Who Is Baal in Christian Demonology?

Baal is a well-known demon in Christian demonology, originally based on the Northwest Semitic god Ba’al. In the seventeenth-century book Ars Goetia, Baal is listed as the first spirit and given the title of King. He is often described as the main ruler of the East.

In other demonological systems, Baal is sometimes identified with Beelzebub or as a top lieutenant of Lucifer, commanding 66 legions of lesser spirits.

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Key Takeaways

Attribute	Details
Names	Baal, Bael, Ba’al, Baell
Title	First King of Hell, Prince of the East
Gender	Male
Role	Teacher of invisibility, spreader of idolatry, and corrupter of faith.
Rank	King / One of the Seven Princes of Hell
Hierarchy	Serves under Lucifer; commands numerous subordinate spirits.
Legions	66 Legions
Powers	Grants the power of invisibility and imparts wisdom in science and art.
Associated Figures	Beelzebub, Lucifer, Astaroth, Elijah (adversary).
Weaknesses	The name of the Tetragrammaton, specific holy seals, and the sign of the cross.
Opposing Angel/Saint	The Archangel Raphael or Saint Elijah.
Pantheon	Christian (with Canaanite and Phoenician origins).
Primary Sources	Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Dictionnaire Infernal, The Bible.

Who or What is Baal?

Baal is seen as a powerful demon in Christian theology and occult traditions, believed to be a former god who became a fallen spirit. In the Ars Goetia, he is the first of seventy-two spirits said to have been bound by King Solomon.

He is described as a Great King who rules the eastern part of the underworld. In demonology, Baal is known for giving people the power to become invisible and for offering deep, though risky, knowledge.

Baal’s story shows how a pagan god was turned into a demon in Christian tradition. He started as a storm and fertility god in the ancient Canaanite religion. Still, Christian writers later described him as a major prince of darkness.

Baal is often linked to idolatry, since his worship in the Old Testament was the main challenge to worshipping Yahweh alone. He is still an important entity in studies of demonology.

“Baal” Meaning

The name Baal comes from Northwest Semitic languages like Ugaritic, Phoenician, and Hebrew. The word Ba’al means “Owner,” “Master,” “Lord,” or “Husband.” At first, it was not a personal name but a title given to various local gods in the Levant, thought to rule over certain places or natural forces.

In the Hebrew Bible, the word was often used with “the” (hab-Ba’al) to mean the Canaanite storm god, or in the plural (hab-be‘ālîm) to refer to various false idols. As monotheism became stronger, Jewish and later Christian writers used Baal as a negative term for a “false god.”

Over time, the meaning of Baal changed from a title for a god to the name of a powerful demon. In the Ars Goetia, the name is often spelled Bael to set the demon apart from the original God.

How to Pronounce “Baal” in English

In English, Baal is usually pronounced in two ways. Most people say “Bail” (like “mail”), but a more traditional and accurate way is “Bah-ahl,” with two syllables and the stress on the first. Occultists and historians often use the second version, while the first is more common in everyday writing.

What Does Baal Look Like?

The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and the Dictionnaire Infernal describe Baal as a shapeshifter with a strange and unsettling appearance. He is best known for having three heads: one of a cat, one of a toad, and one of a man. These heads are either on one set of shoulders or, in some accounts, attached to a body that looks like a spider or has many legs.

Baal’s voice is usually described as hoarse and deep, which makes him even more intimidating. Sometimes he is shown as a man wearing a crown to show his status as a King, but his appearance is always disturbing.

The animal heads have symbolic meanings. The cat stands for stealth and nighttime cleverness, while the toad is linked to witchcraft and the earth. When Baal is shown with a spider-like lower body, his movements are often described as jerky or scuttling.

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Origins

Baal’s history is one of the best-known examples of a major god being turned into a demon in Western tradition.

Canaanite and Ugaritic Foundations

The oldest records of Baal come from the Ras Shamra tablets, also called the Ugaritic Texts, from the 14th to 12th centuries BCE. Back then, he was known as Baal Hadad, the son of the God Dagon or possibly El.

Baal was a weather god who controlled rain, thunder, and wind. His main myths tell of him defeating Yamm, the sea god, and fighting Mot, the God of death and sterility, in a repeating cycle.

These stories made Baal known as the “King of the Gods,” living on the sacred Mount Saphon (Mount Zaphon). People worshipped him at hilltop shrines, and his cult was vital for farming in the Levant, where he was called the “Rider of the Clouds.”

