History Characters / CanaaniteMythology

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name could be vocalized as either Ilib or 'Ilu'ibī. The Akkadian translation of his name in multilingual texts was ''Ilabi''.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her name could also be written as "Berouth".

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name could also be read as "Baal Birut".

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Resheph's name could be spelled in a multitude of ways, including Rahshaf, Rasap, Rashap, Resep, Reshef, Reshpu, Rapha, Repheth, and others that are not standardized.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Shapash's could also alternatively be written as "Shapshu" and "Shapsh". In Iron Age Phoenicia, her name was predominantly written as "Shamash" due to conflation with the Mesopotamian Utu/Shamash, even when the solar deity was referred to as female.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name can also be transliterated as Baal Galassos.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name can also be transliterated as "Baal Maon" and "Beelmeon".

* ArcherArchetype: Scholars have suggested that the terracotta figurines found within Idumea, depicting a bearded male holding a bow and what seem to be three arrows, were representations of Qos.

* ArcherArchetype: Resheph was commonly depicted as an archer whose arrows brought plague and pestilence. One of Resheph's most common titles was "Lord of the Arrow", in which capacity he was invoked to smite ominous demons.

* ArcherArchetype: Yahweh was envisioned as a warrior god who brandished a bow and shot lightning as arrows. Certain biblical texts depicted Yahweh marching into battle while wielding a bow and delivering his people by scattering their enemies with his arrows.

* ArcherArchetype: At Elephantine, Eshem-Bethel was portrayed as wielding a bow with venom-tipped arrows, with the venom being likened to that of asps.
* CrossoverCosmology: Ashim was worshipped in Mesopotamia under the name "Shumu". He was attested as a theophoric element in personal names, mostly among Amorites.
** Ashim was also worshipped by polytheistic Jews and Arameans in Egypt, who likely originated primarily from Palmyra. He was prominently worshipped under the name Eshem-Bethel by the Aramaic-speaking communities in Elephantine and Aswan.

* ArcherArchetype: Being a huntress, Anat was sometimes depicted wielding a bow and arrow. She once coveted a magnificent bow owned by the hunter Aqhat. When he refused her gifts and taunted her by remarking that women had no business using such weapons, Anat pledged to take the bow by force. However, when Anat arranged to kill Aqhat during a hunting expedition, the bow was also destroyed, causing her to regret her actions.

* DropTheHammer: At Elephantine, Eshem-Bethel was portrayed as being armed with a combat hammer.

[[folder:Baal Baaros / Zeus Beelbaaros]]
!!ܒܵܥܵܠ ܒܵܥܪܵܗ | בַּעַל בָּעַרָה | Βεελβααρος | Baal Baaros[[note]]translated "Lord of Baaros", possibly derived from Hebrew root ''bāʿar'', meaning "to burn"[[/note]]
Baal Baaros was the tutelary god of Baaros/Ba'arah (possibly modern-day Kefar Baru and/or the Ma'in Hot Springs). A basalt altar dedicated to him was erected in Tell al-Hara in Batanaea, likely during the Herodian period.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: At Tell al-Hara, Baal Baaros was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to as Zeus Beelbaaros.
* HealerGod: Baal Baaros might have been associated with the healing properties of the Hammei-Ba'arah ("baths of Ba'arah", the modern-day Ma'in Hot Springs). It has been suggested that Diomedes, son of Chares, the Roman governor and military commander of Batanaea, had visited the Ba'arah springs as a result of health problems, and, after successful treatment, felt the need to give thanks and raised an altar to the local god of the baths upon returning to Batanaea.
* MakingASplash: Baal Baaros might have been associated with the Ma'in Hot Springs, with its ancient name Ba'arah having possibly been derived from ''bāʿar'' ("to burn"), which referred to the fact that traces of an underground fire were noticeable at the location as well as the unbearable heat in the valley produced by streams of hot water which issued forth both from the depths of the earth and from the spurs of the black mountains, which absorbed the hot mists with which they were covered.
* PatronGod: Baal Baaros was the tutelary god of Baaros, the exact identity and location of which is uncertain. A common identification is with the village of Kefar Baru, located east of the Dead Sea about 5 kilometers northwest of the fortress Machaerus in Perea. Additionally, Baal Baaros has also been linked with the Ma'in Hot Springs (variously called Ba'arah, Baaras, and Baarou in antiquity), similarly located east of the Dead Sea near Madaba, which is a series of hot springs that were famous in antiquity for their curative properties and the sweetness of their waters, as well as containing a miraculous plant (possibly a mandrake) credited with being able to drive away wicked spirits. However, the link of Baal Baaros with either Kefar Baru or the Ma'in Hot Springs remains uncertain due to Tell al-Hara in Batanaea, the location of the altar dedicated to the god, being located more than 150 kilometers to the north in Syria. As such, based on the possible etymology of Baaros having been derived from ''bāʿar'' ("to burn"), it has been suggested that Baal Baaros was instead associated with an unidentified location in the Lava Lands of Syria.
* PlayingWithFire: Baal Baaros might have been associated with fire, with his name possibly having been derived from ''bāʿar'' ("to burn"). He might have been associated with the underground fire noticeable at the Ma'in Hot Springs, or alternatively with an unidentified location in the Lava Lands of Syria.

[[folder:Baal Berith / El Berith]]
!!ܐܺܝܠ ܒܹܪܝܼܬ݂ / ܒܥܸܠ ܒܹܪܝܼܬ݂ | אֵל בְּרִית / בַּעַל בְּרִית | Baʿal Berīt[[note]]translated "lord of the covenant"[[/note]] / ʼĒl Berīt[[note]]translated "god of the covenant"[[/note]]
Baal Berith/El Berith was the god, or two gods, worshipped in Shechem (modern-day Tell Balata), in ancient Canaan. He appears to have been associated with fertility and vegetation, as the Shechemites were said to celebrate a festival in his temple after they had gone out to harvest and processed their grapes. The covenant between Baal Berith and the Shechemites may have involved sacrificing donkeys, as they were called "men of Hamor", which is comparable to "sons of Hamor", which in the ancient Middle East referred to people who had entered into a covenant sealed by the sacrifice of a ''hamor'', a donkey. Aside from Baal Berith's temple in the city, a temple of El Berith was also present in a crypt (either a subterranean cave or a hidden dark room or a vault) in Migdal-Shechem ("Tower of Shechem"), which was situated either inside the city or in its neighbourhood.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The relationship between Baal Berith and El Berith remains somewhat of an enigma, as it was never specified whether they were distinct gods or simply one god with two names. It is commonly suggested that one or both of their names might have been epithets of the well-known and important gods Baal and El, as both of them had a presence at Shechem. In Ugaritic texts, the word ''brt'' ("covenant") was found in connection with Baal, and Baal Hadad's presence at Shechem is known from a figurine discovered at Tell Balata and the occurrence of three personal names containing the theophoric "Hadad" on cuneiform fragments from Shechem. On the other hand, El's presence at Shechem is suggested by an altar named El Elohe Israel ("El, the god of Israel"), which was a confessional altar or shrine erected by Jacob in a field in Shechem according to the Hebrew Bible's ''Literature/BookOfGenesis''. However, it is considered unlikely that both Baal and El served as covenant partners at Shechem.
** Baal Berith and/or El Berith might have had a connection to Beruth, a primordial mother goddess mentioned in Sanchuniathon's euhemerized account. However, her name is considered to have been more likely derived from ''bʾrôt'', a name for the primordial sea, tehom.
** According to rabbinic literature, Baal Berith was identical with Baal Zebub (likely a distortion of the name Baal Zebul), the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, whom the Jewish people worshipped after the death of Gideon. Baal Zebub's idol was supposedly called Baal Berith because such Jews might be said to have made a covenant of devotion with the idol, having been unwilling to part with it for a single moment.
* GreenThumb: He might have been associated with fertility and vegetation, specifically with vineyards and grapes, as the Shechemites celebrated a festival at his temple after they had finished harvesting the field.

