In theological sources, predominantlyChristian, Beelzebub is another name forSatan. He is known indemonology as one of theseven deadly demons or seven princes of Hell, Beelzebub representinggluttony andenvy. TheDictionnaire Infernal describes Beelzebub as a being capable of flying, known as the "Lord of the Flies", "Lord of the Flyers", or the "Lord of the Flying Demons".
This passage notes thatKing Ahaziah of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, after seriously injuring himself in a fall, sent messengers to inquire ofBaʿal-zəvuv, the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, to learn if he would recover.
Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber at Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, whom he instructed: "Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury."
Elijah then condemned Ahaziah to die by God's words because Ahaziah sought counsel fromBaʿal-zəvuv rather than from God.
3 But an angel ofGOD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is there no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?4 Assuredly, thus said GOD: You shall not rise from the bed you are lying on, but you shall die.'" And Elijah went.
The titleBaal "Lord", is aUgaritic andCananitic term used in conjunction with a descriptive name of a specific god. Opinions differ on what the name means. In one understanding,Baʿal zəvuv is translated literally as "lord of (the) flies".[3][4][5][6] It was long ago suggested that there was a relationship between the Philistine god, and cults of flies—referring to a view of them as pests, feasting on excrement—appearing in the Hellenic world, such asZeus Apomyios or Myiagros.[7] This is confirmed by the Ugaritic text which depicts Ba'al expelling flies, which are the cause of a person's sickness.[7]
According to Francesco Saracino (1982), this series of elements may be inconclusive as evidence, but the fact that in relationship to Baʿal zəvuv, the two constituent terms are here linked, joined by a function (ndy) that is typical of some divinities attested to in theMediterranean world, is a strong argument in favor of the authenticity of the name of the god of Ekron, and of his possible therapeutic activities, which are implicit in2 Kings 1:2–3, etc.[8]
Alternatively, the deity's actual name could have beenBaʿal zəvul, "lord of the (heavenly) dwelling", andBaʿal zəvuv could have been a derogatory pun used by theIsraelites.[9][10][11]
TheSeptuagint renders the name asBaalzebub (Βααλζεβούβ) and asBaal muian (Βααλ μυῗαν, "Baal of flies"). However,Symmachus may have reflected a tradition of its offensive ancient name when he rendered it asBeelzeboul.[12]
Testament of Solomon
In theTestament of Solomon, Beelzebul (not Beelzebub) appears as prince of the demons and says[13] that he was formerly a leading heavenly angel who was[14] associated with the starHesperus (the normal Greek name for the planetVenus (Aphrodite, Αφροδíτη) as evening star). Seemingly, Beelzebul here is synonymous withLucifer. Beelzebul claims to cause destruction throughtyrants, to cause demons to be worshipped among men, to excite priests to lust, to cause jealousies in cities and murders, and to bring about war. The Testament of Solomon is anOld Testamentpseudepigraphical work, purportedly written by KingSolomon, in which the author mostly describes particular demons whom he enslaved to help buildSolomon's Temple, with substantial Christian interpolations.[15]
Rabbinical literature
Rabbinical literature commentary equates the Baʿal-zəvuv of Ekron as lord of the "fly".[16][17] The wordBaʿal-zəvuv in rabbinical texts is a mockery of the worship ofBaal, which ancient Hebrews considered to be idol worship.[18]
Jewish scholars have interpreted the title of "Lord of the Flies" as the Hebrew way of calling Baʿal a pile of excrement, and comparing Ba'al followers to flies.[19][17]
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."
It is unknown whetherSymmachus the Ebionite was correct in identifying these names.Zeboul might derive from a slurred pronunciation ofzebûb; fromzebel, a word used to mean "dung" in theTargums; or from Hebrewzebûl found in1 Kings 8:13 in the phrasebêt-zebûl, "lofty house".
