Belial ( he, , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Old Testament which later became personified as the

devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...

See the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at
EarlyChristianWritings.com
', specifically at 1:8–9, 2:4, 3:11–13, 4:2, 4:14–18, 5:1, 5:15. in Christian texts of the New Testament. Alternate spellings include Baalial, Balial, Belhor, Beliall, Beliar, Berial, Bylyl and Beliya'al. In the Secret Book of John, an early

Gnostic Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...

text, the ruler of the underworld is referred to as Belias.

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

''Belial'' is a Hebrew word "used to characterize the wicked or worthless". The

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

of the word is often understood as "lacking worth", from two common words: ''beli-'' (בְּלִי "without-") and ''ya'al'' (יָעַל "to be of value"). Some scholars translate it from Hebrew as "worthless" (''Beli yo'il''), while others translate it as "yokeless" (''Beli ol''), "may he have no rising" or "never to rise" (''Beli ya'al''). Only a few

etymologists Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words and ...

have believed it to be an invented name from the start. The word occurs twenty-seven times in the

Masoretic Text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...

, in verses such as the Book of Proverbs (), where the

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...

(KJV) translates the Hebrew phrase ''adam beli-yaal'' as "a naughty person". In the Hebrew text, the phrase is either "sons of Belial" or simply "sons of worthlessness". Phrases beginning with "sons of" are a common Semitic idiom, such as "sons of destruction" or "sons of lawlessness". Of these 27 occurrences, the idiom "sons of Belial" (בְּנֵֽי־בְלִיַּעַל ''beni beliyaal'') appears 15 times to indicate worthless people, including idolaters (Deuteronomy 13:13), the men of

Gibeah Gibeah (; he, גִּבְעָה ''Gīḇəʿā''; he, גִּבְעַת, link=no ''Gīḇəʿaṯ'') is the name of three places mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, in the tribes of Benjamin, Judah, and Ephraim respectively. Gibeah of Benjamin is th ...

(Judges 19:22, 20:13), the sons of

Eli Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...

(1 Samuel 2:12),

Nabal According to the 1st Book of Samuel Chapter 25, Nabal ( ''Nāḇāl'', "fool") was a rich Calebite, described as harsh and surly. He is featured in a story in which he is threatened by David over an insult, and ultimately killed by God. Biblica ...

, and

Shimei Shimei ( ''Šīmʿī'') is the name of a number of persons referenced in the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinical literature. *The second son of Gershon and grandson of Levi (; ; ). The family of the Shimeites, as a branch of the tribe of Levi, is mention ...

. The Geneva Bible (1560) uses "wicked", and at the

Book of Judges The Book of Judges (, ') is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom ...

19:22 has the marginal note "''Ebr'' ebrew''men of Belial: that is, given to all wickednes.''" In the KJV these occurrences are rendered with "Belial" capitalised: * "the sons of Eli were sons of Belial" (KJV) In modern versions these are usually read as a phrase: *"the sons of Eli were worthless men" (1 Samuel 2:12, NRSV and NIV) *"the wicked men of the city" (Judges 19:22, NIV) "Belial" is applied to ideas, words, and counsel, to calamitous circumstances, and most frequently, to worthless men of the lowest sort, such as men who would induce worship of other gods; those of Benjamin who committed the sex crime at Gibeah; the wicked sons of Eli; insolent Nabal; opposers of

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

's anointed, David; Rehoboam's unsteady associates; Jezebel's conspirators against Naboth; and men in general who stir up contention. Indicating that the enemy power would no longer interfere with the carrying out of true worship by his people in their land, YHWH declared through his prophet: "No more will any worthless person pass again through you. In his entirety he will certainly be cut off."

Second Temple period

The term ''belial'' appears frequently in Jewish texts of the Second Temple period (texts classified by Christians as the Old Testament

pseudepigrapha Pseudepigrapha (also anglicized as "pseudepigraph" or "pseudepigraphs") are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed author is not the true author, or a work whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past.Bauckham, Richard; "Pse ...

and

apocrypha Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

). Also a large number of references to Belial are evidenced in the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at

Qumran Qumran ( he, קומראן; ar, خربة قمران ') is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli ...

from 1948.

