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A woodcarving of Belial and some of his followers from Jacobus de Teramo's book Buche Belial (1473)
A woodcarving of Belial and some of his followers from Jacobus de Teramo's book Buche Belial (1473)

Belial (also Belhor, Baalial, Beliar, Belias , Beliall, Beliel, Bilael; from Hebrew בְּלִיַּ֫עַל Bəliyyáʻal; also named Matanbuchus, Mechembuchus, Meterbuchus in older scripts) is an evil being in Jewish apocrypha, and also a term used to characterize the wicked or worthless. Jacobus Palladinus de Teramo (1349 &ndash 1417 a member of the powerful family of Palladini was an Italian canon lawyer and bishop This article on Jewish apocrypha includes a survey of books written in the Jewish religious tradition either in the late pre-Christian era or in the early Christian era but

The etymology of the word is uncertain but is most commonly translated as "without worth". Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time [1] Some scholars translate it from Hebrew as "worthless" (Beli yo'il), while others translate it as "yokeless" (Beli ol), "may have no rising" (Belial) or "never to rise" (Beli ya'al). Only a few etymologists have assumed it to be a proper name from the start. [2] In the Book of Jubilees, uncircumcised heathens are called "sons of Belial". Jubilee The Book of Jubilees (ספר היובלים sometimes called the Lesser Genesis ( Leptogenesis) is an ancient Jewish religious work considered Male circumcision is the removal of some or all of the Foreskin (prepuce from the Penis. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world

In the Goetia, Belial is said to be very respectful. see The Goetia for the 1904 book by Crowley and Mathers la Goetia ( Middle Latin, anglicized goety Belial is also the demon of lies and guilt. As a Prince of Hell, he commands 80 Legions of Demons and is specifically the Prince reigning over the Northern Reaches of Hell. He controls the element of earth and reigns over the Earth demons. The other princes of Hell include Olias, Asmoday, and Vassago. Asmodai or Asmodeus (see below for other variations is a Demon mostly known from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit. Vassago, in Demonology, is a mighty Prince of Hell ( see Hierarchy of demons) ruling over twenty-six Legions of

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In Judaism

In the Hebrew Bible the term appears in several places to indicate the wicked or worthless, such as :

The Dead Sea Scrolls

In The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (1QM), one of the Dead Sea scrolls, Belial is the leader of the Sons of Darkness:

'But for corruption thou hast made Belial, an angel of hostility. The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness is a manual for military organization and strategy that was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves All his dominions are in darkness, and his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits that are associated with him are but angels of Sweed, a type of drug. '

In Christianity

In early Christian writings, Belial was identified first as an angel of confusion and lust, created after Lucifer. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Confusion, of a Pathological degree usually refers to loss of orientation (ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time location and personal identity and Literature In Dante's Inferno, the first Canticle of the Divine Comedy, the lustful are punished by being continuously Lucifer is a name frequently given to Satan in Christian belief Paradoxically, some apocrypha credit Belial as being the father of Lucifer and the angel that convinced him to wage a rebellion in Heaven against God, and that Belial was the first of the fallen angels to be expelled. In most Christian traditions a fallen angel is an Angel that has been Exiled or banished from Heaven.

In the New Testament the word is used to refer to Satan when asked by St. Paul as to how Christ and Belial can agree. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The passage in the Bible NIV states: "What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Cor 6:15).

Since the Middle Ages he has been considered to be a powerful king of Hell that gives excellent familiars to his followers. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering In Early modern English Superstition, a familiar spirit, Imp, or familiar (from Middle English familiar, related to family As a demon he was said to have an agreeable aspect, and to induce to any type of sins, especially those related to sex and lust. Sebastien Michaelis states that Belial seduces by means of arrogance and his adversary is St. Francis of Paola; in this sense his name is translated as "Lord of Arrogance" or "Lord of Pride" (Baal ial). Sebastien Michaelis was a French Inquisitor and prior of the Dominican order who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries Saint Francis of Paola (or Franciscus de Paula or Saint Francis the Fire Handler, 27 March 1416 &ndash April 2, 1507) was an

In the Biblia Vulgata fewer allusions to this demon are made, referring to Belial as torrents of death, and to impious men as sons of Belial and men of Belial. The Vulgate is an early Fifth Century version of the Bible in Latin, and largely the result of the labours of Jerome, who was commissioned by

Belial is listed as the sixty-eighth spirit of the Ars Goetia, and appears in The Lesser Key of Solomon as well. The Lesser Key of Solomon or Clavicula Salomonis (the Clavis Salomonis, or Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the The Lesser Key of Solomon or Clavicula Salomonis (the Clavis Salomonis, or Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the

Apocrypha

The word "belial" appears frequently in Jewish apocrypha and pseudepigrapha. Pseudepigrapha (from Ancient Greek ψευδής [1] In addition to his appearance in the Book of Jubilees, Belial appears in other texts as well.