In any case, the formBeelzebub was substituted forBeelzeboul in theSyriac translation and LatinVulgate translation of the gospels, and this substitution was repeated in theKing James Version, the resulting formBeelzeboul being mostly unknown toWestern European and descendant cultures until some more recent translations restored it.[citation needed]
Beelzebub is also identified in theNew Testament as theDevil, "the prince of demons".[20][21] Biblical scholarThomas Kelly Cheyne suggested that it might be a derogatory corruption ofBa'al-zəbûl, "Lord of the High Place" (i.e., Heaven) or "High Lord".[22][better source needed]
InArabic translations, the name is rendered asBaʿl-zabūl (بعلزبول).[23][24]
Texts of theGospel of Nicodemus vary;Beelzebul andBeelzebub are used interchangeably. The name is used byHades as a secondary name for theDevil, but it may vary with each translation of the text; other versions separate Beelzebub from the Devil.
According to the teachings of the Modern Gnostic Movement ofSamael Aun Weor, Beelzebub was a prince of demons who rebelled against the Black Lodge during World War II and was converted by Aun Weor to the White Lodge.[25]
Beelzebub is commonly described as placed high inHell's hierarchy. According to the stories of the 16th-century occultistJohann Weyer, Beelzebub led a successful revolt against the Devil,[26] is the chief lieutenant ofLucifer, the Emperor of Hell, and presides over the Order of the Fly. Similarly, the 17th-century exorcistSébastien Michaëlis, in hisAdmirable History (1612), placed Beelzebub among the three most prominent fallenangels, the other two being Lucifer andLeviathan.John Milton, in his epic poemParadise Lost, first published in 1667, identified an unholy trinity consisting of Beelzebub, Lucifer, andAstaroth, with Beelzebub as the second-ranking of the many fallen angels. Milton wrote of Beelzebub "than whom, Satan except, none higher sat." Beelzebub is also a character inJohn Bunyan'sThe Pilgrim's Progress, first published in 1678.
In 1409–1410The Lanterne of Light (an anonymous EnglishLollard tract often attributed toJohn Wycliffe)[27] provided a classification of the princes of Hell based on theseven deadly sins and associated Beelzebub with the deadly sin ofenvy. However, Sebastien Michaelis associated Beelzebub with the deadly sin ofpride, one of the otherseven deadly sins, and according toPeter Binsfeld in his 1589Treatise on Confessions by Evildoers and Witches Beelzebub was the demon ofgluttony, whereasFrancis Barrett asserted that Beelzebub was the prince ofidolatry.[28][29]
Not only had thePharisees disparagingly accusedJesus of using Beelzebub's demonic powers to heal people (Luke 11:14–26), but others have been labelled possessed for acts of an extreme nature. Down through history, Beelzebub has been held responsible for many cases ofdemonic possession, such as that of Sister Madeleine de Demandolx de la Palud,Aix-en-Provence in 1611, whose relationship with Father Jean-Baptiste Gaufridi led not only to countless traumatic events at the hands of her inquisitors but also to the torture and execution of that "bewitcher of young nuns", Gaufridi himself. Beelzebub was also imagined to be sowing his influence inSalem, Massachusetts; his name came up repeatedly during theSalem witch trials, the last large-scale public expression ofwitch hysteria in eitherNorth America orEurope, and afterwards, the Rev.Cotton Mather wrote apamphlet titledOf Beelzebub and his Plot.[30]
^van der Toorn, Karel; Becking, Bob; van der Horst, Pieter W., eds. (1999). "Baal Zebub".Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (2nd extensively rev. (154) ed.). Boston, Massachusetts; Grand Rapids, Michigan:Brill;Eerdmans.ISBN978-0-8028-2491-2.For etymological reasons,Baal Zebub must be considered a Semitic god; he is taken over by the Philistine Ekronites and incorporated into their local cult.
^Arndt, Walter William;Danker, Frederick William;Bauer, Walter (2000). "Βεελζεβούλ".A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd (173) ed.). Chicago:University of Chicago Press.ISBN978-0-226-03933-6.Βεελζεβούλ, ὁ indecl. (v.l. Βεελζεβούβ and Βεεζεβούλ W-S. § 5, 31, cp. 27 n. 56) Beelzebul, orig. a Philistine deity; the name בַּעַל-זְבוּב means Baal (lord) of those who are capable of flying (4 Km 1:2, 6; Sym. transcribes βεελζεβούβ; Vulgate Beelzebub; TestSol freq. Βεελζεβούλ,-βουέλ).