The Hebrew Confrontation and Linguistic Shifts

When the Israelites developed their belief in one God, Baal became the main religious rival to Yahweh. Baal worship was especially popular in northern Israel during the Iron Age, under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

The prophet Elijah led the fight against Baal worship, culminating in the famous contest on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). During this time, Hebrew writers began using the word bosheth, meaning “shame,” instead of “Baal” in names, such as changing Ishbaal to Ishbosheth. This was the first step in turning Baal from a living god into a “worthless idol” and later a spiritual enemy.

Post-Exilic and Hellenistic Evolution

After the Babylonian Exile, Jewish writings pushed Baal even further to the margins. In the Second Temple Period, local versions of Baal, like Baal-Zebub (the Lord of the High Place in Ekron), were often mocked. The Septuagint and later Jewish texts began to describe Baal as a chief spirit rather than a god.

By the New Testament era, Baal’s name had changed to Beelzebub. The Pharisees often called him the “Prince of Demons” (Matthew 12:24). This was when the idea took hold that pagan gods were not just false, but actually fallen angels or evil spirits trying to mislead people.

Medieval Systematization and Goetic Integration

Baal’s role as a formal “King of Hell” was established in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Scholars of demonology tried to organize Hell in a way that mirrored the order of Heaven and Earth.

In Johann Weyer’s 16th-century book Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and later in the 17th-century Lemegeton (The Lesser Key of Solomon), Baal lost his storm-god traits. He became Bael, the first of the 72 Goetic demons.

Instead of ruling the sky, Baal was now said to give the power of invisibility and command sixty-six legions. This change made him fully part of the Christian occult system as a servant of the underworld.

Was Baal Ever Mentioned in the Bible?

Yes, Baal is mentioned extensively throughout the Old Testament, primarily as the chief antagonist to the worship of God. He is frequently cited in the books of Judges, 1 Kings, and Jeremiah.

Source	Quote
Judges 2:13	“And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”
1 Kings 18:21	“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”
Jeremiah 19:5	“They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind.”
Hosea 2:8	“For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.”

Baal in Grimoires and Other Texts

Baal appears as a primary entity in the major grimoires of the post-Renaissance era, usually listed first among the spirits.

Source	Quote
Ars Goetia	“The First Principal Spirit is a King ruling in the East, called Bael. He maketh thee to go Invisible. He ruleth over 66 Legions of Infernal Spirits.”
Pseudomonarchia Daemonum	“The first king (which is of the power of the east) is called Bael who when he is cited, appeareth with three heads, the first like a tode, the second like a man, the third like a cat. He speaketh with a hoarse voice.”
Dictionnaire Infernal	“Bael, premier roi de l’enfer; ses états sont dans la partie orientale. Il se montre avec trois têtes, dont l’une est d’un crapaud, l’autre d’un homme, et la troisième d’un chat.”

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Powers and Abilities

Baal’s main power is said to be making people invisible. This is described as more than just a visual trick—it lets someone move around without being noticed at all. In the 17th century, this ability was especially valued for spying or avoiding the law and religious authorities.

Besides invisibility, Baal is also said to give people knowledge and wisdom. However, this knowledge is often called “forbidden” or “dark” because it concerns the workings of the world without regard for right or wrong. As a King, Baal usually acts through his sixty-six legions rather than by himself.

Baal’s legions are believed to influence people’s thoughts, pushing them toward idolatry and away from spiritual truth. His hoarse voice is said to be so commanding that it forces lesser spirits to obey him.

Baal Myths, Legends, and Stories

The Contest on Mount Carmel

In the First Book of Kings, a narrative describes the prophet Elijah challenging 450 prophets of Baal to a divine contest. The objective was to determine which deity could fire up a sacrificial fire.

The prophets of Baal prepared their bull and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying out, “O Baal, hear us.” They leaped on the altar and cut themselves with knives according to their custom, yet no fire appeared.

Elijah made fun of them, saying maybe Baal was meditating, busy, or asleep. When Elijah’s turn came, he soaked his altar with water, and then the God of Israel sent fire from Heaven that burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. This story is the main example of how Baal went from being seen as a god to a defeated and “silent” entity in Christian tradition.

The Binding by King Solomon

In the lore surrounding the Testament of Solomon and later Goetic traditions, Baal is among the spirits summoned and later bound by King Solomon using a magical ring engraved with the seal of God. According to these legends, Solomon forced Baal and his fellow spirits to labor in the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

In this story, Baal is forced to serve, even though he is a King of Hell. He has to use his legions and knowledge to help build a temple for the God who defeated him. This tale highlights the idea that divine power is stronger than any demon.