[[folder:Baal Biq'ah]]
!!בַּעַל בִּקְעָה | Ba'al Biq'āh[[note]]translated "lord of the plain"[[/note]]
Baal Biq'ah was the tutelary god of the Beqaa Valley, situated between Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. He was also associated with healing, specifically as a god of sight who healed blindness and, inversely, would smite the guilty with blindness. Additionally, he was sometimes invoked as a divine witness in oaths, and was the namesake of the city of Baalbek (although the storm god Baal Hadad was the actual patron god of the city).

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars have linked Baal Biq'ah to the storm god Baal Hadad, specifically in his role as the patron god of Baalbek, which had been named after Baal Biq'ah. By extention, he was also possibly equated by the Romans with Jupiter Heliopolitanus, the Roman equivalent of the patron god of Heliopolis/Baalbek.
* DishingOutDirt: As a god of the plain, he likely had this power.
* HealerGod: Baal Biq'ah was invoked to heal blindness, and was also capable of smiting the guilty with blindness.
* PatronGod: Baal Biq'ah was the tutelary god of the Beqaa Valley, situated between Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. He was invoked as a divine witness in oaths and for healing blindness.

[[folder:Baal Bosoros / Zeus Baalbosoros]]
!!Βάαλβοσόρος | Baal Bosoros[[note]]possibly translated "Lord of Bosor"[[/note]]
Baal Bosoros was a god worshipped at Gerasa (modern-day Jerash). He was likely the tutelary god of a specific location, possibly the city of Bosor (possibly modern-day Busra al-Harir).

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Baal Bosoros was one of several local deities in Gerasa who was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, a Greek inscription at Gerasa referred to him as Zeus Baalbosoros.
* PatronGod: Baal Bosoros is generally believed to have been the tutelary god of a specific location, possibly the city of Bosor (possibly modern-day Busra al-Harir).

[[folder:Baal Ephara / Zeus Beelepharos]]
!!ܒܵܥܵܠ ܐܸܦ̮ܪܵܝ | בַּעַל אֶפַרַע | Βεελεφαρῳ | Baal Ephara[[note]]translated "Lord of Ephara"[[/note]]
Baal Ephara was the tutelary god of Ephara (modern-day Efra), a small mountainous Syrian village in the Rif Dimashq Governorate. The village used to be an ancient Roman summer resort due to its weather, and a Roman sanctuary, presumably dedicated to Baal Ephara, was located in the village. A dedication to the god was located in Halboun, a Syrian village located 10 kilometers east of Ephara, and two inscriptions in Rome outside the pomerium, one at Pozzo Pantaleo on the Via Portuensis and another near the Lateran, attested to the existence of a sanctuary to Baal Ephara in the vicinity.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Romans equated Baal Ephara with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, a Greek dedication at Halboun referred to him as Zeus Beelepharos, while in Rome he was identified as Jupiter Beellefaro.
** Scholar Edward Lipiński considered Baal Ephara to be the same deity as the biblical Baal Peor, the tutelary god of Mount Peor. However, Baal Peor was attested elsewhere as Zeus Baalpeor, suggesting that they were regarded as separate gods.
* PatronGod: Baal Ephara was the tutelary god of Ephara (modern-day Efra). A Roman sanctuary known to have been in the village is generally believed to have been dedicated to him.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In Greek, his name was written as Beelepharos, while Latin inscriptions transliterated it as Beellefaro and Beheleparo.

[[folder:Baal Galasos / Zeus Beelgalasos]]
!!Βεελγαλασος | Baal Galasos[[note]]possibly translated as either "lord of the high mountain" or "lord of laceration". Possibly derived from either the Arabic root ''gals'', meaning "high mountain, rough and hard ground", or from the Syriac root ''g'las'', meaning "to lacerate, to grow teeth, to serrate"[[/note]]
Baal Galasos was the tutelary god of Faqra, a site on the slopes of Mount Sannine in the Mount Lebanon range. His temple was located at Qalaat Faqra, an extensive Roman fortress, and a tower was dedicated to him around 43/44 CE during the reign of Emperor Claudius. He was also attested in the theophoric name Galassos, which was the name of a Syrian philosopher.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Roman Soldiers at Qalaat Faqra equated him with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and their inscriptions thus addressed him as Zeus Beelgalasos.
* DishingOutDirt: As a mountain god, he likely had this power. Based on the possible etymology of his name, he might have been specifically associated with the limestones at Qalaat Faqra.
* PatronGod: Baal Galasos was the tutelary god of Faqra, and an inscription dedicated to the god addressed him as an "ancestral god".
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name can also be transliterated as Baal Galassos.

[[folder:Baal Mares / Beelmarès / Zeus Baithmare]]
!!Βεελμαρι / Βαιθμαρηι | Baal Marès[[note]]possibly translated "Lord of Maréa"[[/note]]
Baal Mares was the tutelary god of Baithmare (modern-day Bab Mareaa), a village east of Sidon in the southern region of the Beqaa Valley. He was attested in an inscription from Tyre dedicated to him, and also received a bronze ship (which was later converted into a lamp) as an offering from a worshipper about 5 km away from Bab Mareaa.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Romans equated Baal Mares with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, Greek inscriptions referred to him as Zeus Baithmare.
* PatronGod: Baal Mares was the tutelary god of Baithmare (modern-day Bab Mareaa), a village east of Sidon in the southern region of the Beqaa Valley.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In Greek inscriptions, his name was spelled as Beelmares and Baithmare.

[[folder:Baal Meon]]
!!בַּעַל מְעוֹן | Baal Meon[[note]]translated "lord of the habitation" or "lord of the dwelling"[[/note]]
Baal Meon was the tutelary god of Beth-Baal-Meon (possibly modern-day Ma'in), a large town located east of the Jordan River, near the Ma'in Hot Springs. According to the Hebrew Bible, it was one of the towns allotted to the tribe of Reuben. The town was captured by King Mesha of Moab in the 9th century BCE, who rebuilt it as a Moabite town and constructed a pool or ditch there. King Mesha is believed to have built a temple in the town to serve as a royal sanctuary, allowing him to incorporate the conquered town into his kingdom.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Baal Meon has been linked by scholars with Chemosh, the patron god of the Moabites, due to both of them being mentioned in the Mesha Stele. However, this link was based on the outdated idea that local deities such as Baal Meon were always merely local manifestations of major deities such as Chemosh, with only minor local differences setting them apart. Modern scholars generally agree that Baal Meon was not the same god as Chemosh.
** Baal Meon has also been linked to Baal Baaros, who was possibly the tutelary god of the Ma'in Hot Springs, which the town of Beth-Baal-Meon was located close to.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name can also be transliterated as "Baal Maon" and "Beelmeon".

[[folder:Baal Tzeida / Jupiter Baaltzeida]]
!!בַּעַל צֵידָא | Baal Tzeida[[note]]possibly translated "lord of hunting", "lord of ensnaring", or "lord of fishing"[[/note]]
Baal Tzeida was a god worshipped at Gerasa (modern-day Jerash). He was likely the tutelary god of a specific location, possibly Bethsaida, an ancient town located on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Baal Tzeida was one of several local deities in Gerasa who was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, a Latin inscription at Gerasa referred to him as Jupiter Optimus Baaltzeida.
* PatronGod: Baal Tzeida is generally believed to have been the tutelary god of a specific location, possibly Bethsaida, an ancient town located on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

[[folder:Bakathsaphrein / Dii Bakathsaphrein]]
!!Διὶ Βακαθσαφρειν | Dií Bakathsaphrein[[note]]translated "god of Bqaa Safrine"[[/note]]
Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon. He was attested in a 2nd century CE dedication inscribed on the diadem of a bronze statuette with a female head. The inscription was written by a woman named Victoria, daughter of Abdous, who was from a village called Naboukanath, in fulfillment of a vow, with all her household, in token of gratitude.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Bakathsaphrein was conflated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek as Dii Bakathsaphrein, with "Dii" being the dative singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon.

