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Term: Beelzebub

DEFINITION:

First mentioned in Second Kings from the Bible, it was derived from the name of a Philistine god Zebub. Ba’al was simply a title meaning “lord,” so Ba’al Zebub or Beelzebub was worshiped in the ancient city of Ekron, located about 22 miles west of modern-day Jerusalem. Literally meaning “Lord of the Flies,” this deity was said to control and send away metaphoric flies representing a patient’s illness. Hence, Beelzebub was a god of healing. In Jewish myth he became a prince of demons, and in the Testament of Solomon, was said to incite murder and war. In Christianity, Beelzebub became another name for the Devil or part of a complex demonology where he actually led a revolt against the Devil.