Who introduced Baal worshiping to Israel? Well at first it was little known about Baal worship aside from the many Scriptural references to it until excavations at Ugarit (the modern Ras Shamra on the Syrian coast opposite the NE tip of the island of Cyprus) brought to light many religious artifacts and hundreds of clay tablets.

You see, many of these ancient documents, now known as the Ras Shamra texts, are thought to be the liturgies of or words spoken by those participating in the rituals at the religious festivals. In the Ras Shamra texts, Baal (also called Aliyan [meaning:the one who prevails] Baal) is referred to as "Zabul (Prince), Lord of the earth" and "the Rider of the Clouds." This harmonizes with a representation of Baal, showing him as holding a club or mace in his right hand and a stylized lightning flash with a spearhead in his left. He is also depicted as wearing a helmet with horns, suggesting an intimate connection with the bull, a symbol of fertility.

Normally from late April to September there is hardly any rain in Palestine. In October the rains start and continue throughout winter and into April, resulting in abundant vegetation. You see, the changes of the seasons and the resulting effects were thought to come in cycles because of the never-ending conflicts between the gods.

The cessation of the rains and the dying of vegetation were attributed to the triumph of the god Mot (death and aridity) over Baal (rain and fertility), compelling Baal to withdraw into the depths of the earth. The beginning of the rainy season was believed to indicate that Baal had awakened to life. This, it was thought, was made possible by the triumph of Baal's sister Anath over Mot, allowing her brother Baal to return home. The mating of Baal with his wife, presumably Ashtoreth, was believed to ensure fertility for the coming year.

The farming and cattle-raising Canaanites probably thought that their engaging in a prescribed ritual, a sort of sympathetic magic, helped to stimulate their gods to actions according to the pattern enacted at their religious festivals and was necessary to ensure productive crops and herds in the coming year and to avert droughts, locust plagues, and so forth. So Baal's coming to life again to be enthroned and mated with his consort apparently was celebrated with licentious fertility rites, marked by sexual orgies of unrestrained debauchery.

So, undoubtedly each Canaanite city built its Baal sanctuary in honor of its local patron Baal. You see, Priests were appointed to conduct the worship at these sanctuaries and the many shrines on neighboring hilltops known as high places. (Compare 2 Kings 17:32.) Inside the shrines there may have been images or representations of Baal, whereas near the altars outside were to be found stone pillars (likely phallic symbols of Baal), sacred poles representing the goddess Asherah, and incense stands. (Compare 2 Chronicles 34:4-7)

So Male and female prostitutes served at the high places, and besides ceremonial prostitution, even child sacrifice was practiced. (Compare 1 Kings 14:23,24; Hosea 4:13,14; Isaiah 57:5; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5.) And 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. (Jeremiah 32:29)

You see, there are indications that Baal and other gods and goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon were associated in the minds of their worshipers with certain heavenly bodies. For instance, one of the Ras Shamra texts mentions an offering to "Queen Shapash (the Sun) and to the stars," and another alludes to "the army of the sun and the host of the day."

It is, therefore, noteworthy that the Bible makes several references to the heavenly bodies in connection with Baal worship. Describing the wayward course of the kingdom of Israel, the Scriptural record states: "They kept leaving all the commandments of Jehovah . . ., and they began to bow down to all the army of the heavens and to serve Baal." (2Kings 17:16)

So concerning the kingdom of Judah, it is also noted that right in the very temple of Jehovah there came to be "utensils made for Baal and for the sacred pole and for all the army of the heavens." Also, the people throughout Judah made "sacrificial smoke to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations of the zodiac and to all the army of the heavens." (2Kings 23:4,5; 2Chronicles 33:3; Zephaniah 1:4,5)

So you see, each locality had its own Baal, and the local Baal was often given a name denoting his being attached to a specific locality. For instance, the Baal of Peor (Baal-peor), who was worshipped by the Moabites and Midianites, took his name from Mount Peor. (Numbers 25:1-3, 6) Also, the names of these local Baals later came to be transferred through a figure of speech (metonymy) to the localities themselves, as, for example, Baal-hermon, Baal-hazor, Baal-zephon, Bamoth-baal. However, although there were many local Baals, officially, among the Canaanites, it was understood that there was actually just one god Baal.

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