Dead Sea Scrolls

In '' The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness'', one of the

Dead Sea scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the ...

, Belial is the leader of the Sons of Darkness:

You made Belial for the pit, angel of enmity; in darkness is his domain, his counsel is to bring about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits of his lot are angels of destruction, they walk in the laws of darkness; towards it goes their only desire.

In the ''Rules of the Community'', God is depicted as saying, "I shall not comfort the oppressed until their path is perfect. I shall not retain Belial within my heart." Belial controls scores of demons, which are specifically allotted to him by God for the purpose of performing evil. Belial, despite his malevolent disposition, is considered an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

. Belial's presence is found throughout the War Scrolls and is established as the force occupying the opposite end of the spectrum of God. In Col. I, verse 1, the first line of the document, it is stated that "the first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial." This dichotomy sheds light on the negative connotations that Belial held at the time. The ''War Scroll'' and ''the Thanksgiving hymns'' both delve into the idea that Belial is accursed by God and his people, and shows how the existence of Belial in this world can be attributed to the mysteries of God since we can not know why he permits the dealings of Belial to persist. In the ''Dead Sea Scrolls'', Belial is further contrasted with God. These are the Angel of Light and the Angel of Darkness. The Manual of Discipline identifies the Angel of Light as God himself. The Angel of Darkness is identified in the same scroll as Belial. Also in ''The Dead Sea Scrolls'' is a recounting of a dream of Amram, the father of Moses, who finds two watchers contesting over him. One is Belial who is described as the King of Evil and Prince of Darkness. Belial is also mentioned in the ''Fragments of a Zadokite Work'' (which is also known as The

Damascus Document The Damascus Document is an ancient Hebrew text known from both the Cairo Geniza and the Dead Sea Scrolls.Philip R. Davies, "Damascus Document", in Eric M. Meyers (ed.), ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'' (Oxford Universi ...

(CD)), which states that during the

eschatological Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...

age, "Belial shall be let loose against Israel, as God spoke through

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

the prophet." The ''Fragments'' also speak of "three nets of Belial" which are said to be fornication, wealth, and pollution of the sanctuary. In this work, Belial is sometimes presented as an agent of divine punishment and sometimes as a rebel, as Mastema is. It was Belial who inspired the Egyptian sorcerers, Jochaneh and his brother, to oppose Moses and Aaron. The ''Fragments'' also say that anyone who is ruled by the spirits of Belial and speaks of rebellion should be condemned as a

necromancer Necromancy () is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events ...

and a wizard.

Jubilees

In the

Book of Jubilees The Book of Jubilees, sometimes called Lesser Genesis (Leptogenesis), is an ancient Jewish religious work of 50 chapters (1,341 verses), considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews), where it is ...

, uncircumcised Israelites are called "sons of Belial".

Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

Belial is also mentioned in the

Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is a constituent of the apocryphal scriptures connected with the Bible. It is believed to be a pseudepigraphical work of the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oskan Armenian Ort ...

. The author of the work seems to be a dualist because he presents Belial as God's opponent, not as a servant, but does not mention how or why this came to be. Simeon 5:3 says that fornication separates man from God and brings him near to Belial. Levi tells his children to choose between the Law of God and the works of Belial It also states that when the soul is constantly disturbed, the Lord departs from it and Belial rules over it. Naphtali contrasts the Law and will of God with the purposes of Belial. Also, in 20:2, Joseph prophesies that when Israel leaves

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, they will be with God in light while Belial will remain in darkness with the Egyptians. Finally, the Testament describes that when the Messiah comes, the angels will punish the spirits of deceit and Belial and that the Messiah will bind Belial and give to his children the power to trample the evil spirits.

Ascension of Isaiah

In the

Ascension of Isaiah The ''Ascension of Isaiah'' is a pseudepigraphical Judeo-Christian text. Harris, Stephen L., ''Understanding the Bible''. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. Scholarly estimates regarding the date of the Ascension of Isaiah range from 70 AD to 175 AD.Hurtad ...

