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Aglibol, Baalshamin (center), and Malakbel (1st century; found near Palmyra, Syria)

Baalshamin (Imperial Aramaic: ܒܥܠ ܫܡܝܢ, romanized: Baʿal Šāmīn or Bʿel Šmīn, lit. 'Lord of Heaven[s]'), also called Baal Shamem (Phoenician: 𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤔𐤌𐤌, romanized: Baʿl Šāmēm) and Baal Shamaim (Hebrew: בַּעַל שָׁמַיִם, romanized: Baʿal Šāmayīm),^[1] was a Northwest Semitic god and a title applied to different gods at different places or times in ancient Middle Eastern inscriptions, especially in Canaan/Phoenicia and Syria. The title was most often applied to Hadad, who is also often titled just Ba‘al. Baalshamin was one of the two supreme gods and the sky god of pre-Islamic Palmyra in ancient Syria (Bel being the other supreme god).^[2] There his attributes were the eagle and the lightning bolt, and he perhaps formed a triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Malakbel.^[3] The title was also applied to Zeus.

The earliest known Phoenician reference to Baalshamin is in the Yehimilk inscription, dated to the 10th century BCE.^[4]

History

This name was originally a title of Baal Hadad, in the 2nd millennium BC, but came to designate a distinct god circa 1000 BC.^[5] The earliest known mention of this god or title is in a treaty of the 14th century BC between Suppiluliumas I, King of the Hittites, and Niqmaddu II, King of Ugarit. Although this could be a reference to Baal Hadad, and again when the name appears in a Phoenician inscription by King Yeḥimilk of Byblos, other texts make a distinction between the two.^{[citation needed]}

In the treaty of 677 BC between King Esarhaddon of Assyria and King Ba‘al I of Tyre, a curse is laid against King Baal if he breaks the treaty, reading in part:

"May Baal-sameme, Baal-malage, and Baal-saphon raise an evil wind against your ships, to undo their moorings, tear out their mooring pole, may a strong wave sink them in the sea, a violent tide [. . .] against you."^[6]

The god Baal-malage is otherwise unexplained. Baal-saphon here and elsewhere seems to be Ba'al Hadad, whose home is on Mount Ṣaphon in the Ugaritic texts. But interpreters disagree as to whether these are here three separate gods or three aspects of the same god, a god who causes stormy weather on the sea.^{[citation needed]}

In any case, inscriptions show that the cult of Ba'al Šamem continued in Tyre from Esarhaddon's day until towards the end of the 1st millennium BC.^{[citation needed]}

Baalshamen is mentioned as an idol among other Aramean gods in Mesopotamia by Jacob of Serugh:

“He (that is Satan) put Apollo as idol in Antioch and others with him, In Edessa he set Nebo and Bel together with many others, He led astray Harran by Sin, Baalshamin and Bar Nemre[Nusku] By my Lord with his Dogs[Nergal] and the goddess Taratha[Astarte] and Gadlat." ^{[citation needed]}

In Sanchuniathon's main mythology the god he calls in Greek 'Uranus'/'Sky' has been thought by some to stand for Ba'al Šamem. Sky is here the actual father of Baal Hadad (although Baal Hadad is born after his mother's marriage to Dagon). As in Greek mythology and Hittite mythology, Sky is castrated by his son, who is in turn destined to be opposed by the thunder god. In Sanchuniathon's story, Sky also battles Sea; Sky finds himself unable to prevail, so he allies himself with Hadad.^{[citation needed]}

In Nabatean texts in Greek, Baal Shamin is regularly equated with Zeus Helios, that is Zeus as a sun-god. Sanchuniathon supports this:

"... and that when droughts occurred, they stretched out their hands to heaven towards the sun; for him alone (he says) they regarded as god the lord of heaven, calling him Beelsamen, which is in the Phoenician language 'lord of heaven', and in Greek 'Zeus'."^[7]

Unfortunately, it is not clear whether Baalshamin is here regarded as a sun-god and the bringer of rain, or whether he is regarded as the cause of drought.^{[citation needed]}

