Ancient Near Eastern Gods and Idolatry

Explore 41 ancient Near East gods that led Israel astray from God’s covenant. From Baal to Molech, discover the idols that provoked divine wrath and spiritual battles throughout Israel’s history.

Ancient Near Eastern Gods and Idolatry

Israel was the people chosen by God. Yet they did not always worship God alone with pure devotion. Whenever the opportunity arose, they turned after foreign idols and worshiped them, provoking God’s wrath. Here we examine the gods of the ancient Near East that appear throughout Israel’s history.

41 Gods of the Ancient Near East Surrounding Israel
(Gods of the Ancient Near East)

1. Palestinian Gods

Baal : Meaning “lord” or “master.” The chief god of Canaan and Phoenicia. A young storm god and deity of fertility and abundance.
Asherah : A goddess of the ancient Semitic peoples; a deity of fertility and abundance, consort of El, and mother of Baal and some 70 other gods.
Ashtoreth : The god of Canaan, Babylon, and Syria; consort of Baal and deity of fertility, love, and war.
Chemosh : Meaning “conqueror.” The national god of Moab and a god of war.
Molech (Moloch, Milcom) : Meaning “ruler” or “their king.” The national god of Ammon.
Dagon : Meaning “grain” or “great fish.” The Philistine grain god who governed fertility and productivity.
Queen of Heaven : A Canaanite deity; a stellar god who governed prosperity and abundance.
El : The chief god among the various deities of Canaan.
Gad : The god of fate worshiped in Syria and Arabia.
Mot : The god of death and barrenness.
Adad : The Syrian storm god, also known as “Hadad”; in Babylon and Assyria, the god of thunder.
Teshub : The storm god of the Hittites.
Hannahannah : The mother goddess of the Hittites.
Arinna : The sun goddess of the Hittites.

2. Mesopotamian Deities

Merodach: The chief god of Babylon, identified with “Bel,” god of war
Bel: A Babylonian deity, the Hebrew name for Merodach, also known as “Marduk”; originally a sun god
Nebo: Meaning “announcer,” a Babylonian deity and son of Marduk; god of literature and writing
Tammuz: A deity worshiped in Assyria, Syria, Babylon, Phoenicia, and along the Mediterranean coast; a god who protected and revived vegetation in spring
Anu: God of the heavens
Ea: God who rules over water
Succoth-benoth: The consort deity of Marduk, chief god of Babylon
Enlil: God of storms and the earth
Ea-Enki: God of the primordial deep; god of water
Sin / Nanna: God of sex and fertility; the moon god
Tiamat: God of salt water
Rephan: The star god of Babylon
Sakkuth and Kaiwan: The Saturn deities of Babylon
Anat: A renowned war goddess of the ancient Semitic peoples; sister and consort of Baal

3. Egyptian Deities

Ptah: The supreme god of the Egyptian pantheon, founder of Memphis, and a master craftsman
Aten: Associated with thought
Horus: Associated with the mind; the national god of Egypt
Thoth: Associated with language; the god of knowledge credited with inventing hieroglyphics; the moon god who created time and order in the universe
Shu: God of the atmosphere
Tefnut: Goddess of moisture
Geb: God of the earth
Nut: Goddess of the sky
Osiris: The husband (in the divine family)
Isis: The wife (in the divine family)
Set: The husband; god of storms and the national god of northern Egypt
Nephthys: The wife (in the divine family)
Ra: The sun god; the pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty called themselves “Sons of Ra.”

Source: Dictionary of Biblical Cultural Background

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