Beelzebub

Beelzebub's History

angel turned high-ranking demon, who is considered one of the seven princes of Hell, representing the sin of gluttony. In Catholic demonology, he is sometimes considered to be one of the first three angels to fall from heaven, along with Lucifer and Leviathan. He is often associated with gluttony, pride and of idolatry, the worship of false gods.

Beelzebub is commonly described as placed high in Hell's hierarchy. In theological sources, predominantly Christian, Beelzebub is another name for Satan. The Dictionnaire Infernal describes Beelzebub as a being capable of flying, known as the "Lord of the Flyers," or the "Lord of the Flies." Flies play a large focus in imagery detailing him and the malignant spirit can even take the form of flies according to some.

According to the stories of the 16th-century occultist Johann Weyer, Beelzebub led a successful revolt against the devil, is the chief lieutenant of Lucifer, the emperor of Hell, and presides over the Order of the Fly. John Milton, in his epic poem Paradise Lost, identified an unholy trinity consisting of Beelzebub, Lucifer and Astaroth, with Beelzebub as the second-ranking of the many fallen angels.

Within religious circles, the accusation of demon possession has been used as both an insult and an attempt to categorize unexplained behavior, such as schizophrenia. Not only had the Pharisees disparagingly accused Jesus of using Beelzebub's demonic powers to heal people, but others have been labeled possessed for acts of an extreme nature. Down through history, Beelzebub has been held responsible for many cases of demonic possession.

According to some sources, Beelzebub was originally a Canaanite deity named Baal and was later explained to be one of the seven princes of Hell in Christian sources. Beelzebub is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron. In Judaism, he was a mockery of the religions surrounding them that worshipped Baal, and in Rabbinical texts the name Ba'al Zebub was a mockery of the religion of Baal. Some scholars believe the name Ba'al Zevuv ("Lord of the Flies") was a way of referring to Baal as a pile of dung and his followers as flies, as well as a pun on Ba'al Zebul ("Lord of the High Place").