Writers in Syriac refer to Baalshamin as Zeus Olympios Zeus who shines.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Other variations which are seen less frequently in modern sources include: Baʿal Shamin, Baʿal Samin, Baʿal-Shamem, Baʿal Shamim, Baʿal Shamem, Baʿalsamem, Baal Shamin, Baal-Samin, Beelsamen, Baʿalsamin, Baal-Samen, Baal-Shamen, Baalsamin, Baalsamen, Baal-shamim, Baʿalshamin, Baal-Samim, Baal-Samem, Baalsamem, Baalsamim, Baalshamem, Beelsamin, Beel-Samen, Beelshamen, Baal-Shamayim, Baʿalsamen, Beel-Samin, Baalshamim, Baalshamen.
^ Dirven, Lucinda (1999). The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos: A Study of Religious Interaction in Roman Syria. BRILL. p. 76. ISBN 978-90-04-11589-7. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
^ Kaizer, Ted (2002). The Religious Life of Palmyra: A Study of the Social Patterns of Worship in the Roman Period. Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 87, 88, 140. ISBN 978-3-515-08027-9. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
^ van der Toorn, K.; Becking, B.; van der Horst, P.W. (1999). Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-8028-2491-2. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
^ Healey, John F. (2001). The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus. BRILL. p. 124. ISBN 978-90-04-10754-0. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
^ Pritchard, James B. (2016). Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press. p. 534. ISBN 978-14-00-88276-2. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
^ Eusebius of Caesarea, Praeparatio Evangelica 1:10.

External links

Stuart Whatling: "Arabia Syria: Palmyra"() — Some pictures of the temple of Baal-Shamin at Palmyra

[1] Other variations which are seen less frequently in modern sources include: Baʿal Shamin, Baʿal Samin, Baʿal-Shamem, Baʿal Shamim, Baʿal Shamem, Baʿalsamem, Baal Shamin, Baal-Samin, Beelsamen, Baʿalsamin, Baal-Samen, Baal-Shamen, Baalsamin, Baalsamen, Baal-shamim, Baʿalshamin, Baal-Samim, Baal-Samem, Baalsamem, Baalsamim, Baalshamem, Beelsamin, Beel-Samen, Beelshamen, Baal-Shamayim, Baʿalsamen, Beel-Samin, Baalshamim, Baalshamen.

[Dirven1999-2] Dirven, Lucinda (1999). The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos: A Study of Religious Interaction in Roman Syria. BRILL. p. 76. ISBN 978-90-04-11589-7. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

[Kaizer2002-3] Kaizer, Ted (2002). The Religious Life of Palmyra: A Study of the Social Patterns of Worship in the Roman Period. Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 87, 88, 140. ISBN 978-3-515-08027-9. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

[van_der_Toorn_Becking_van_der_Horst_1999_p._150-4] van der Toorn, K.; Becking, B.; van der Horst, P.W. (1999). Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-8028-2491-2. Retrieved 2022-01-30.

[Healey2001-5] Healey, John F. (2001). The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus. BRILL. p. 124. ISBN 978-90-04-10754-0. Retrieved 21 June 2012.

[Pritchard2016-6] Pritchard, James B. (2016). Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press. p. 534. ISBN 978-14-00-88276-2. Retrieved 10 November 2016.

