Thursday, October 14, 2010
Belial
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Belial (also Belhor, Baalial, Beliar, Belias , Beliall, Beliel, Bilael, Belu; from Hebrew בְּלִיַּ֫עַל Bəliyyáʻal; also named Matanbuchus, Mechembuchus, Meterbuchus in older scripts) is one of the four crown princes of Hell[citation needed] and a demon in the Bible, Jewish apocrypha and Christian apocrypha. It is also a term used to characterize or embody immense wickedness or iniquity.
The etymology of the word is uncertain, but is most commonly translated as "lacking worth".[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 an invented name from the start.[2] In the Book of Jubilees, penilely uncircumcised heathens are called "sons of Belial".
In the Goetia, Belial is said to be a mighty and a powerful king over fifty legions, made after Lucifer. He appears as two beautiful angels sitting in a chariot of fire. His purpose in the Goetia is to make the mage popularly known, possibly getting them titles. It is also written that sacrifice must be given or he will lie to the mage.
In the Torah the term appears in several places to indicate wicked or worthless people, such as :
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