Read on Twitter
THREAD: Who is Beelzebul?
In Matthew 10:25, Jesus hints that he, the master of the house, will be called Beelzebul, even as his disciples will be maligned.
The Greek word Βεελζεβούλ has a variant spelling, namely Βεελζεβούβ (also seen in the Vulgate Beelzebub).
In Matthew 10:25, Jesus hints that he, the master of the house, will be called Beelzebul, even as his disciples will be maligned.
The Greek word Βεελζεβούλ has a variant spelling, namely Βεελζεβούβ (also seen in the Vulgate Beelzebub).
At Matthew 12:24, we are given the identity of this personage by the Pharisees, who state that Beelzebul is the 'prince of demons'.
This view was common in Second Temple Jewish circles, as can be seen by various non-biblical texts.
This view was common in Second Temple Jewish circles, as can be seen by various non-biblical texts.
For example, a certain Aramaic magic incantation formula (4Q560) found among the Dead Sea Scrolls appears to mention בעל] זבב] (see the image below).
Notice that this spelling matches the alternate variant we find in the New Testament.
![For example, a certain Aramaic magic incantation formula (4Q560) found among the Dead Sea Scrolls appears to mention בעל] זבב] (see the image below). Notice that this spelling matches the alternate variant we find in the New Testament.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Erxm42LXIAAJaJu.png "For example, a certain Aramaic magic incantation formula (4Q560) found among the Dead Sea Scrolls appears to mention בעל] זבב] (see the image below). Notice that this spelling matches the alternate variant we find in the New Testament.")
Notice that this spelling matches the alternate variant we find in the New Testament.
In fact, בַּעַל זְבוּב is actually attested in the Hebrew Bible, at 2 Kings 1. There, he is identified as the god of Ekron. The word 'Baal' will, of course, be familiar to us, but the second word זְבוּב is less common.
There is a bit of a debate about the actual relationship between the words זְבוּב 'fly' and זְבֻל (which is otherwise only attested as a personal name in Judges 9).
I'm persuaded that זְבוּב is a deliberate deformation by the Israelites of the original זְבֻל, which meant something like 'prince'. The sense is that Baal is Lord of the flies (along with everything that gets associated with flies, such as filth).
This would be parallel to the deformation of Esh-Baal 'man of Baal' (?) / 'fire of Baal' (?) / 'Baal exists' (?) > Ish-bosheth 'man of shame'. This son of Saul famously lost against King David in a power struggle.
In Ugaritic, zbl is attributed to both Baal and Yammu (the god of the sea). It occurs, for example, in the famous Baal myth (pictured below):
line 7: zbl . ym /zabūlu yammu/
line 8: zbl . bʕl /zabūlu baʕlu/
line 7: zbl . ym /zabūlu yammu/
line 8: zbl . bʕl /zabūlu baʕlu/
It's fascinating how an ancient pagan Semitic epithet finds its way through the Hebrew Bible via the Dead Sea Scrolls and onto the pages of the Greek New Testament!
'Names, once they are in common use, quickly become mere sounds, their etymology being buried, like so many of the earth's marvels, beneath the dust of habit.'
–– Salman Rushdie
/ END
–– Salman Rushdie
/ END
