Peor, and Baalim, Forsake their Temples dim.
1650 T. Fuller Pisgah-sight of Palestine iv. vii. 130
In the interim betwixt the Judges, Baalisme was first brought into Israel.
1652 W. Brough Preservative against Schisme 55
No argument this to fall to..Baaliticall Worship.
1690 Uzziah & Jotham 16
Mistaken zeal..Made unforeseeing Levites, Baalish Tools.
1820 Keats Isabella in Lamia & Other Poems 77
Those Baälites of pelf, Her brethren.
1834 T. Carlyle Sartor Resartus ii. ix. 70/1
There are ‘true Priests, as well as Baal-Priests'.
1835 J. Anderson Disc. Elijah App. 352
The title of Baal or Lord thus bestowed upon the objects of idolatry.
1862 Masson in Macmillan's Mag. Aug. 325
Baits to idolatry and Baalism.
1863 N. & Q. 26 Sept. 251
Baal-worship prevailed in the pre-Christian era.
Asherah, n. Etymology: < Hebrew Ashērāh.
A wooden post, pillar, or trunk of a tree used as the symbol of the goddess Ashera, occurring near the altar in Canaanitish high places devoted to the worship of Baal. Also the goddess herself, associated with Baal in Syrian, Phœnician, and Hebrew heathen worship. (Cf. grove n. 2a.)
1860 F. W. Gotch in W. Smith Dict. Bible I. 120/2
Asherah is the name of the image or symbol of the goddess. This symbol seems in all cases to have been of wood.., and the most probable etymology of the term (..to be straight..) indicates that it was formed of the straight stem of a tree, whether living or set up for the purpose.
1884 Bible (R.V.) Exod. xxxiv. 13
Ye shall cut down their Asherim. Note. Probably the wooden symbols of a goddess Asherah.
1884 Bible (R.V.) Deut. xvi. 21
Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God.
1886 C. R. Conder Syrian Stone-lore v. 189
The ‘hangings for the grove’, or robe for the Asherah—the sacred tree erected even in the Jerusalem Temple in Josiah's time.
1912 H. F. Hamilton People of God I. ii. iv. 55
Poles, which served as substitutes for trees, called asherim.
1925 W. Ewing J. E. H. Thomson xviii. 259
The altars, the pillars, and Asherahs were not destroyed.
We have no record of Asherah in the English language until the 19th century.
All instances of "Master" found in the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great:
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Judges ii. 13
The sones of Yrael..serueden to Baalym and Astaroth.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Judges ii. 13
Serued Baal and Astaroth.
1603a T. Cartwright Confut. Rhemists New Test. (1618) 134
Baalists..calling for fire to bee sent.
1618a J. Sylvester Tobacco Battered 190
Tobacco's smoakie-mists..from the Iberian Baalists.
1625a E. Chaloner Six Serm. (1629) 38
Hath not superstition and Baalisme infected..our land?
1639 R. Sanderson Serm. II. 134
Elijah once said to the Baalites, etc.
1642 N. Warton in Archæol. XXXV. 332
Our soildiers could not forbeare dauncing in the holie quire, whereat the Baalists were sore displeased.
1645 Milton On Christ's Nativity: Hymn xxii, in Poems 10
Peor, and Baalim, Forsake their Temples dim.
1650 T. Fuller Pisgah-sight of Palestine iv. vii. 130
In the interim betwixt the Judges, Baalisme was first brought into Israel.
1652 W. Brough Preservative against Schisme 55
No argument this to fall to..Baaliticall Worship.
1690 Uzziah & Jotham 16
Mistaken zeal..Made unforeseeing Levites, Baalish Tools.
1820 Keats Isabella in Lamia & Other Poems 77
Those Baälites of pelf, Her brethren.
1834 T. Carlyle Sartor Resartus ii. ix. 70/1
There are ‘true Priests, as well as Baal-Priests'.
1835 J. Anderson Disc. Elijah App. 352
The title of Baal or Lord thus bestowed upon the objects of idolatry.
1862 Masson in Macmillan's Mag. Aug. 325
Baits to idolatry and Baalism.
1863 N. & Q. 26 Sept. 251
Baal-worship prevailed in the pre-Christian era.
Asherah, n. Etymology: < Hebrew Ashērāh.
A wooden post, pillar, or trunk of a tree used as the symbol of the goddess Ashera, occurring near the altar in Canaanitish high places devoted to the worship of Baal. Also the goddess herself, associated with Baal in Syrian, Phœnician, and Hebrew heathen worship. (Cf. grove n. 2a.)
1860 F. W. Gotch in W. Smith Dict. Bible I. 120/2
Asherah is the name of the image or symbol of the goddess. This symbol seems in all cases to have been of wood.., and the most probable etymology of the term (..to be straight..) indicates that it was formed of the straight stem of a tree, whether living or set up for the purpose.
1884 Bible (R.V.) Exod. xxxiv. 13
Ye shall cut down their Asherim. Note. Probably the wooden symbols of a goddess Asherah.
1884 Bible (R.V.) Deut. xvi. 21
Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God.
1886 C. R. Conder Syrian Stone-lore v. 189
The ‘hangings for the grove’, or robe for the Asherah—the sacred tree erected even in the Jerusalem Temple in Josiah's time.
1912 H. F. Hamilton People of God I. ii. iv. 55
Poles, which served as substitutes for trees, called asherim.
1925 W. Ewing J. E. H. Thomson xviii. 259
The altars, the pillars, and Asherahs were not destroyed.
We have no record of Asherah in the English language until the 19th century.
All instances of "Master" found in the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great:
MASTER and Lord our God, You have established in heaven the orders and hosts of angels and archangels ...
MASTER, accept the thrice; holy hymn also from the lips of us sinners and visit us in Your goodness.
Shine within our hearts, loving MASTER, the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our minds that ...
MASTER, Lord, God, worshipful Father almighty, it is truly just and right to the majesty of Your holiness to praise You...
MASTER of all things, Lord of heaven and earth, and of every creature visible and invisible...
Together with these blessed powers, loving MASTER we sinners also cry out...
Therefore, MASTER, we also, remembering His saving passion and life giving cross...
Therefore, most holy MASTER, we also, Your sinful and unworthy servants...
And make us worthy, MASTER, with confidence and without fear of condemnation..
Lord MASTER, the Father of mercies and God of every consolation...
Loving MASTER, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness...
Grant, MASTER of all, that the communion of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ may become for us faith unashamed...
I thank You, Christ and MASTER our God, King of the ages and Creator of all things, for all the good gifts You have given me...
O loving MASTER, who died and rose for our sake,..
May I always be mindful of Your grace and no longer live for myself, but for You, our MASTER and Benefactor...
All holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. MASTER, pardon our transgressions..
Be gracious toward our sins, MASTER, and have mercy on us...
We venerate Your cross, O MASTER, and glorify Your holy resurrection...
The number of occurrences for the following words in the Liturgy of Saint Basil:
Lord
Christ Master Jesus |
191
84 18 18 |
In the Divine Liturgy, "Lord" occurs approximately eleven times more frequently than Jesus. We anticipate evangelical protestants to initiate calls to expose the idolatrous practices of the Orthodox Church, that is, their service to the Lord or the worship of Ba'al.