[[folder:Beelseddes]]
!!Beelseddes[[note]]possibly translated "lord of the mountain" or "lord of the field"[[/note]]
Beelseddes was the tutelary god of Mount Sannine, a mountain in the Mount Lebanon range. A temple dedicated to the god was located at Temnine Et Tahta, a village near the eastern slopes of Mount Sannine, and was set up by three people with Latin and Greek names.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Greeks and Romans equated him with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, he was addressed in inscriptions as Jupiter Optimus Beelseddes.
* PatronGod: Beelseddes was the tutelary god of Mount Sannine, a mountain in the Mount Lebanon range.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The name Beelseddes is generally accepted to have been a Latin transliteration of his Semitic name, which is presumed to have been ''Baal Sade''.

[[folder:Bethel / El Bethel / Baitylos / Mar]]
!!ܒܹܝܬܐܹܝܠ | בֵּיתאּאֵל | 𐎁𐎚𐎛𐎍 | 𐡁𐡉𐡕𐡀𐡋 | 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤀𐤋 | 𒀭𒁀𒀀𒀀𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍 | Βέτυλος | Bêṯ'ēl[[note]]translated "house of god"[[/note]]
!!ܡܵܪ | מָר | 𐎎𐎗 | 𐡌𐡓 | 𐤌𐤓 | Mār[[note]]translated "lord, master, ruler" in Aramaic and Syriac[[/note]]
Bethel, probably an abbreviation of El Bethel, was a god of storms, rain, fire, and protection, who was primarily worshipped by the Arameans in central Syria. He was also associated with baetylia, sacred stones that were supposedly endowed with life, or gave access to a deity. According to Sanchuniathon's account, Bethel was a son of Shamayim/Epigeus and Eretz/Ge, and the brother of El, Dagon, and Atel. He resided in the land of Rash, a mountainous highland area in Aram (possibly modern-day Silsilat al-Jibal as-Sāḥilīyah), where Bethel was described as "dwelling on the mountains", and Mount Lebanon served as his garden. However, he also had an impressive palace in the skies, with the beams having been made from Lebanese wood and having room for "a thousand altars for Bethel". He was likely the namesake of the town Bethel (modern-day Beitin), where, according to the Hebrew Bible, the patriarch Jacob built and annointed a stone pillar to the god who had appeared to him in his dream. The Hebrew Bible in general associated the god of Bethel with sacred space on a smaller scale, such as stones, pillars, altars, terebinths, and oaks. Bethel had an unbroken tradition of having a shrine from the third millennium BCE, and eventually became a major sanctuary of Yahweh in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Bethel was also possibly worshipped throughout the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as a saying directed against Moab in Jeremiah 48:13 stated that the house of Israel "was ashamed of Bethel, the source of their confidence" the same way that Moab was going to be ashamed of their national god Chemosh. The earliest known attestation of Bethel was in the 7th century BCE treaty between Baal I of Tyre and the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. During the Babylonian exile in the 6th and 5th centuries, a number of exiled Judaeans in places such Al-Yahudu had names with Bethel as a theophoric element, likely due to the influence of Samarians who had previously fled to Judah in the wake of Samaria's fall. Bethel was prominently worshipped by the polytheistic Elephantine Jews and Syrian-Arameans of Aswan in Egypt up to at least the late 3rd century BCE. The latest known reference to Bethel was in a 3rd century CE inscription from Dura-Europos, in which he was referred to as the ancestral god of the dwellers along the Orontes River.

** Scholars have also proposed that Chemosh might have been related to the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash due to their similar names. However, given that he is also known from Ebla as Kamish, it is also speculated he might have been a form of the Mesopotamian war and plague god Nergal.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Qos was the Edomite rival of the Israelite god Yahweh, and structurally parallel to him. The two are generally believed to have originally both been manifestations of the storm god Baal Hadad, known from the general milieu of Syria-Palestine, who were eventually endowed with traits indigenous to their local worshippers.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Because Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, Yahweh's name was originally written as the four-letter word YHWH, which is known as the Tetragrammaton, and the original spelling and pronunciation are unknown, although the reconstructed form Yahweh is almost universally accepted as the original pronunciation. Due to the prohibition of pronouncing Yahweh's name in writing, the vowels of ''Adonai'' and ''Elohim'' were inserted into the name instead, which early modern translators translated as "Yahowah" (later Latinized as "Jehovah") and "Yehowih" respectively. The oldest complete or nearly complete manuscripts of the Masoretic Text with Tiberian vocalisation mostly wrote "Yhwah", with no pointing on the first ''h''. Similarly, six presentations of the Tetragrammaton with some or all of the vowel points of ''Adonai'' or ''Elohim'' were found in the Leningrad Codex of 1008–1010, those being "Yǝhwāh",‎ "Yǝhōwāh", "Yĕhōwih", "Yĕhwih", "Yǝhōwih", and "Yǝhwih", although the close transcriptions do not indicate that the Masoretes intended the name to be pronounced in those ways.

Yahweh was the national god of the Israelites, and many details surrounding him remain uncertain even to this day.

Yahweh's scope and vision appears to have evolved over time, but even then, it seems his earliest attributes were actually quite eclectic: he was envisioned as a creator who created the world, a lawgiver who set the ethical and ritual conduct of the people, a warrior who led the heavenly army to do battle against Israel's enemies, a fructifier who made the land of the Israelites fertile, and, possibly, even a metallurgist.

* CanonImmigrant: Yahweh's exact origins are uncertain, but the general concensus is that he originated in the area immediately south of the Levant, and was associated with regions such as Seir, Edom, Paran and Teman. The Kenite hypothesis is considered the most plausible explanation of his origins, and it states that he was originally worshipped, possibly as a god of metallurgy, by the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Calebites, the Midianites, and other southern Semitic tribes in northwestern Arabia, and that caravan traders from these tribes introduced the worship of Yahweh to the early Israelites when they made contact through trade routes that which ran through the hills of Palestine across the Jezreel Valley.

** Scholars generally agree that the ancient polytheistic Israelites originally worshipped the supreme god El as the head of the pantheon, as his name not only occured in the traditions of the patriarchs, but was embedded in the name of Israel itself. Similarly, the original national god of the Israelites is believed to have been the mountain god El Shaddai, who was either an independant deity or a cultic epithet of El. After Yahweh was imported into Canaan, he gradually fused with El and El Shaddai, incorporating El's characteristics and epithets, as well as El's consort Asherah becoming Yahweh's consort during the First Temple period. The smooth identification of Yahweh with El may have been partially attributed to El's decay into a largely nominal role, with his name becoming increasingly used either as a generic noun meaning "god" or, more specifically, as a designation of one's personal god. Alternatively, scholars such as Frank Moore Cross suggested that Yahweh was originally a cultic epithet of El as patron god of the Midianite League in the south and eventually split off from El in the radical differentiation of his cult that occured in the proto-Israelite League, which resulted in Yahweh ousting El from his place in the divine council and eventually condemning the ancient gods to death.
** Several ancient sources recorded an apparently widespread belief in the classical world that Yahweh was identifiable as the Greek Dionysus and Roman Bacchus/Liber. A coin issued by Pompey to celebrate his successful conquest of Judaea showed a kneeling, bearded figure grasping a branch (a common Roman symbol of submission) subtitled BACCHIVS IVDAEVS ("Jewish Bacchus"), which has been interpreted as depicting Yahweh as a local variety of Dionysus. Tacitus, John the Lydian, Cornelius Labeo, and Marcus Terentius Varro similarly identified Yahweh with the Dionysus (i.e., Bacchus). The Jewish people themselves frequently used symbols that were also associated with Dionysus such as kylixes, amphorae, leaves of ivy, and clusters of grapes, a similarity Plutarch used to argue that Jews worshipped a hypostasized form of Bacchus-Dionysus. In his ''Quaestiones Convivales'', Plutarch further noted that the Jews hailed their god with cries of "Euoi" and "Sabi", phrases associated with the worship of Dionysus. Further bolstering this connection would have been coins used by the Maccabees that included imagery linked to the worship of Dionysus such as grapes, vine leaves, and cups. According to scholars such as Sean M. [=McDonough=], Greek speakers may have confused Aramaic words such as Sabbath, Alleluia, or even possibly some variant of the name Yahweh itself for more familiar terms associated with Dionysus. Other Roman writers, such as Juvenal, Petronius, and Florus, instead identified Yahweh with the Roman primal sky god Caelus.

