Editing Baal (section)

==Christianity==
Beelzebub or Beelzebul was identified by the [[Evangelism|writers]] of the [[New Testament]] as [[Satan]], "[[prince]]" (i.e., [[Prince#Prince as generic for ruler|king]]) of the [[demon]]s.{{efn|"In NT Gk. beelzeboul, beezeboul (Beelzebub in TR and AV) is the prince of the demons (Mt. 12:24, 27; Mk. 3:22; Lk. 11:15, 18f.), identified with Satan (Mt. 12:26; Mk. 3:23, 26; Lk. 11:18)."{{sfnp|Bruce|1996}}}}{{efn|"Besides, Matt 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15 use the apposition ἄρχων τῶν δαιμονίων ‘head of the →Demons’."{{sfnp|Herrmann|1999b}}}}

[[John Milton]]'s 1667 [[epic poem|epic]] ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' describes the [[fallen angel]]s collecting around Satan, stating that, though their heavenly names had been "blotted out and ras'd", they would acquire new ones "wandring o're the Earth" as false gods. ''Baalim'' and ''[[Astaroth|Ashtaroth]]'' are given as the collective names of the male and female demons (respectively) who came from between the "bordering flood of old [[Euphrates]]" and "the Brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground".<ref>[[John Milton|Milton]], ''[[Paradise Lost]]'', Bk.&nbsp;1, ll.&nbsp;419–423.</ref>

''Baal'' and derived epithets like ''Baalist'' were used as slurs during the [[English Reformation]] for the [[List of Catholic saints|saints]] and their devotees.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}