[7] Eusebius of Caesarea, Praeparatio Evangelica 1:10.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Northwest Semitic sky god}}
-{{Infobox World Heritage Site
+[[Image:PalmyreneDeities.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Aglibol]], Baalshamin (center), and [[Malakbel]] (1st century; found near [[Palmyra]], [[Syria]])]]
-| WHS         = Temple of Ba'al
+{{Middle Eastern deities}}{{Fertile Crescent myth (Levantine)}}{{Fertile Crescent myth (Arabian)}}
-| image       = Temple of Baal-Shamin, Palmyra.jpg
+'''Baalshamin''' ({{langx|arc|ܒܥܠ ܫܡܝܢ|lit=Lord of Heaven[s]|translit=Baʿal Šāmīn or Bʿel Šmīn}}), also called '''Baal Shamem''' ({{langx|phn|𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤔𐤌𐤌|translit=Baʿl Šāmēm}}) and '''Baal Shamaim''' ({{langx|he|בַּעַל שָׁמַיִם|translit=Baʿal Šāmayīm}}),<ref>Other variations which are seen less frequently in modern sources include: Baʿal Shamin, Baʿal Samin, Baʿal-Shamem, Baʿal Shamim, Baʿal Shamem, Baʿalsamem, Baal Shamin, Baal-Samin, Beelsamen, Baʿalsamin, Baal-Samen, Baal-Shamen, Baalsamin, Baalsamen, Baal-shamim, Baʿalshamin, Baal-Samim, Baal-Samem, Baalsamem, Baalsamim, Baalshamem, Beelsamin, Beel-Samen, Beelshamen, Baal-Shamayim, Baʿalsamen, Beel-Samin, Baalshamim, Baalshamen.</ref> was a Northwest [[Ancient Semitic religion|Semitic god]] and a title applied to different gods at different places or times in ancient [[Middle East]]ern inscriptions, especially in [[Canaan]]/[[Phoenicia]] and [[Syria]]. The title was most often applied to [[Hadad]], who is also often titled just [[Baal|Ba‘al]]. Baalshamin was one of the two supreme gods and the sky god of pre-Islamic [[Palmyra]] in ancient Syria ([[Bel (mythology)|Bel]] being the other supreme god).<ref name="Dirven1999">{{cite book|author=Dirven, Lucinda|title=The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos: A Study of Religious Interaction in Roman Syria|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_LfXg2r6FT0C&pg=PA76|access-date=17 July 2012|year=1999|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-11589-7|pages=76}}</ref> There his attributes were the eagle and the lightning bolt, and he perhaps formed a triad with the lunar god [[Aglibol]] and the sun god [[Malakbel]].<ref name="Kaizer2002">{{cite book|author=Kaizer, Ted|title=The Religious Life of Palmyra: A Study of the Social Patterns of Worship in the Roman Period|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KvZ7K5KWbuoC&pg=PA87|access-date=17 July 2012|year=2002|publisher=[[Franz Steiner Verlag]]|isbn=978-3-515-08027-9|pages=87, 88, 140}}</ref> The title was also applied to [[Zeus]].
-| caption     = The temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra before its destruction in August 2015.
-| Location    = [[Syria]]
-| Type        = Cultural
-| Criteria    = i, ii, iv
-| ID          = 23
-| Link        = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/23/
-| Region      = Arab States
-| Coordinates = <!-- optional; use {{coord}} -->
-| Year        = {{start date|1980}}
-| Session     = 4th
-| Extension   = <!-- optional -->
-| Danger      = War
-| locmapin    = Syria and Lebanon
-| map_caption = <!-- optional -->
-| map_width   =
-| relief      = 1 <!-- "1" for relief map - if available -->
-| latitude    = 34.553412
-| longitude   = 38.269886
-| lat_degrees  = | lat_minutes   = | lat_seconds  = | lat_direction  = <!-- optional -->
-| long_degrees = | long_minutes  = | long_seconds = | long_direction = <!-- optional -->
-| child       = <!-- optional; set to "yes" to embed this infobox within another infobox -->
-| embedded    = <!-- optional; use to embed another infobox template within this one, e.g. {{Infobox mountain}} -->
-}}
-[[Image:PalmyreneDeities.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Aglibol]], '''Baalshamin''' (center), and [[Malakbel]] (1st century; found near [[Palmyra]], [[Syria]])]]
-{{Fertile Crescent myth (Arabian)}}
-'''Baalshamin''' or '''Ba'al Šamem'''<ref>This is what he is called in books most often as a Syrian god and as a Phoenician god, respectively. Other versions used frequently are: Ba'al Shamin, Ba'al Samin, Ba'al-Shamem, Ba'al Shamim, Baal Shamem, Ba'alsamem, Baal Shamin, Baal-Samin, Beelsamen, Ba'alsamin, Baal-Samen, Baal-Shamen, Baalsamin, Baalsamen, Baal-shamim, Ba'alshamin, Baal-Samim, Baal-Samem, Baalsamem, Baalsamim, Baalshamem, Beelsamin, Beel-Samen, Beelshamen, Baal-Shamayim, Ba'alsamen, Beel-Samin, Baalshamim, Baalshamen, and about as many more which are less frequent.</ref> ([[Aramaic]]: ܒܥܠ ܫܡܝܢ), lit. 