* TheScottishTrope: Up to around the 6th century BCE, Yahweh's name was commonly and freely pronounced. However, following the end of the Babylonian exile, a prohibition of not saying his name aloud or pronouncing it in writing started among the Israelites. The postexilic Israelites instead began substiting Yahweh's name with epithets such as ''Adonai'' (plural noun meaning "My Lords", but understood as "The Lord" when referring to the Jewish God) and ''Elohim'' (plural noun meaning "gods", but usually understood to be grammatically singular when referring to a single deity). In everyday speech, it became common to refer to Yahweh as ''[=HaShem=]'' ("The Name"), as the use of the names of God was restricted to a liturgical context. The prohibition may have risen from an erroneous interpretation of Leviticus 24:16, which led to the assumption that the simple utterance of the Tetragrammaton was blasphemy, and thus a capital offense. Another reason might have been a fear that pronouncing Yahweh's name would have reduced him to the status of a pagan deity who was addressed by a personal name. Rabbinic sources suggest that, by the Second Temple period, the name of God was pronounced only once a year, by the high priest, on the Day of Atonement, though it is more than likely that this was an exaggeration, and that in fact, the name was pronounced daily in the liturgy of the Temple in the priestly benediction of worshippers, after the daily sacrifice. With the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the name was no longer used in any liturgy, and its pronunciation was forgotten by the 5th century CE.

Yahweh was the national god of the Israelites, and was associated with storms, fertility, war, and possibly metallurgy. He was envisioned as a warrior who led the heavenly army consisting of the gods of the stars and planets to do battle against Israel's enemies. Yahweh was one of the seventy sons of El and Asherah, and received the Israelites as his allotted heritage when El divided humanity among his sons. He originally resided on Mount Sinai, but was later associated with Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The centre of Yahweh's worship lay in three great annual festivals coinciding with major events in rural life: Passover with the birthing of lambs, Shavuot with the cereal harvest, and Sukkot with the fruit harvest. Although these agricultural festivals probably predated the worship of Yahweh, they became linked to events in the national mythos of Israel, and thus celebrated Yahweh's salvation of Israel and Israel's status as his holy people. The oldest plausible occurrence of his name is in the phrase "Shasu of Yhw" in an Egyptian inscription from the time of Amenhotep III in the 14th century BCE, the Shasu being nomads from Midian and Edom in the southern Levant and northern Arabia. Yahweh was known and worshipped among the Israelites since before the 10th century BCE, and had become the official god of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah by the 9th century BCE. According to the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh became the patron deity of United Monarchy due to the religious politics of King Saul. As David and Solomon inherited and enlarged Saul's kingdom, they acknowleged the position of Yahweh as national god, as David brought the ark of Yahweh from Benjamin to Jerusalem, and Solomon sought the blessing of Yahweh at the sanctuary of Gibeon, the national temple of the Saulide state. Over time, a struggle emerged between those who believed that Yahweh alone should be worshipped, and those who worshipped him within a larger group of gods, with the former initially being a small party until they ultimately triumphed and gained ascendancy in the Babylonian exile and early post-exilic period. The early members of the Yahweh-alone faction, which consisted of the prophets and Deuteronomists, are widely regarded as having been monolatrists rather than true monotheists, meaning that they did not believe Yahweh was the only god in existence, but instead believed he was the only god the people of Israel should worship. However, in the national crisis of the exile, the followers of Yahweh went a step further and outright denied that the other deities aside from Yahweh even existed, thus marking the transition from monolatrism to true monotheism.

* BladeOnAStick: In preparation for his battle with Shamayim/Epigeus, El fashioned two iron weapons with the help of Anat and Tauutos, one of which was a spear.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: This is how Chronos created the elements of fire, air, and water, as well as the raw materials from which the physical universe was eventually formed.

!!𐎛𐎍𐎛𐎁 | 𒀭𒀀𒁉 | Ilib[[note]]translated "god of the father"[[/note]]

Shapash was the goddess of the sun, known as the "lamp of the gods", as well as the royal messenger of El. She was regarded as the judge of the gods and humans alike, fixing their fates and issuing wise judgments. Shapash descended into the underworld every night, with the gatekeeper Resheph opening the gate for her, which also allowed the newly departed dead to journey along the pathway leading to the underworld. She also held a prominent position in death and burial, and was invoked during funerary rites under the epithet ''špš pgr'' ("Shapash of the Corpse"), in which capacity she accompanied the spirits of the royal ancestors from the realm of the living in the palace to the realm of the dead in the underworld. Additionally, Shapash was closely related to the sacrificial ''pgr'' mortuary ritual, in which she guided the royal spirits from the underworld to the palace in order to partake in the feast. Although she is not attested to have had a consort, Shapash was adressed as mother by the horse goddess Ủm Paḥlu Paḥlatu. In the ''Baal Cycle'', Shapash announced El's support of the sea god Yam's kingship to Athtar. After Baal was seemingly killed by Mot, she helped Anat bury and mourn him, and then stopped shining. Following El's dream about the resurrection of Baal, El asked Anat to persuade Shapash to shine again, which she agreed to, as well as subsequently helping Anat to bring Baal back from the land of the dead and successfully resurrect him. In the battle between Baal and Mot, she threatened Mot that El would intervene in Baal's favour and unseat Mot, thus finally forcing Mot to concede and ending the conflict. Shapash might have been attested at Ebla as dUTU.SAL ("female sun") and Sipish, which seemingly occured as a theophoric element in the name of the vizier Ibbi-Sipish, although the translation of his name is contested. She was a major goddess at Ugarit during the Late Bronze Age, and was named second in a formulaic list of deities, behind only Baal. According to the Hebrew Bible, worship of Shapash was introduced in the Kingdom of Judah by King Manasseh in the early 7th century BCE, who appointed priests to burn incense to her in the "high places" throughout the cities of Judah and in the environment surrounding Jerusalem. She was also worshipped in one of the inner courtyards at the entrance of the Temple of Solomon, where her worship involved facing towards the east, in the direction of the sun, while worshipping her, as well as offerings of horses and chariots. Sun worship was ultimately abolished by King Josiah's reforms around 625 BCE, during which he took away the horses and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. However, her solar cult was not completely destroyed, as the worship of the sun was said to be carried on in Jerusalem within the temple court during the sixth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin in 591 BCE.

