Demons in Jewish Mythology- Ba'al-zebub
Ba'al-zebub also known as Beelzebub, Baalzebub, Bealzebub and Beelzebul was the name of a pagan god of the Philistine city of Ekron .
Ba'al-zebub- What does it mean?
"Lord of the Flies" is the English language translation of the Hebrew word Ba'al zevuv. The name Baal Zebub consists of two parts: The first word ba'al meaning owner, lord or husband. The second word zebub meaning "fly"(insect).
Ba'al -zebub In Hebrew Scriptures
In the Old Tastemant ,Ba'al zebub mentioned only in connection with the illness of Ahaziah, king of Israel. In The Book Of Kings when King Ahaziah of Israel fell ill, he sent messengers to call upon Ba'al zebub for a prognosis and was rebuked by the prophet Elijah for doing so as mention in The Book of Kings 2 1;2-3:
" וַיִּפֹּל אֲחַזְיָה בְּעַד הַשְּׂבָכָה, בַּעֲלִיָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן--וַיָּחַל; וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם לְכוּ דִרְשׁוּ בְּבַעַל זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן, אִם-אֶחְיֶה, מֵחֳלִי זֶה. וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, דִּבֶּר אֶל-אֵלִיָּה הַתִּשְׁבִּי, קוּם עֲלֵה, לִקְרַאת מַלְאֲכֵי מֶלֶךְ-שֹׁמְרוֹן; וְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם--הֲמִבְּלִי אֵין-אֱלֹהִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתֶּם הֹלְכִים לִדְרֹשׁ בְּבַעַל זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן"
" Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?"
In Rabbinical Literature, Ba'al- zebub was worshiped in the shape of a fly, and so addicted were the Jews to his cult, that they would carry an image of him in their pockets, producing it, and kissing it from time to time. According to the Rabbis, Ba'al -zebub is also called Ba'al-berith because such Jews might be said to make a covenant ("Berit") of devotion with the idol, being unwilling to part with it for a single moment.
Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation
Hebrew Transcription Translation
בַּעַל Ba'al Husband, owner
זְבוּב zəbûb fly
בְּרִית bərît covenant
עֶקְרוֹן 'Eqrôn The city of Ekron
חֹלִי holî Illness
מְלָכִים məlākîm The book of Kings
