(Num. 32:37, 38; 1 Chron. 5:8) The Reubenites, desiring the region for its good grazing land, evidently rebuilt and renamed the towns. In the earlier list at Numbers 32:3, 4 Baal-meon may be represented by the name “Beon.” Joshua thereafter refers to it as Beth-baal-meon, likely the full name of the place.—Josh. 13:17.

Baal-meon seems to have been retaken by the Moabites during the reign of King Mesha of Moab, evidently in the latter part of the tenth century B.C.E. The Moabite Stone inscription (line 9) states that Mesha “built [perhaps, fortified] Baal-meon, making a reservoir in it,” and on line 30 he refers to it by the fuller name of “Beth-baal-meon.” Additionally, on a piece of inscribed pottery found in Samaria (Ostraca 27 of Samaria) mention is made of a certain “Baala the Baalmeonite.”

In the seventh century B.C.E. the prophet Jeremiah issued a divine warning to Moab foretelling the despoiling of the land by Babylon, specifically mentioning certain towns, including Beth-meon (likely Baal-meon). (Jer. 48:20-23) Ezekiel includes Baal-meon as one of the Moabite sites to be possessed by the “Orientals” (or “sons of the East”). (Ezek. 25:9, 10) Secular history and archaeological investigation confirm the fulfillment of these prophecies.—See MOAB, MOABITES.

Baal-meon is identified with the ruins of Maʽin, forming a mound of considerable size about four miles (6.4 kilometers) SW of Medeba. The plateau on which Maʽin lies is about 2,600 feet (some 800 meters) in elevation.

BAAL OF PEOR

(Baʹal of Peʹor).

The particular Baal worshiped at Mount Peor by both Moabites and Midianites. (Num. 25:1, 3, 6) It has been suggested that Baal of Peor may actually have been Chemosh, in view of the fact that the latter deity was the chief god of the Moabites. (Num. 21:29) As with Baalism generally, grossly licentious rites were probably connected with the worship of Baal of Peor. The Israelites, while encamped at Shittim on the high plains of Moab, were enticed into immorality and idolatry by the female worshipers of this god.—Num. 25:1-18; Deut. 4:3; Ps. 106:28; Hos. 9:10; Rev. 2:14.

Israel’s sin in connection with Baal of Peor resulted in Jehovah’s sending a death-dealing scourge that killed thousands of Israelites. A question arises as to the number of those actually killed by the scourge in view of a seeming discrepancy between Numbers 25:9 and 1 Corinthians 10:8. Apparently 23,000 were directly killed by the scourge, whereas 1,000 “head ones” or ringleaders were killed by the judges of Israel and then hung.—Num. 25:4, 5; see BAAL No. 4.

BAAL-PERAZIM

(Baʹal-pe·raʹzim) [lord or master of breakings through].

The site of a complete victory by King David over the combined forces of the Philistines, sometime after David’s conquest of the stronghold of Jerusalem. (2 Sam. 5:9, 17-21) The record states that, upon hearing of the Philistines’ aggressive approach, David and his men “went down to the place hard to approach,” while the Philistines were “tramping about in the low plain of Rephaim.” Receiving assurance from Jehovah of his support, David attacked, and the Philistines fled, leaving their idols behind. Attributing the victory to Jehovah, David said. “Jehovah has broken through my enemies ahead of me, like a gap made by waters”; and for this reason he “called the name of that place Baal-perazim.” The account at 2 Samuel 5:21 says that David and his men ‘took the Philistines’ abandoned idols away’; however, the parallel account at 1 Chronicles 14:12 shows the final action taken, stating: “Then David said the word, and so they [the idols] were burned in the fire.”

The low plain of Rephaim is considered to be the plain of the Baqaʽ to the SW of Jerusalem, which, after sloping downward for about a mile (c. 1.6 kilometers), contracts into a narrow valley, the Wadi el Werd. On this basis, most scholars suggest the site of Baal-perazim to be Sheikh Bedr, on the promontory Ras en-Nadir, overlooking the “spring of the waters of Nephtoah [modern Lifta]” (Josh. 15:8, 9) to the NW of Jerusalem.

Mount Perazim referred to by Isaiah is considered to be the same location. Its use in his prophecy recalls Jehovah’s victory through David at Baal-perazim, cited as an example of the strange deed due to be effected, in which, Jehovah declares, he will break in upon his enemies like an overflowing flash flood.—Isa. 28:21.

BAAL-SHALISHAH

(Baʹal-shalʹi·shah) [lord or master of three things or of the third part].

A place from which a man brought twenty barley loaves of the firstfruits of his harvest and some fresh grain to present to the prophet Elisha. (2 Ki. 4:42-44) It was a time of famine and Elisha was at Gilgal. The humble supply proved sufficient for the hundred “sons of the prophets” there, with leftovers.—2 Ki. 4:38, 43; compare Matthew 14:20; Mark 8:8.

Baal-shalishah is considered to have been near Gilgal and probably in the “land of Shalishah,” through which Saul passed when searching for his father’s she-asses. (1 Sam. 9:4) There is a reference to Baal-shalishah in the Talmud, describing it as a place where the fruits ripened especially early. The suggested location is that of Kefr Thilth in the foothills of Ephraim, the name Thilth being the precise equivalent in Arabic of the Hebrew Shalishah. Kefr Thilth is located about thirteen and a half miles (22 kilometers) NW of Gilgal.

BAAL-TAMAR

(Baʹal-taʹmar) [lord of the palm tree].

A site near Gibeah where Israelite fighting men drew up in formation against the tribe of Benjamin in a costly battle provoked by a revolting sex crime. Some of Israel’s forces were massed at Baal-tamar, while others were placed as an ambush against the Benjamites.—Judg. 19:25-28; 20:33.

The location of Baal-tamar is uncertain; some suggest Ras et-Tawil, a peak about a mile (1.6 kilometers) NE of Gibeah (modern Tell el-Ful), while others associate it with “Deborah’s palm tree,” situated between Bethel and Ramah.—Judg. 4:5.

BAAL-ZEBUB

(Baʹal-zeʹbub) [owner (lord) of flies].

The Baal worshiped by the Philistines at Ekron. There are indications that it was a common practice among the Hebrews to change the names of false gods to something similar but degrading. Hence, the ending “zebub” may be an alteration of one of the titles of Baal shown in the Ras Shamra texts as “Zebul [Prince or Exalted], Lord of the Earth.” Some authorities, however, suggest that the name was given to the god by his worshipers because of his being viewed as the producer of flies and therefore able to control this common pest of the Middle East. Since the giving of oracles was associated with Baal-zebub, others favor the view that Baal-zebub was a god who was regarded as giving oracles by the flight or buzzing of a fly.—2 Ki. 1:2.

Ahaziah the king of Israel sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub as to whether he would recover from his serious injury or not. Through his prophet Elijah, Jehovah rebuked Ahaziah, saying: “Is it because there is no God at all in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore, as regards the couch upon which you have gone up, you will not come down off it, because you will positively die.”—2 Ki. 1:2-8.

The designation “Beelzebub” (possibly meaning “lord of the habitation” or “lord of dung”), appearing in the Christian Greek Scriptures with reference to the ruler of the demons, may be an alteration of “Baal-zebub.”—Matt. 12:24.