[[folder:Bethel / El Bethel / Baitylos / Mar]]
!!ܒܹܝܬܐܹܝܠ | בֵּיתאּאֵל | 𐎁𐎚𐎛𐎍 | 𐡁𐡉𐡕𐡀𐡋 | 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤀𐤋 | 𒀭𒁀𒀀𒀀𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍 | Βέτυλος | Bêṯ'ēl[[note]]translated "house of god"[[/note]]
!!ܡܵܪ | מָר | 𐎎𐎗 | 𐡌𐡓 | 𐤌𐤓 | Mār[[note]]translated "lord, master, ruler" in Aramaic and Syriac[[/note]]
Bethel, probably an abbreviation of El Bethel, was a god of storms, rain, fire, and protection, who was primarily worshipped by the Arameans in central Syria. He was also associated with baetylia, sacred stones that were supposedly endowed with life, or gave access to a deity. According to Sanchuniathon's account, Bethel was a son of Shamayim/Epigeus and Eretz/Ge, and the brother of El, Dagon, and Atel. He resided in the land of Rash, a mountainous highland area in Aram (possibly modern-day Silsilat al-Jibal as-Sāḥilīyah), where Bethel was described as "dwelling on the mountains", and Mount Lebanon served as his garden. However, he also had an impressive palace in the skies, with the beams having been made from Lebanese wood and having room for "a thousand altars for Bethel". He was likely the namesake of the town Bethel (modern-day Beitin), where, according to the Hebrew Bible, the patriarch Jacob built and annointed a stone pillar to the god who had appeared to him in his dream. The Hebrew Bible in general associated the god of Bethel with sacred space on a smaller scale, such as stones, pillars, altars, terebinths, and oaks. Bethel had an unbroken tradition of having a shrine from the third millennium BCE, and eventually became a major sanctuary of Yahweh in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Bethel was also possibly worshipped throughout the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as a saying directed against Moab in Jeremiah 48:13 stated that the house of Israel "was ashamed of Bethel, the source of their confidence" the same way that Moab was going to be ashamed of their national god Chemosh. The earliest known attestation of Bethel was in the 7th century BCE treaty between Baal I of Tyre and the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. During the Babylonian exile in the 6th and 5th centuries, a number of exiled Judaeans in places such Al-Yahudu had names with Bethel as a theophoric element, likely due to the influence of Samarians who had previously fled to Judah in the wake of Samaria's fall. Bethel was prominently worshipped by the polytheistic Elephantine Jews and Syrian-Arameans of Aswan in Egypt up to at least the late 3rd century BCE. The latest known reference to Bethel was in a 3rd century CE inscription from Dura-Europos, in which he was referred to as the ancestral god of the dwellers along the Orontes River.

[[folder:Phainesios / Zeus Phainesios]]
!!Φαινήσιος | Phainesios
Phainesios was the tutelary god of Phaina (modern-day Al-Masmiyah), a town in southern Syria, located northeast of Daraa. He was attested in an inscription from Damatha (modern-day Damit il-Alya) in central Trachonitis (modern-day Lajat), which was written on an altar dedicated to the god by a man named Seleukos. The inscription addressed Phainesios as "hearer of prayer", and Seleukos dedicated the altar in fulfillment of a vow and to express his piety.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Phainesios was conflated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to as Zeus Phainesios.
* PatronGod: Phainesios was the tutelary god of Phaina (modern-day Al-Masmiyah), a town in southern Syria, located northeast of Daraa.

[[folder:Saarnaios / Zeus Saarnaios]]
!!Σααρναιος | Saarnaios
Saarnaios was the tutelary god of Saarna (modern-day Aabeidat), a village north-east of Byblos. He was attested in a dedication in a church at Aabeidat, as well as an inscription in the mountain above Amsheet.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Saarnaios was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek inscriptions as Zeus Saarnaios. His full title was Zeus Ouranios Hypsistos Saarnaios Epikoos ("Zeus, the heavenly, the highest, of Saarna, who listens").
* PatronGod: Saarnaios was the tutelary god of Saarna (modern-day Aabeidat), a village north-east of Byblos.

[[folder:Safathenos / Zeus Safathenos]]
!!Σαφαθηνός | Safathenos
Safathenos was the tutelary god of Safa (modern-day Al-Safa), a hilly region in southern Syria consisting of a basaltic lava field of volcanic origin. He was attested in an inscription on an altar in Bosra, in which two men named Archelaos and Julios petitioned the god to grant them success. His worship at Bosra was made official under Herod the Great, and Safathenos was generally worshipped by the residents of and visitors to the city.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Safathenos was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek inscriptions as Zeus Safathenos.
* MagmaMan: Safathenos was associated with the Al-Safa basaltic volcanic field, which itself lies within the northern part of the massive alkaline Harrat al-Sham volcanic field that extends from southern Syria, through eastern Jordan to Saudi Arabia.
* PatronGod: Safathenos was the tutelary god of Safa (modern-day Al-Safa), a hilly region in southern Syria consisting of a basaltic lava field of volcanic origin.

[[folder:Seeia]]
!!שׁעֵיעַו | Σεεια | Seeia
Seeia was the goddess of luck and the tutelary goddess of Si'a (a village near Qanawat in the southern reaches of the Jabal al-Druze) and the Hauran region in general. She had a small square temple in the center of the sanctuary adjacent to the Baalshamin precinct at Si'a, which contained a bilingual Aramaic-Greek inscription identifying her as the protector of the area and its fields. Seeia was commonly viewed as a local personification of the Greek goddess Tyche, and a Tychaion, a temple dedicated to her, was present at each of her cult centres in Al-Sanamayn, Bteineh, Hayat, Khabab, Shaqra, and Sūr al-Lejā. Additionally, inscriptions dedicated to "Tyche" were found at Manāra Henū, Obṭ'a, Zebīreh, Tubna, Deir, Ṣalkhad, and Muṭa'iyyeh.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Seeia has generally been interpreted as a local personification of the Semitic luck god Gad and Greek luck goddess Tyche, both of whom were widely worshipped in the Near East. The smiling beardless male faces decorating the heterodox Corinthian capitals from Seeia's temple at Si'a are believed to represent either Gad or local genies.
* LadyLuck: Seeia was the goddess of luck who looked after and protected the Hauran region in general and the village of Si'a in particular. The frequent presence of her cult in the Hauran is generally explained because the goddess was also seen as a help to the local tribes.
* {{Patron God}}dess: Seeia was the tutelary goddess of Si'a (a village near Qanawat in the southern reaches of the Jabal al-Druze) and the Hauran region in general. A bilingual Aramaic-Greek inscription from her temple in Si'a identified her as the protector of the area and its fields. However, she was not the main deity in the Hauran region, with the oldest temple in the area having been dedicated to the Palmyran sky god Baalshamin.

[[folder:Shalman / Shalaman / Selamanes]]
!!ܫܲܠܡܵܢ | שַׁלְמַן | 𐎌𐎍𐎎𐎐 | 𐡔𐡋𐡌𐡍 | 𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤍 | Σελαμάνες | Šalman[[note]]translated "the one who brings well-being" or "the peaceable". Possibly derived from either Semitic ''shalóm'', meaning "complete, healthy" or "peace", or Arabic ''salmān'', meaning "safe, secure"[[/note]]
Shalman was a god associated with plains and a tutelary god of Jebel Sheikh Barakat, where he was worshipped as an "ancestral god". By the Hellenic period, Shalman was regarded as a female goddess and the consort of Madbach. He was attested in the second millennium BCE as a theophoric element in personal names at Mari and Ugarit, as well as possibly later on in theophoric names from Moab and Edom.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Shalman is generally considered to have been derived from the Arabian god Salman, who was attested in both North and South Arabia and was also worshipped by Arabs in Hatra and Palmyra, as well as the Mesopotamian god Shulmanu, who was primarily worshipped by the Assyrians.
** In an Egyptian votive stela from the 20th or 21st dynasty, a deity called "Resheph-Shalman" was attested, suggesting that Shalman was seemingly conflated with the plague god Resheph.
* DishingOutDirt: As a mountain god, he likely had this power.
* GenderBender: At Jebel Sheikh Barakat, Shalman was regarded as a female goddess and identified as the consort of Madbach.
* PatronGod: Shalman was the tutelary god of Jebel Sheikh Barakat, a mountain near the town Darat Izza in the Aleppo Governate, alongside the altar god Madbach. By extension, Shalman may also have been the patron god of the villages located on or near those sites, such as Qatura, located immediately to the north of the temple of Zeus Madbachos and Selamanes, which occupied the entire summit of the peak of Jebel Sheikh Barakat.