Belial is also mentioned in the Fragments of a Zadokite Work (which is also known as The Damascus Document (CD)), which states that during the eschatological age, "Belial shall be let loose against Israel, as God spoke through Isaiah the prophet. Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology " (6:9). The Fragments also speak of "three nets of Belial" which are said to be fornication, wealth, and pollution of the sanctuary. (6:10-11) In this work, Belial is sometimes presented as an agent of divine punishment and sometimes as a rebel, as Mastema is. Mastema is the name of an arch-demon who first appears in the literature of Israel's Second Temple Period, as a personification of the Hebrew word "mastemah" It was Belial who inspired the Egyptian sorcerers, Jochaneh and his brother, to oppose Moses and Aaron. The Fragments also say that anyone who is ruled by the spirits of Belial and speaks of rebellion should be condemned as a necromancer and wizard.

Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

Belial is also mentioned in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is an important constituent of the Apocryphal scriptures connected with the Old Testament. The author of the work seems to be a dualist because he presents Belial as God's opponent, not as a servant, but does not mention how or why this came to be. Simeon 5:3 says that fornication separates man from God and brings him near to Belial. Levi tells his children to choose between the Law of God and the works of Belial (Levi 19:1) It also states that when the soul is constantly disturbed, the Lord departs from it and Belial rules over it. Naphtali (2:6, 3:1) contrasts the Law and will of God with the purposes of Belial. Also, in 20:2, Joseph prophesies that when Israel leaves Egypt, they will be with God in light while Belial will remain in darkness with the Egyptians. Finally, the Testament describes that when the Messiah comes, the angels will punish the spirits of deceit and Belial (3:3) and that the Messiah will bind Beliar and give to his children the power to trample the evil spirits (18:12). Belial has been known to watch over young children during sleep.

The Martyrdom of Isaiah

In The Martyrdom of Isaiah, Belial is the angel of lawlessness and "the ruler of this world. The book Ascension of Isaiah is one of the Pseudepigrapha, dating probably the first half of 2nd century AD and compiled by an unknown Christian scholar "

"And Manasseh turned aside his heart to serve Beliar; for the angel of lawlessness, who is the ruler of this world, is Beliar, whose name is Matanbuchus. " - Martyrdom of Isaiah 2:4

Belial also plays a significant role in the Ascension of Isaias. The book Ascension of Isaiah is one of the Pseudepigrapha, dating probably the first half of 2nd century AD and compiled by an unknown Christian scholar

In other religious traditions

The Satanic Bible names Belial as one of the Four Crown Princes of Hell (specifically, the North Crown), and states that his name means "'without a master' and symbolizes true independence, self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment. The Satanic Bible was written by Anton LaVey in 1969 It is a collection of essays observations and basic Satanic Rituals and outlines LaVey's Satanic "[3] Belial represents the earth element, is the Master of Mankind and the Champion of Humanity, and represents the carnal and base urges of mankind.

In fiction

Belial (or a likeness thereof) figures in many works of fiction, both medieval and modern. An early work focusing on Belial was Jacobus de Teramo's Buche Belial (1473). Jacobus Palladinus de Teramo (1349 &ndash 1417 a member of the powerful family of Palladini was an Italian canon lawyer and bishop In it, Belial was depicted with a man's body with talons instead of feet, and having a man's head with the horns and ears of a bull and the tusks of a boar. In it, Belial keeps the door of Hell. Belial also figures in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667). John Milton ( 9 December, 1608 – 8 November, 1674) was an English Poet, Prose Polemicist and Paradise Lost is an Epic poem in Blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. There, he is the Fallen Angel responsible for making "atheists" of priests, including the sons of Eli. In Book II of Paradise Lost, Milton depicts Belial as handsome and smooth-tongued, but one who realizes that the war against Heaven is dangerous and hopeless of success. Thus, he counsels sloth and ease. His hope is that if Hell does not provoke Heaven further, that the fallen angels may grow accustomed to the pains and fires of the underworld, and live in comfort. Belial does not advise seeking forgiveness or pleading for mercy from the heavenly victor.