, Belial is the angel of

lawlessness Lawlessness is a lack of law, in any of the various senses of that word. Lawlessness may describe various conditions. In society Anomie is a breakdown of social bonds between an individual and their community, in which individuals do not feel bou ...

and "the ruler of this world", and identified as

Samael Samael ( he, סַמָּאֵל, ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom/Poison of God"; ar, سمسمائيل, ''Samsama'il'' or ar, سمائل, label=none, ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic ...

and Satan.

Christianity/New Testament

The word occurs just once in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

, when Paul the Apostle asks: The spelling found in most manuscripts of 2 Corinthians is actually ''Beliar'' (Βελιάρ) not ''Belial'' (Βελίαλ). This is the reading preferred by textual scholars and the change of -l to -r is attributed to a common change in Aramaic pronunciation. The Jewish Greek

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond ...

, later the Old Testament of the early Christian church, generally renders the "sons of Belial" verses in the Hebrew Bible either as "lawless men", by idioms "sons of the pestilence", rather than a personal name "sons of Belial": * ''andres paranomoi'' ("lawless men" ἄνδρες παράνομοι) (Deuteronomy 13:13) * ''huioi loimoi'' ("sons of the plague" υἱοὶ λοιμοὶ) (1 Samuel 2:12) The Septuagint also avoids Belial in the singular so

(2 Samuel 16:7) when he cursed

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, "Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial" is rendered "you lawless man" (''paranomos''), and Hannah to Eli "Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial" is rendered "don't count your maidservant as a daughter of the pest." The Latin

Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

and Syriac

Peshitta The Peshitta ( syc, ܦܫܺܝܛܬܳܐ ''or'' ') is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition, including the Maronite Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, ...

Old Testaments in some cases follow the Greek, in other literalize as Hebrew. The single New Testament use is preserved "Belial" in Latin and Syriac.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ (by Bartholomew)

In the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (by Bartholomew) of the

New Testament apocrypha The New Testament apocrypha (singular apocryphon) are a number of writings by early Christians that give accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. Some of these writings were cite ...

, Belial was visible along with 666

fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...

s when Michael was commanded by Jesus to show Hell to his disciples.

Rabbinical literature

The

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

and rabbinical interpretation generally follow a non-supernatural view, an allegorical personification of evil, as with rabbinical interpretations of evil. The phrase "sons of Belial" from the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

continued to retain currency.The censor, the editor, and the text: the Catholic Church and the ... – Page 218 Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin – 2007 "Yosef Hacohen does not mention the issue of the printers but writes that the event happened as a result of informants who were "people, sons of Belial from our midst." See the summary in Heller, Printing of the Talmud, 156–63. 49."

English literature

John Milton, '' Paradise Lost'', Book I:

BELIAL came last, than whom a Spirit more lewd Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love Vice for it self: To him no Temple stood Or Altar smoak'd; yet who more oft then hee In Temples and at Altars, when the Priest Turns Atheist, as did ELY'S Sons, who fill'd With lust and violence the house of God. In Courts and Palaces he also Reigns And in luxurious Cities, where the noyse Of riot ascends above thir loftiest Towrs, And injury and outrage: And when Night Darkens the Streets, then wander forth the Sons Of BELIAL, flown with insolence and wine. Witness the Streets of SODOM, and that night In GIBEAH, when hospitable Dores Yielded thir Matrons to prevent worse rape.

John Milton, ''Paradise Lost'', Book 2:

... On th' other side up rose BELIAL, in act more graceful and humane; A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd For dignity compos'd and high exploit: But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, to perplex and dash Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low; To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds Timorous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the eare...

Robert Browning (1839), "

Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister "Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister" is a soliloquy written by Robert Browning, first published in his collection '' Dramatic Lyrics'' (1842). It is written in the voice of an unnamed Spanish monk. The poem consists of nine eight-line stanzas and i ...

", eighth stanza:

Or, my scrofulous French novel On gray paper with blunt type ! Simply glance at it, you grovel Hand and foot in BELIAL's gripe: If I double down its pages At the woeful sixteenth print, When he gathers his greengages, Ope a sieve and slip it in't?

