Baal

(Lord). Among the Phoenicians the chief male divinity who appears to have symbolized the Sun, more particularly the Sun in Taurus. Baal was worshipped in agricultural festivals as the god of fertility of soil and increase of flocks. In successive periods of the history of the ancient Semitic races, the name was assigned to innumerable local deities. The Baal of Tyre was introduced among the Israelite settlers by Ahab. Hannibal was so named because he was supposed to be in favor with Baal.