[[folder:Tartak]]
!!ܬܲܪܬܲܩ | תִּרתָֹּק | Tartak[[note]]Etymology uncertain. Possibly a portmanteau of the Hebrew words ''trei tikin'', meaning "two sacks", referring to donkeys, who customarily carried two sacks. Alternatively, it might instead have been derived from the Chaldean word ''rathak'', meaning "chariot"[[/note]]
Tartak was one of the deities of the Avim (also called Avvites), a group of Canaanites who dwelled in Philistia in Hatzerim ("villages" or "encampments") on the south-west corner of the sea-coast as far as Gaza. After Philistia was conquered by an Assyrian king (probably Sargon II), at least some of its residents were deported to Samaria, where they continued worshipping their gods. However, it's possible that the resettled Avim in Samaria originated more specifically from either a Syrian town called Avva (modern-day Kafr Aya), located on the Orontes River southwest of Emesa (modern-day Homs), or the Elamite city of Ama, which was located on the Uqnu River (modern-day Karkheh River) and was occupied by Aramean tribes. Rabbinic tradition stated that he was worshipped in the form of a donkey. Alternatively, the French Protestant leader and professor of theology and Hebrew Pierre Jurieu proposed that the etymology of Tartak's name was derived from the Chaldean word for chariot, and that Tartak was envisioned as either a sun god riding a chariot or being the sun chariot itself.

* AnimalMotifs: Based on the possible etymology of his name, Tartak was associated with donkeys. As such, the idol of him erected by the Avim is interpreted as having had the form of a donkey or a donkey-headed man.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Due to their similar names, Tartak has been linked by scholars to the Elamite god Dakdadra. Further support for a connection between them was the occurence of a transposed form of Dakdadra's name in the Naram-Sin treaty as Dirtak, which seemed even closer to the Hebrew transcription. However, the identification between them was based on the interpretation that the Avim originated from a town called Awwah in Babylonia, east of ths Tigris, and that they had taken up the worship of local, Elamite deities. Although it has since been determined that the logogram DIR.TAK was actually to be read as Siašum, a link between the two deities is still favoured by some.
** A second possibility was the identification of Tartak with the fertility goddess Atargatis, which was based on the association of the town Avva with the city of Hamath, thus placing it in northern Syria and making it likely that the displaced Avim were Arameans who venerated Atargatis. It has thus been suggested that the Hebrew form Tartak was derived from a dissimilated and metathesized form of an Aramaic original, which has been attested as ''ʿAtarʿatheh''.
* EthnicGod: Tartak was identified as the national god of the Avim alongside Nibhaz, and they were worshipped in the form of idols.

[[folder:Thamaneitanos / Zeus Thamaneitanos]]
!!Θαµανειτανος | Thamaneitanos
Thamaneitanos was the tutelary god of Thamneita (modern-day Temnine), a double village consisting of Temnin el-Foka ("Temnin the upper") and Temnine Et Tahta ("Temnin the lower") located about 8 km northeast of Zahlé in Lebanon. He was attested in an inscription on a small bronze tablet found at Maallaqa, a village near Zahlé.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Thamaneitanos was equated by the Romans with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, he was addressed in inscriptions as Zeus Thamaneitanos.
* PatronGod: Thamaneitanos was the tutelary god of Thamneita (modern-day Temnine), a double village consisting of Temnin el-Foka ("Temnin the upper") and Temnine Et Tahta ("Temnin the lower") located about 8 km northeast of Zahlé in Lebanon.

[[folder:Theo Adatha / Dii Adatha]]
!!Θεῶ Ἀδαθα | Theó Adatha[[note]]translated "god of Adatha"[[/note]]
Theo Adatha was the tutelary god of Adatha (possibly referring to a town west of Palmyra). He was attested in an inscription on a silver libation bowl found in one of the houses at Dura-Europos, dated to 232/233 CE. The bowl was dedicated to the god by a resident of Bethzena.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Theo Adatha was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek inscriptions as Dii Adatha, with "Dii" being the dative singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Theo Adatha was the tutelary god of Adatha, the exact identity and location of which is uncertain. A town called Adatha was located close to and apparently west of Palmyra, and Roman units of the ''Equites sagittarii indigenae'' were stationed there. Other possible candidates are the modern-day Palestinian villages of Al-Haditha (in the Ramle Subdistrict) or Hadatha (in the District of Tiberias). Alternatively, it's been suggested that ''ad'' was not part of the town's name but might instead have been a preposition, thus changing the reading to ''ad Atha'' ("near Atha"). However, while a place called Atha was attested in Roman records at Dura-Europos, the correct reading in the dedication is generally considered to be "Adatha".

[[folder:Theou Aremthenou]]
!!θεοῦ Αρεμθηνου | Theoû Aremthenou[[note]]translated "god of Aremtha"[[/note]]
Theou Aremthenou was the tutelary god of Aremtha (modern-day Aaremta/Aarenta), a hill in the town of Brummana. He was attested in an inscription at Deir el-Qalaa, which was addressed to the god Balmarcod "on the order of the god of Aremtha". The modern Mar Cha'aya church on the hill was partly built with Roman temple blocks, suggesting that there may have previously been a Roman temple there.

* DishingOutDirt: As a hill god, he likely had this power.
* PatronGod: Theou Aremthenou was the tutelary god of Aremtha (modern-day Aaremta/Aarenta), a hill in the town of Brummana.

[[folder:Theou Orneas / Dios Orneas]]
!!θεοῦ Ωρνεας | Theou Orneas[[note]]translated "god of Arne"[[/note]]
Theou Orneas was the tutelary god of Arne (modern-day Tell Aran), a town located about 27 km southeast of Aleppo, close to Sabkhat al-Jabbul. He was attested in an inscription at Arne, which commemorated the decoration of the god's temple, apparently sponsored by the god himself, likely referring to sacred funds.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Theou Orneas was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek inscriptions as Dios Orneas, with "Dios" being the genitive singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Theou Orneas was the tutelary god of Arne (modern-day Tell Aran), a town located about 27 km southeast of Aleppo, close to Sabkhat al-Jabbul.

[[folder:Theou Remala]]
!!θεοῦ Ρεµαλ̣α̣ | Theou Remala[[note]]translated "god of Remala(s)"[[/note]]
Theou Remala was a god worshipped at Haloua, a city located on the northwestern part of Mount Hermon in the Beqaa Governorate. A stele dedicated to the god, dated to around 156 CE, was located in Haloua, which stated that Theou Remala had ordered the stele to be erected and that the order had been transmitted to the worshippers by the angel god Melicertes, who served as the god's divine messenger. The precise identification of Remala is unclear, but is generally assumed to have either been a toponym (possibly the ancient name of Haloua) or the genitive of the name of the cult founder.

* PatronGod: Theou Remala has generally been interpreted as the tutelary of either a location called Remala (possibly the ancient name of Haloua) or a man called Remalas, who was presumably the founder of the god's cult.

[[folder:Tsurbarak / Zeus Tourbarachos]]
!!צוּרבָרַךְ | Τουρβαραχος | Tsúrbāraḵ[[note]]translated "blessed rock"[[/note]]
Tsurbarak was the tutelary god of Jebel Sarir, a mountain near the village of Tell Elkarame and east of the town of Sarmada in the Idlib Governate. A Roman temple dedicated to him was built at the peak of Jebel Sarir in 116 CE, when the road from Antioch to Aleppo was being developed for military traffic to support Roman campaigns to the east.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: By the second century BCE, Tsurbarak had been equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, with his temple on Jebel Sarir addressing him as Zeus Tourbarachos.
* DishingOutDirt: As a mountain god, he likely had this power.
* PatronGod: Tsurbarak was the tutelary god of Jebel Sarir, a mountain in the Idlib Governate in northwestern Syria. He might also have been the patron god of Tell Elkarame, a village located near the mountain, from which a dirt road leads to the temple at the peak.