Occult

The 17th-century

grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ...

The Lesser Key of Solomon ''The Lesser Key of Solomon'', also known as ''Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis'' or simply ''Lemegeton'', is an anonymous grimoire on demonology. It was compiled in the mid-17th century, mostly from materials a couple of centuries older.''Lemegeto ...

'' mentions Belial, as does

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

's '' Goetia'' (1904) and Anton LaVey's ''

The Satanic Bible ''The Satanic Bible'' is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It is the central religious text of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma. It has been descri ...

'' (1969). In ''The Satanic Bible'' (''The Book of Belial''), Belial means "without a master", and symbolizes independence, self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment. In 1937, Edgar Cayce used the term "sons of belial" and "sons of the law of one" for the first time in one of his deep trance readings given between 1923 and 1945. Cayce was often referred to as the "sleeping prophet" who gave over 2,500 readings to individuals while in a deep trance state. While his definition of the sons of belial was consistent with the Hebrew meaning of "worthless" individuals focused on self-gratification, Cayce went on to use the term frequently to compare opposing human forces at work in pre-historical times related to the early development of

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and '' Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that b ...

In popular culture

Popular culture in the 20th century included many references to Belial; notably in the celebrated silent film ''

Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...

'' (1922),

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

's novel '' Ape and Essence'' (1948), Philip K. Dick's novel ''

The Divine Invasion ''The Divine Invasion'' is a 1981 science fantasy novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It is the second book in the gnostic VALIS trilogy, and takes place in the indeterminate future, perhaps a century or more after VALIS. Th ...

'' (1981), the cult horror film '' Basket Case'' (1982),

Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as Thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and satir ...

's novel '' Phantoms'' (1983), and Graham Masterton's novel ''Master of Lies'' (1991). Belial has also experienced a resurgence in popularity during the 21st Century in numerous media, with video games being the most prominent. * Digimon Adventure 2 BelialVamdemon. * In the ''

Gothic (series) ''Gothic'' is an action role-playing game franchise created by German developer Piranha Bytes and since May 2019 owned by THQ Nordic. The latest installment in the main series, ''Gothic 3'', was published in 2006 by JoWooD Entertainment. A spin ...

'' game series Beliar is the god of death. * In the Square Enix game "Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions" a character named Wiegraf uses the power of a mystical stone and is then possessed by the demon "Belial". * In the 2005 horror film, '' The Exorcism of Emily Rose'', Belial is featured as the Devil's representative who possesses the title character. * In the real time strategy game ''Dungeon Keepers Deeper Dungeons expansion the final level is titled "Belial". * In the role playing game '' Vampire: the Requiem'', Belial's Brood is a covenant of vampires that serve Vice and evil forces, consorting with infernal spirits for power. *

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three gradu ...

's video game ''

Diablo 3 ''Diablo III'' is a hack-and-slash action role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment as the third installment in the ''Diablo'' franchise. It was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in May 2012, PlayStation 3 and Xb ...

'' has Belial function as the final boss of Act 2 in its storyline. In the City of Caldeum, where Belial takes residence, there are definite Arabic tones for the art direction and setting in the aforementioned chapter. Also known as the "Lord of Lies" and the "Master of Deception", Belial is regarded as one of the four Lesser Evils and seven Great Evils in the mortal realm that seek to make this world an outpost of Hell itself. *

Westwood Studios Westwood Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Brelous Software, but got changed after 2 months into Westwood Associates and was renamed to Westw ...

's PC game '' Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny'' features Belial as its main antagonist, portraying him as an evil god with a devil-like appearance. * In the ''

Warhammer 40k ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...

'' universe Belial is the current Grand Master of the Deathwing of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter which has other characters named after bleaker Abrahamic entities, such as Samael, the poison of God, and Azrael, the Angel of Death. * In the mobile game ''Puzzle and Dragons'', Belial is a monster that is part of the Archdemon series. * In the book ''The Little Ships'' by J.A. Sutherland, the main character sails in a spaceship named Belial. * "Belial's Meat" is a health item in the video game '' Off'' by Mortis Ghost. * In the video game ''

Binding of Isaac The Binding of Isaac ( he, , ), or simply "The Binding" (, ), is a story from Genesis 22 of the Hebrew Bible. In the biblical narrative, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Moriah. As Abraham begins to comply, having bound Isa ...