'Lord of Heaven(s)', is a Northwest [[Ancient Semitic religion|Semitic god]] and a title applied to different gods at different places or times in ancient [[Middle East]]ern inscriptions, especially in [[Canaan]]/[[Phoenicia]] and [[Syria]]. The title was most often applied to [[Hadad]], who is also often titled just [[Baal|Ba‘al]]. Baalshamin was one of the two supreme gods and the sky god of pre-Islamic [[Palmyra]] in ancient Syria ([[Bel (mythology)|Bel]] being the other supreme god).<ref name="Dirven1999">{{cite book|author=Dirven, Lucinda|title=The Palmyrenes of Dura-Europos: A Study of Religious Interaction in Roman Syria|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_LfXg2r6FT0C&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76|accessdate=17 July 2012|year=1999|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-11589-7|pages=76}}</ref> There his attributes were the eagle and the lightning bolt, and he perhaps formed a triad with the lunar god [[Aglibol]] and the sun god [[Malakbel]].<ref name="Kaizer2002">{{cite book|author=Kaizer, Ted|title=The Religious Life of Palmyra: A Study of the Social Patterns of Worship in the Roman Period|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=KvZ7K5KWbuoC&pg=PA87|accessdate=17 July 2012|year=2002|publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag|isbn=978-3-515-08027-9|pages=87, 88, 140}}</ref>
+The earliest known Phoenician reference to Baalshamin is in the [[Yehimilk inscription]], dated to the 10th century BCE.<ref name="van der Toorn Becking van der Horst 1999 p. 150">{{cite book | last=van der Toorn | first=K. | last2=Becking | first2=B. | last3=van der Horst | first3=P.W. | title=Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible | publisher=Eerdmans Publishing Company | year=1999 | isbn=978-0-8028-2491-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yCkRz5pfxz0C&pg=PA150 | access-date=2022-01-30 | page=150}}</ref>
-In August 2015, Syrian officials and activists reported that [[ISIL]] had "placed a large quantity of explosives in the [[temple of Baalshamin]]... and then blew it up causing much damage to the temple," and killed [[Khaled al-Asaad]], a prominent Syrian archaeologist who worked at the site.<ref name="blown up">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34036644 |title=Palmyra's Baalshamin temple 'blown up by IS'
-|work=BBC |date=2015-08-23 |accessdate=2015-08-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-19/he-looked-after-ancient-ruins-palmyra-syria-40-years-now-isis-has-killed-him |title=He looked after the ancient ruins of Palmyra for 40 years. Now ISIS has killed him. |work=PRI |date=2015-08-23 |accessdate=2015-08-23 }}</ref> Later, photographs emerged of the destroyed structure which were confirmed by satellite images.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/satellite-images-confirm-palmyra-temple-razing/ |title=Satellite images confirm Palmyra temple razing. |work=Times of Israel |date=2015-08-30 |accessdate=2015-08-30 }}</ref>
 ==History==
-{{refimprove section|date=August 2015}}
+{{more citations needed section|date=August 2015}}
-This name was originally a title of [[Baal]] [[Hadad]], in the 2nd millennium BC, but came to designate a distinct god circa 1000 BC.<ref name="Healey2001">{{cite book|author=Healey, John F.|title=The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=coso-V3gCEAC&pg=PA124&dq=Baalshamin|accessdate=21 June 2012|year=2001|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-10754-0|pages=124}}</ref> The earliest known mention of this god or title is in a treaty of the 14th century BC between [[Suppiluliumas I]], King of the [[Hittites]], and [[Niqmaddu II]], King of [[Ugarit]]. Although this could be a reference to Baal Hadad, and again when the name appears in a Phoenician inscription by King Yeḥimilk of [[Byblos]], other texts make a distinction between the two.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
+This name was originally a title of [[Baal]] [[Hadad]], in the 2nd millennium BC, but came to designate a distinct god circa 1000 BC.<ref name="Healey2001">{{cite book|author=Healey, John F.|title=The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=coso-V3gCEAC&q=Baalshamin&pg=PA124|access-date=21 June 2012|year=2001|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-10754-0|pages=124}}</ref> The earliest known mention of this god or title is in a treaty of the 14th century BC between [[Suppiluliumas I]], King of the [[Hittites]], and [[Niqmaddu II]], King of [[Ugarit]]. Although this could be a reference to Baal Hadad, and again when the name appears in a Phoenician inscription by King Yeḥimilk of [[Byblos]], other texts make a distinction between the two.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