[[folder:Zeus Arotesios]]
!!Zeus Arotèsios[[note]]translated "Zeus the ploughman"[[/note]]
Zeus Arotesios was a god of weather and fertility, as well as the tutelary god of Hippos/Sussita, an ancient city in the northern Jordan Valley, located on a hill on the slopes of the Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee. After Hippos was established by Seleucid colonists under the name ''Antiochia Hippos'', Zeus Arotesios continued to be worshipped alongside the Greek Zeus Olympios, and was featured on the city's coins as a figure in a very short tunic standing in the centre of a structure with columns and pediment.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Due to the influence of the Greek Seleucid dynasty and, later on, the Romans, Zeus Arotesios became Hellenized and underwent ''interpretatio Graeca'', likely due to the influence of the Greek Zeus Olympios. However, Zeus Arotesios was never fully equated with Zeus Olympios, and maintained his distinct, un-Greek iconography.
** Zeus Arotesios has been linked by scholars to the Syrian prosperity god Dagon, who was also associated with fertility and the plough. Additionally, Dagon was attested with similar epithets in various sources, namely as Zeus Arotrios in Philo of Byblos' ''The Phoenician History'' and Zeus Arouraios in the ''Onomastica Sacra''.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The god's original name is unknown, and he was only attested under the Hellenized name Zeus Arotesios.
* PatronGod: Zeus Arotesios was the tutelary god of Hippos/Sussita, an ancient city in the northern Jordan Valley, located on a hill on the slopes of the Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
* WeatherManipulation: Zeus Arotesios was associated with the weather, specifically with fertilizing the land through rain.

!!Sanchuniathon's cosmogony
The following deities were primarily attested in the cosmogony of the Phoenician author Sanchuniathon, whose works survived only in partial paraphrase and summary of a Greek translation by Philo of Byblos, according to the Christian bishop Eusebius. However, in its surviving form, the text has been heavily euhemerized, with the original deities being portrayed as mortal humans.

[[folder:Aion / Aeon]]
!!Αἰών | עולם | Aiṓn[[note]]translated "eternity"[[/note]]
Aion was a primordial deity of eternal time. They and their sibling Protogonos were the children of Kolpia and Baau. Aion was credited with discovering food from trees. With Protogonos, they had two children, Genos and Genea.

* AmbiguousGender: Aion's gender is uncertain, although they're sometimes interpreted as male due to being named first.
* BrotherSisterIncest: They had children with their sibling Protogonos.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars generally agree that Aion was equivalent with Oulomos, god of eternity, from the alternate Phoenician cosmogony of Mochus. This consensus is based on the fact that they were both primordial deities whose names had been derived from the Hebrew word ''olam'' ("eternity"). Orelli, the latest editor of Philo's ''The Phoenician History'', conflated Aion with Eve, the first woman in the Hebrew Bible, despite Aion being a masculine name.

[[folder:Protogonos / Protogonus]]
!!Πρωτογόνος | קַדמוֹן | Prōtogónos[[note]]translated "first-born"[[/note]]
Protogonos was a primordial deity of procreation. They and their sibling Aion were the children of Kolpia and Baau. With Aion, they had two children, Genos and Genea.

* AmbiguousGender: Protogonos' gender is uncertain, but they're sometimes interpreted as either female or intersex due to being named second.
* BrotherSisterIncest: They had children with their sibling Aion.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Orelli, the latest editor of Philo's ''The Phoenician History'', conflated Protogonos with Adam, the first man in the Hebrew Bible.

[[folder:Genos]]
!!Γένος | Génos[[note]]translated "race"[[/note]]
Genos was the god of family. He and his sister Genea were the children of Aion and Protogonos. They were the first inhabitants of Phoenicia and, it is implied, spoke the Phoenician language. When great droughts came, they stretched forth their hands towards the sun, whom they called Baalshamem, thus establishing the origins of religion and prayer. With Genea, Genos had three sons, Phos, Phur, and Phlox.

* BrotherSisterIncest: He was married to his sister Genea.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Orelli, the latest editor of Philo's ''The Phoenician History'', conflated Genos with Cain from the Hebrew Bible.
* FamousAncestor: Genos and his wife were the first to settle in Phoenicia, as well as establishing the customs of religion and prayer.

[[folder:Genea]]
!!Γενεά | Geneá[[note]]translated "generation"[[/note]]
Genea was the goddess of generation. She and her brother Genos were the children of Aion and Protogonos. They were the first inhabitants of Phoenicia and, it is implied, spoke the Phoenician language. When great droughts came, they stretched forth their hands towards the sun, whom they called Baalshamem, thus establishing the origins of religion and prayer. With Genos, Genea had three sons, Phos, Pur, and Phlox.

* BrotherSisterIncest: She was married to her brother Genos.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Orelli, the latest editor of Philo's ''The Phoenician History'', conflated Genea with Cain's wife (named Awan in some traditions) from the Hebrew Bible.
* FamousAncestor: Genea and her husband were the first to settle in Phoenicia, as well as establishing the customs of religion and prayer.

[[folder:Phos]]
!!Φως | Phôs[[note]]translated "light"[[/note]]
Phos was one of the gods of fire. He and his brothers were the children of Genos and Genea. They were credited with having discovered the method of generating fire by the rubbing together of sticks, and then taught humanity the use thereof. Along with his brothers, Phos begat giant sons of vast bulk and height, whose names were conferred upon the mountains which they occupied: Cassius, Libanus, Antilibanus, and Brathu.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars have disagreed whether Phos and his brothers were fictions made up to suit their inventions, or three Phoenician gods, but the latter is considered preferable. Lokkegaard attempted to identify them with figures known from Ugaritic epics. He identified Phos with the hypothetical Ugaritic god Ảr (meaning "light"). However, Ar was only attested as ''Bt Ar'' (meaning either "daughter of light" or "house of light"), a title of Pidraya, which referred to her father Hadad, and there is no proof that a god of fire had that name. Alternatively, P.D. Miller suggested instead that Phos was equivalent with the Ugaritic goddess Zabib (meaning either "flame" or "fly"), who was mentioned in the ''Temple of Baal''.
* PlayingWithFire: He and his brothers discovered the use of fire and taught it to humanity.

[[folder:Pur]]
!!πῦρ | Pûr[[note]]translated "fire"[[/note]]
Pur was one of the gods of fire. He and his brothers were the children of Genos and Genea. They were credited with having discovered the method of generating fire by the rubbing together of sticks, and then taught humanity the use thereof. Along with his brothers, Pur begat giant sons of vast bulk and height, whose names were conferred upon the mountains which they occupied: Cassius, Libanus, Antilibanus, and Brathu.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars have disagreed whether Pur and his brothers were fictions made up to suit their inventions, or three Phoenician gods, but the latter is considered preferable. Lokkegaard attempted to identify them with figures known from Ugaritic epics. He identified Pur with the hypothetical Ugaritic god Nur (meaning "a light" or "lamp"). However, the word Nur was only attested as ''wnr'' (which can mean "and Nur"), and there is no proof that a god of fire had that name. Alternatively, P.D. Miller suggested instead that Pur was equivalent with the Ugaritic goddess Ishat (meaning "fire"), who was mentioned in the ''Temple of Baal''.

