Baal and Asherah

In the Canaanite religion, Baal was the god of rain and crops. The annual rainy season was seen as Baal’s victory over the great waters and the sea, bringing rain. The dry season was believed to be a time when Baal was killed by Mot, the god of death and drought. When Baal’s consort, Asherah (Anath), defeated Mot, Baal would be resurrected, bringing rain back to the earth. The Canaanites believed that the autumn rains and the sprouting of spring crops were caused by the procreative power of Baal and his consort through sexual intercourse. Therefore, sexual acts were a central part of Baal worship, considered essential for the fertility of livestock and the abundance of harvests. To encourage Baal and his consort’s procreative power, the Canaanites would engage in sexual rituals with cult prostitutes in the temples. Other Canaanite sacrificial rituals included burning their children, divination, sorcery, and consulting the dead, all of which were “detestable and hateful to the Lord.”

Canaanites often worshipped their false gods on high places and under large trees. They would build “altars” on “every high hill and under every green tree,” and erect stone “pillars” to represent male deities, which were called “sacred stones.” They would also set up “wooden poles” to represent goddesses, known as “Asherah poles,” and use “carved idols” to control their gods. Different Canaanite communities had different names and relationships for their gods and goddesses. The male god was usually called Baal, but with local variations such as “Baal-Peor,” “Baal-Berith,” and “Baal-Zebub,” collectively referred to as the “Baals.” The female goddesses were sometimes called Asheroth, Anath, or Ashtaroth, and she was generally considered Baal’s wife.

Even though the Lord God repeatedly warned the Israelites not to follow the Canaanites in worshipping false gods before they entered the Promised Land, the Israelites did not obey God’s will and quickly became corrupt after entering Canaan. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms had kings who worshipped false gods, leading to the rapid decline of the nations. Ultimately, the Northern Kingdom was destroyed by Assyria, and the Southern Kingdom was destroyed by Babylon. “If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Just as the Lord destroyed the nations before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:19-20).

Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version of the Bible and a comprehensive biblical interpretation.