More recent adaptations have taken Belial in many ways, sometimes only using the name. The classic 1922 film Nosferatu says that the titular vampire originated from "Belial's seed," implying Belial's hand in the creation of vampires. Nosferatu A Symphony of Horror is a German Expressionist film by F One of the possessing demons in the later film The Exorcism of Emily Rose claims to be Belial, in this case possessing a small child. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 horror / thriller Film directed by Scott Derrickson.

The role-playing game In Nomine, based around angels and fallen angels, has Belial as Hell's Demon prince of Fire and the enemy of Gabriel, Archangel of Fire, something of a change from other versions of Belial which identify him more with earth of the four classical elements. In Nomine is a title given to any of numerous short pieces of English polyphonic instrumental or vocal Music during the 16th and 17th centuries Fire has been an important part of many cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization Earth, home and origin of humanity has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition Many ancient philosophies used a set of archetypal classical "elements" to explain patterns in Nature. In Aldous Huxley's Ape and Essence, the post-apocalyptic civilization of Los Angeles worships Belial. Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 &ndash 22 November 1963 was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

Novels have done many interpretations of Belial as well. In Philip K. Dick's The Divine Invasion, Belial is The Adversary, whose influence around Earth obfuscates reality and interferes with Yah's powers. Philip Kindred Dick (December 16 – March 2) was an American Science fiction Novelist and Short story Writer. The Divine Invasion is a 1981 Science fiction book by Philip K Steven Brust's To Reign in Hell features Belial as one of the Firstborn, an angel of the highest order that takes the form of a dragon. This book should not be confused with the Star Trek novel To Reign in Hell The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh by Greg Cox.

In the video games Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, Belial appears as one of the games Lucavi and Espers respectively, entitled "Belias the Gigas". is a Tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation Video game console. is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for Sony 's PlayStation 2, and the twelfth installment in the Final Fantasy In Final Fantasy Tactics, the character Weigraf turns into the Lucavi Belias once he is defeated. However in Final Fantasy XII, the player must collect him in order to progress through the Feywood. In both cases Belial must be defeated as a boss to progress the game.

The video game Odin Sphere, which is heavily based on Norse mythology, features a dragon named Belial as a boss character that regurgitates the armor of fallen soldiers to harm the player. is a 2D Fantasy action RPG Video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus For most of the game he is enslaved by magicians or elves.

In the video game Devil May Cry 4, one of the early bosses is "Berial" ('R's are interchangeable for 'L's when translating from Japanese). He appears as a flaming centaur and introduces himself as the "conqueror of the Fire Hell. "

It is not uncommon to use variants of the name as well; one example might be Be'lal in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. The Wheel of Time (abbreviated by fans to WoT) is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the late American author James Oliver In it, Be'lal is a member of the thirteen Forsaken, a rough analogue to demons in the world of the novels.

Belial was also in the manga and anime Angel Sanctuary as the Mad Hatter, a fallen angel and one of the Satans. is a Manga and Anime series created by Kaori Yuki. This 20-volume series was originally serialized in Hakusensha 's Hana to Yume The Hatter is a fictional character initially encountered at a tea party in Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and later again as " She was in love with Lucifer and because of such, she had taken drugs to change her gender. (She once was male, thus fitting into the demon of confusion). She is also called a butterfly.

In the anime Kaze no Stigma (Stigma of the Wind) during the last episode the Character Lapis is trying to summon Belial, she says that she is attempting to become "human" through others' pain. is a Japanese Light novel series written by Takahiro Yamato and illustrated by Hanamaru Nanto.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Metzger & Coogan (1993) Oxford Companion to the Bible, p77. The Lesser Key of Solomon or Clavicula Salomonis (the Clavis Salomonis, or Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the This is a list of demons, including both specific Demons (eg Satan) and types of demons (e
  2. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com: Belial
  3. ^ Crabtree, Vexen. The Aspect of Belial

Sources

External links

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