'', the Book of Belial is an activated item that increases damage for the current room. * In the mobile game ''

Crash Fever Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch s ...

'', Belial is one of the first protagonists. * In ''

Granblue Fantasy ( Japanese:グランブルーファンタジー, Hepburn: ''Guranburū Fantajī)'' is a Japanese social-network game and role-playing video game developed by Cygames for Android, iOS and web browsers, which first released in Japan in March ...

'', Belial is a "fallen angel", appearing in the What Makes The Sky Blue 2 and 3 event(s) as one of the main antagonists. * "Belial" is the theme held in meditation by Vaughn Benjamin (Akae Beka) on the Midnite & Ras L Collaborative album ''Thru & True'' (2006). * Belial is referenced, among other demons, on Mayhem's 2014 studio album '' Esoteric Warfare''. Belial is mentioned in "Pandaemon," the fourth track on the LP. *

Lord Belial Lord Belial is a Swedish black metal band. History The band formed in 1992 and released their debut album in 1995; placing them among the pioneers of Swedish black metal. Their sound has been compared with bands such as Dissection. In January ...

is a Swedish black metal band. * Belial is mentioned in the track "Fall from Grace" from

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered ...

's 1991 album, ''

Blessed Are the Sick ''Blessed Are the Sick'' is the second studio album from American death metal band Morbid Angel. Though the album features some fast sections, the overall sound is markedly slower than the debut and features marked classical music undertones (ma ...

''. * In Cassandra Clare's bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles, Belial is one of the Prince of Hell as well as the demonic father of a major character, Theresa Gray, who was the protagonist of

The Infernal Devices ''The Infernal Devices'' is a trilogy by author Cassandra Clare, centring on a race called the Shadowhunters introduced in her ''The Mortal Instruments'' series. The trilogy is a prequel series to ''The'' ''Mortal Instruments'' series. Cassandr ...

. In ''

Shadowhunters ''Shadowhunters'', also known as ''Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments'', is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Ed Decter, based on the book series ''The Mortal Instruments'' written by Cassandra Clare. It premiered ...

'', the television adaptation of the novel series, Belial is the demonic father of a supporting character in season 3, the warlock Lorenzo Rey. Belial is mentioned as Lorenzo's father in the episode "City of Glass". * In the 2019 comedy horror film, '' Ready or Not'', the name of the demonic presence, Mr. Le Bail, is an anagram for Belial. * In the ''

Shin Megami Tensei ''Megami Tensei'', marketed internationally as ''Shin Megami Tensei'' (formerly ''Revelations''), is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. Primarily developed and publishe ...

'' and ''Persona'' games, Belial appears as a demon and persona to be used in combat * In the 2021 Anime series ''

Beyblade Burst Dynamite Battle ''Beyblade Burst QuadDrive'', known in Japan as and as Beyblade Burst DB, is a 2021 original net animation series and the sixth season of ''Beyblade Burst''. The series was produced by ADK Emotions and animated by OLM, and it began streaming in ...

'' the main character Bell Daikokuten named his Beyblade Dynamite Belial. Later on, he upgrades Dynamite Belial into Dangerous Belial after its destruction. The name of the bey, however, was changed to Belfyre in the dub and in Hasbro toy releases. * In Season 2 episode 5 of ''The Chosen'', Caleb is possessed by Belial and shares who he is while conversing with Mary.

References

*S. L. MacGregor Mathers, A. Crowley, '' The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King'' (1904). 1995 reprint: . *

External links

Belial entry at Jewish Encyclopedia.comBelial article from the Mystica
{{Satan Deities in the Hebrew Bible Demons in Christianity Demons in Judaism Fallen angels Goetic demons Individual angels People in the Pauline epistles Christian mythology Devils Book of Jubilees