 In the [[Esarhaddon's Treaty with Ba'al of Tyre|treaty of 677 BC]] between King [[Esarhaddon]] of [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyria]] and King [[Baal I|Ba‘al I]] of [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyre]], a curse is laid against King Baal if he breaks the treaty, reading in part:
-<blockquote>"May Baal-sameme, Baal-malage, and Baal-saphon raise an evil wind against your ships, to undo their moorings, tear out their mooring pole, may a strong wave sink them in the sea, a violent tide [. . .] against you."{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}</blockquote>
+<blockquote>"May Baal-sameme, Baal-malage, and Baal-saphon raise an evil wind against your ships, to undo their moorings, tear out their mooring pole, may a strong wave sink them in the sea, a violent tide [. . .] against you."<ref name="Pritchard2016">{{cite book|author=Pritchard, James B.|title=Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UEWWCwAAQBAJ|access-date=10 November 2016|year=2016|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|isbn=978-14-00-88276-2|pages=534}}</ref></blockquote>
 The god Baal-malage is otherwise unexplained. Baal-saphon here and elsewhere seems to be Ba'al Hadad, whose home is on [[Mount Aqraa|Mount Ṣaphon]] in the Ugaritic texts. But interpreters disagree as to whether these are here three separate gods or three aspects of the same god, a god who causes stormy weather on the sea.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
 In any case, inscriptions show that the cult of Ba'al Šamem continued in Tyre from Esarhaddon's day until towards the end of the 1st millennium BC.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
+Baalshamen is mentioned as an idol among other Aramean gods in Mesopotamia by [[Jacob of Serugh]]:
+: “He (that is Satan) put Apollo as idol in Antioch and others with him, In Edessa he set Nebo and Bel together with many others, He led astray Harran by Sin, Baalshamin and Bar Nemre[Nusku] By my Lord  with his Dogs[Nergal] and the goddess Taratha[Astarte] and Gadlat." {{citation needed|date=September 2021}}
 In [[Sanchuniathon]]'s main mythology the god he calls in Greek '[[Uranus (god)|Uranus]]'/'Sky' has been thought by some to stand for Ba'al Šamem. Sky is here the actual father of Baal Hadad (although Baal Hadad is born after his mother's marriage to [[Dagon]]). As in [[Greek mythology]] and [[Hittite mythology]], Sky is castrated by his son, who is in turn destined to be opposed by the thunder god. In Sanchuniathon's story, Sky also battles Sea; Sky finds himself unable to prevail, so he allies himself with Hadad.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
@@ Line 49: / Line 27: @@
 Unfortunately, it is not clear whether Baalshamin is here regarded as a sun-god and the bringer of rain, or whether he is regarded as the cause of drought.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
-Writers in [[Syriac language|Syriac]] refer to Baalshamin as ''Zeus Olympios''.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
+Writers in [[Syriac language|Syriac]] refer to Baalshamin as ''Zeus Olympios'' Zeus who shines.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
-The temple was discovered in the 1970s by the French [[archeologist]] [[Robert du Mesnil du Buisson]].<ref>"Robert du Mesnil du Buisson", in ''Je m'appelle [[Byblos]]'', [[Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], H & D, 2005, p. 255. ISBN 2 914 266 04 9</ref>
-On 24 August 2015 (or possibly within the previous month), the temple was destroyed by the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]].<ref name="blown up"/>
 ==See also==
 * [[Temple of Baalshamin]] (not to be confused with the [[Temple of Bel]])
+* [[Bashamem inscription]]
-* [[Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL]]
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-* [http://www.flat3.co.uk/levant/pages/index_palmyra.htm Stuart Whatling: "Arabia Syria: Palmyra"] ({{wayback|http://www.flat3.co.uk/levant/pages/index_palmyra.htm}}) — Some pictures of the temple of Baal-Shamin at Palmyra
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071021082911/http://flat3.co.uk/levant/pages/index_palmyra.htm Stuart Whatling: "Arabia Syria: Palmyra"]() — Some pictures of the temple of Baal-Shamin at Palmyra
 {{Middle Eastern mythology}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Baal Shamim}}
 [[Category:West Semitic gods]]
-[[Category:Arabian gods]]
+[[Category:Alawites]]
 [[Category:Sky and weather gods]]
+[[Category:Baal]]
+[[Category:Phoenician mythology]]

Authority control databases
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