^Balz, Horst; Schneider, Gerhard (1990).Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament. Vol. 1 ((211) ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan:Eerdmans.ISBN978-0-8028-2412-7.1. According to 2 Kgs 1:2–6 the name of the Philistine god of Ekron was Lord of the Flies (Heb. ba'al zeaûḇ), from whom Israel's King Ahaziah requested an oracle.
^Freedman, David Noel, ed. (1996). "Beelzebul".The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Vol. 1 ((639) ed.). New York City:Doubleday.ISBN978-0-300-14001-9.The etymology of Beelzebul has proceeded in several directions. The variant reading Beelzebub (Syriac translators and Jerome) reflects a long-standing tradition of equating Beelzebul with the Philistine deity of the city of Ekron mentioned in 2 Kgs 1:2, 3, 6, 16. Baalzebub (Heb ba˓al zĕbûb) seems to mean "lord of flies" (HALAT, 250, but cf. LXXB baal muian theon akkarōn, "Baal-Fly, god of Akkaron"; Ant 9:2, 1 theon muian).
^Seracino, Francesco (July 1982). "Ras Ibn Hani 78/20 and Some Old Testament Connections".Vetus Testamentum.32 (3). Boston: Brill:338–343.doi:10.1163/156853382X00351.
^Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed. (2002) [1988]. "Baal-Zebub".The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 (Revised (381) ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan:Eerdmans.ISBN978-0-8028-3785-1.It is not as probable that b'l-zbl, which can mean "lord of the (heavenly) dwelling" in Ugaritic, was changed to b'l zbb to make the divine name an opprobrius epithet. The reading Beelzebul in Mt. 10:25 would then reflect the right form of the name, a wordplay on "master of the house" (Gk oikodespótēs).
^Freedman, David Noel, ed. (1996). "Beelzebul".The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Vol. 1 (639 ed.). New York City: Doubleday.ISBN978-0-300-14081-1.An alternative suggested by many is to connect zĕbûl with a noun meaning "(exalted) abode".
^Millard, Alan R.; Marshall, I. Howard; Packer, J.I.;Wiseman, Donald, eds. (1996). "Baal-Zebub, Beelzebul".New Bible dictionary (3rd (108) ed.). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.ISBN978-0-8308-1439-8.In contemporary Semitic speech it may have been understood as 'the master of the house'; if so, this phrase could be used in a double sense in Mt. 10:25b.
^Fenlon, John Francis (2021) [1907]."Beelzebub".Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York City: Robert Appleton Company.
^The Babylonian Talmud, Vol. 1 of 9: Tract Sabbath – Page 186 "made themselves Baal-berith for a god"; by Baal-berith is meant the Zebub (fly) idol of Ekron, and every idolater (at that time) made an image of his idol in miniature in order to keep it constantly at hand and to be able at any time to take it out, .."
^abKohler, Kaufmann (1904)."Beelzebub".Jewish Encyclopedia. New York City: KTAV Publishing House.
^"In NT Gk. beelzeboul, beezeboul (Beelzebub in TR and AV) is the prince of the demons (Mt. 12:24, 27; Mk. 3:22; Lk. 11:15, 18f.), identified with Satan (Mt. 12:26; Mk. 3:23, 26; Lk. 11:18).", Bruce, "Baal-Zebub, Beelzebul", Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (108). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
^"Besides, Matt 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15 use the apposition ἄρχων τῶν δαιμονίων 'head of the →Demons'.", Herrmann, "Baal Zebub", in Toorn, K. v. d., Becking, B., & Horst, P. W. v. d. (1999). Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible DDD (2nd extensively rev. ed.) (154). Leiden; Boston; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brill; Eerdmans.
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