Baal vs Other Christian Demons

Demon Name	Associated Sin/Temptation	Rank/Origin	Key Traits/Powers
Asmodeus	Lust	King (Ars Goetia)	Breaks marriages, teaches math.
Belial	Lawlessness	Prince (Various sources)	Grants senatorships, induces lies.
Pazuzu	Famine and Locusts	King (Mesopotamian/Christian)	Brings storms, controls winds.
Beelzebub	Gluttony	Prince (Binsfeld)	Lord of the Flies, false god.
Mammon	Greed	Prince (Binsfeld)	Obsession with wealth/materialism.
Leviatian	Envy	Prince (Binsfeld)	Sea monster, chaos of the deep.
Astaroth	Sloth	Grand Duke (Ars Goetia)	Teaches liberal sciences, smells foul.
Paimon	False Science	King (Ars Goetia)	Bound to Lucifer, loud voice.
Belphegor	Sloth/Discovery	Prince (Kabbalah)	Seduces through inventions.
Beherit	Heresy	Duke (Dictionnaire Infernal)	Ancient Syrian origin, scribe.
Lucifer	Pride	Emperor (Various)	The Morning Star, King of Hell.
Amon	Wrath	Marquis (Ars Goetia)	Reconciles feuds, fire-breathing.
Foras	Theft	President (Ars Goetia)	Finds lost things, longevity.

Rank in the Hierarchy of Hell

Baal has the top spot in the Goetic hierarchy as the First King. He is especially linked to the East, which in occult tradition is the most powerful direction and the place of the rising Sun. As the First King, he commands sixty-six legions, showing his huge influence in the underworld.

In the complex structure of Hell, Baal is often seen as equal to, or even above, other Kings such as Paimon or Asmodeus. Some sources, especially those influenced by the Dictionnaire Infernal, say Baal and Beelzebub are closely connected, and sometimes even treat them as two sides of the same being (Baal-Zebub).

Baal is rarely shown as being under anyone’s authority except Lucifer’s. In the “Seven Princes of Hell” system, he represents the “False God,” serving as a rival to true divinity and a leader among the fallen angels.

Mystical Correspondences

Attribute	Details
Planet	Sun (or occasionally Saturn)
Zodiac Sign	Aries (10 to 20 degrees)
Element	Fire
Direction	East
Color	Yellow / Gold
Number	1 (as the first Goetic spirit)
Crystal/Mineral	Diamond / Ruby
Metal	Gold
Herb/Plant	Fern / Sage
Animal	Cat / Toad / Spider

Baal’s links to the Sun and the metal gold show his status as a King. In demonic rituals, the Sun stands for the “false morning,” which is a twisted version of true divine light. Baal is also connected to Aries, the start of the zodiac, which fits his role as the first spirit and his bold, commanding nature. These solar connections highlight his obvious and powerful presence.

Baal’s ties to the element of Fire and the East also point to his power to destroy and transform.

In occult practice, the East usually symbolizes beginnings and the element of air. Still, for Baal, it signifies the burning heat of the rising desert sun, which connects to his Middle Eastern roots. These links help show his high rank in both the physical and spiritual worlds, making him a key entity in the infernal order.

Baal’s Sigil

Baal’s sigil is a detailed geometric symbol from the Lesser Key of Solomon. It has a circular border with intersecting lines and characters. People saw this sigil as a kind of spiritual signature or “phone number” for contacting Baal. Traditionally, it was engraved on a gold Lamen, since gold matches the rank of King.

The sigil gave the practitioner something to focus on and offered protection. People believed that without the sigil, Baal would not show up or could not be controlled. Showing the sigil was like making a contract, letting the summoner command Baal to do things like grant invisibility.

Summoning and Rituals

In old grimoires like the Ars Goetia, summoning Baal was a complicated and risky process. Rituals took place in private spots, usually at dawn or noon to match Baal’s rank. Magicians or sorcerers would draw a protective circle on the ground and wear a gold ring and Baal’s sigil.

People performed these rituals mainly to gain forbidden knowledge or the power to become invisible. Books like the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum say that Baal should be treated with respect but also with the authority of divine names, so his hoarse voice and frightening three-headed form would not overpower the person summoning him.

Although the Church condemned these practices as witchcraft, they continued to be part of secret occult writings among some researchers and educated people during the Renaissance.

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Frequently Asked Questions