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BEL

[Lord].

A title that may have been first applied to the god Enlil, meaning “chief demon.” Worshiped as the god of the earth, air and storm, Bel or Enlil, together with Anu the “god of the sky” and Ea the “god of the waters,” constituted a triad. When Hammurabi became king and made Babylon the principal city of all Babylonia, naturally greater importance came to be attached to Marduk (Merodach) the patron god of Babylon. Finally, Marduk was given the attributes of the earlier gods and even displaced them in the Babylonian myths. For example, the triumph over Tiamat, believed to have been ascribed to Enlil in an earlier, though not extant, account, came to be attributed to Marduk. Also, Enlil’s title “Bel” was transferred to Marduk. In later periods his proper name “Marduk” was displaced by the title Belu (“Lord”), so that finally he was commonly spoken of as Bel. His consort was called Belit (“Lady,” par excellence).

The following parts of a prayer addressed to Bel give some insight as to how the Babylonians viewed this god:

“O Bel, who has no equal when angry,

O Bel, excellent king, lord of the countries,

Who makes the great gods friendly,

O Bel, who fells the mighty with his glance,

Lord of the kings, light of mankind, who divides the portions—”

“Who (does not speak) of you, does not speak of your valor?

Who does not speak of your glory, does not glorify your sovereignty?”—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, by James B. Pritchard, p. 331.

When one considers the high esteem in which Bel was held, it becomes evident why Jehovah’s prophets, under inspiration, made reference to him as one of the deities to be humiliated at Babylon’s fall. Almost two hundred years before Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians, Isaiah foretold that Bel would have to bend down and Nebo would have to stoop over in shameful defeat. Their idol images were for the wild beasts to carry off; and for the domestic animals, to be loaded on these like mere pieces of luggage, “a burden for the tired animals.” But Bel and Nebo would not escape. Their “own soul,” that is, they themselves, would go into captivity. (Isa. 46:1, 2; see also Jeremiah 50:2.) Jehovah would force Bel to give up what he had swallowed by means of his worshipers, who attributed their victories to him. Especially would Bel have to give up Jehovah’s exiled people and the sacred utensils of His temple. No more would the people of the nations whom Babylon had conquered stream to the worship of Bel or surrender to his worshipers as if to the chief god of the world.—Jer. 51:44; see MERODACH.