The Baal Myth

Baal was a God of ancient Canaan, there he was worshiped as a God of fertility and rain. He was the son of El, the supreme god of the Canaanites, and the husband of the Goddess Anat.

Because of the importance of rain in the dry lands of the Near East, their local gods were usually associated with fertility and the cycle of rain and drought seasons. Baal was called the Lord of the Earth and Lord of the Rain and Dew.

Myths about Baal relate to fertility and the cycle of the seasons. The story of the battle between Baal and Mot, the god of death and infertility shows how the rain holds so much importance in their culture. According the recorded tales, Yam, the sea god, attempted to make a slave out of Baal. He sent messengers to Baal, asking him to surrender, but Baal drove them away. Baal and Yam fought with Baal using two magic weapons, he defeated him and took control of the waters. Yam represents the destructive nature of flooding the land and ruining crops and killing animals. Baal represents water's positive powers: rain and dew providing the nourishment needed to make crops grow. Baal is the spring rains and Mot represents the drought of the summer months. By defeating Mot, the rains in this case Baal, the earth is reborn each year and life flourishes in the dry Near East.

Worship of Baal in other ancient cultures. was widespread in the ancient world. Baal was also prominent in Egypt from about 1400 to 1075 B . C .. Baal was known to the Babylonians and Assyrians, and he equated to the God Marduk. The Greeks called identified him with Zeus.

Mythical stories that attempted to explain the nature of the physical world supported this religious belief. The basic features the Ba‘al religion revolved around the cycles of nature necessary for prosperity which were primarily growing crops; raising livestock and the survival of humankind. The fertility of land and crops played a large role in the Canaanite world as well as the rest of the Near East. Water was a major element in the myth and in an environment where human existence was often precarious human fertility was an important concern.

The theme of a cosmic battle among the gods personifies the struggle for life. The annual renewal of the earth in springtime makes it a myth of the cycle of seasons. This cosmic battle may not have been a historical event of the past, but occurred anew each year and was reenacted in rituals.