[[folder:Phlox]]
!!φλόξ | Phlox[[note]]translated "flame"[[/note]]
Phlox was one of the gods of fire. He and his brothers were the children of Genos and Genea. They were credited with having discovered the method of generating fire by the rubbing together of sticks, and then taught humanity the use thereof. Along with his brothers, Phlox begat giant sons of vast bulk and height, whose names were conferred upon the mountains which they occupied: Cassius, Libanus, Antilibanus, and Brathu.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars have disagreed whether Phlox and his brothers were fictions made up to suit their inventions, or three Phoenician gods, but the latter is considered preferable. Lokkegaard attempted to identify them with figures known from Ugaritic epics. He identified Phlox with Ugaritic goddess Ishat (meaning "fire"), who was mentioned in the ''Temple of Baal''. Alternatively, P.D. Miller suggested instead that Phlox was equivalent with a hypothetical god named Lahat (meaning "flame"), although there is no proof that a god of fire with that name existed.

[[folder:Cassius]]
!!Κάσσιος | Cassius
Cassius was a mountain god who resided in the mountain that was eventually named after him, Mount Casius, which was also called Mount Zaphon by the Canaanites. He and his brothers were the giant sons of Phos, Pur, and Phlox, and they in turn begat two sons, Samemroumos (also called Hypsouranius) and Ousoos.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars agree that Cassius was equivalent with Baal (specifically in his form as Baal-zephon), who was the god associated with Mount Casius.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: Cassius and his brothers were giants of vast bulk and height, who each lived on separate mountains.

[[folder:Libanus]]
!!Λίβανος | Libanus
Libanus was a mountain god who resided in the mountain that was eventually named after him, Mount Libanus (present-day Mount Lebanon). He and his brothers were the giant sons of Phos, Pur, and Phlox, and they in turn begat two sons, Samemroumos (also called Hypsouranius) and Ousoos.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars agree that Libanus was equivalent with Baal-Libanus ("Lord of Mount Libanus"), the god associated with Mount Libanus.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: Libanus and his brothers were giants of vast bulk and height, who each lived on separate mountains.

[[folder:Antilibanus]]
!!Αντιλίβανος | Antilibanus
Antilibanus was a mountain god who resided in the mountain that was eventually named after him, Mount Antilibanus (present-day Anti-Lebanon Mountains). He and his brothers were the giant sons of Phos, Pur, and Phlox, and they in turn begat two sons, Samemroumos (also called Hypsouranius) and Ousoos.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars agree that Antilibanus was likely equivalent with a possible deity called Baal-Hermon ("Lord of Mount Libanus"), the god associated with Mount Hermon, a mountain cluster constituting the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: Antilibanus and his brothers were giants of vast bulk and height, who each lived on separate mountains.

[[folder:Brathu]]
!!βράθυ | Brathu
Brathu was a mountain god who resided in a mountain that was eventually named after him. He and his brothers were the giant sons of Phos, Pur, and Phlox, and they in turn begat two sons, Samemroumos (also called Hypsouranius) and Ousoos.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Scholars agree that Brathu was likely equivalent with a god named Baal ("Lord"), who was a local deity associated with a certain mountain. However, the exact identity of Brathu's mountain is uncertain. Scholars Boudissin and Eissfeldt argued that the word was a distortion of ''Thabur'' (i.e. Mount Tabor), and connected it with the widespread cult of Zeus Atabyrios in many parts of the Mediterranean world. Another approach, followed by Cross, was to take it as "the cypress (mountain)", which is the Amanus, with Brathu being the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word ''Berosh''.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: Brathu and his brothers were giants of vast bulk and height, who each lived on separate mountains.

[[folder:Samemroumos / Hypsouranios]]
!!שמםרמס | Υψουράνιος | Samemroumos[[note]]translated "high heaven"[[/note]]
Samemroumos, also known as Hypsouranios, was the god of settlements and construction. He was the son of either Cassius, Libanus, Antilibanus, or Brathu, and used a matronym due to his uncertain paternity. Samemroumos dwelt in Tyre, and invented huts constructed of reeds, rushes, and papyrus. He also quarreled with his brother Ousoos, who was a nomadic hunter and the inventor of clothing. His family line eventually produced two noteworthy descendants, Agreus and Halieus.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Samemroumos is generally accepted to have been equivalent with a local deity of a location that bore his name, although the location itself is uncertain. Sidonian inscriptions seemingly bearing his name were found in reference to part of Greater Sidon, suggesting that he was the local god of a district in Sidon, and that his rivalry with his brother represented the long history of conflict between Sidon and Tyre for the dominant position in Phoenician affairs.
** However, this interpretation is no longer considered acceptable, as Samemroumos was described as living in Tyre and the important conflict between the cities would not have been represented by the insignificant conflict between the brothers. Instead, Samemroumos is believed to have represented the sedentary dwellers of the island portion of the city, while his brother represented the more nomadic hunters on the mainland.
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: His paternity was uncertain due to his mother's promiscuity, as it was said that "the women of those times, without shame, having intercourse with any man they might chance to meet".
* SiblingRivalry: Samemroumos had a rivalry with his brother Ousoos, which is believed to reflect the conflicts between the places with which their names were associated.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name was originally read as Memroumos, which is now considered incorrect.

[[folder:Ousoos / Usous]]
!!Οῠσωος | Ousoos
Ousoos was the god of nomads and clothing. He was the son of either Cassius, Libanus, Antilibanus, or Brathu, and used a matronym due to his uncertain paternity. Ousoos was a nomadic hunter, and invented clothing made from the skins of the wild beasts which he could catch. He also quarreled with his brother Samemroumos, who dwelt in Tyre, and invented huts constructed of reeds, rushes, and papyrus. When violent tempests of winds and rains caused the trees in Tyre to rub against each other and catch fire, Ousoos took a tree, lopped off its boughs, and became the first man who dared to venture out on the sea. After his successful voyage, Ousoos consecrated two stelae to Fire and Wind, which he worshipped by pouring out the blood of the wild beasts he had caught on to them.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Ousoos was originally identified with the Biblical Esau, an identification which seemed appropriate because the names were similar; both were hunters and each had a brother who dwelt in or invented shelters and with whom he quarreled.
** Ousoos is generally accepted to have been equivalent with a local deity of a location that bore his name, specifically a section of Tyre called Uzu, the mainland coast facing the island city.
** In contrast to Ousoos, it was suggested that Samemroumos was the local god of a district in Sidon, and that the rivalry between the brothers represented the long history of conflict between Sidon and Tyre for the dominant position in Phoenician affairs.
** However, this interpretation is no longer considered acceptable, as Samemroumos was described as living in Tyre and the important conflict between the cities would not have been represented by the insignificant conflict between the brothers. Instead, Ousoos is believed to have represented the more nomadic hunters on the mainland, while his brother Samemroumos is believed to have represented the sedentary dwellers of the island portion of the city.

* SiblingRivalry: Ousoos had a rivalry with his brother Samemroumos, which is believed to reflect the conflicts between the places with which their names were associated.

[[folder:Agreus]]
!!צד | Ἀγρεύς | Agreus[[note]]translated "hunter"[[/note]]
Agreus was the god of hunting. He was a descendant of Samemroumos/Hypsouranios, and was credited with inventing the art of hunting, from whom were hunters were named. Agreus had a brother, Halieus, who invented the art of fishing, and one of his descendants was Chrysor.

* ClassicalHunter: Agreus was credited as having been the first hunter.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Some scholars doubt whether there was a god with this name or whether he was a fiction invented by Philo to suit the invention, although it's generally been agreed that the text argues strongly that Philo turned gods into inventors rather than created fictions. It's been suggested that Agreus was equivalent with the Canaanite/Phoenician god Tsad (meaning "to hunt").

[[folder:Halieus]]
!!צוד | Ἁλιεύς | Halieus[[note]]translated "fisherman"[[/note]]
Halieus was the god of fishing. He was a descendant of Samemroumos/Hypsouranios, and was credited with inventing the art of fishing, from whom fishermen were named. Halieus had a brother, Agreus, who invented the art of hunting, and one of his descendants was Chrysor.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Some scholars doubt whether there was a god with this name or whether he was a fiction invented by Philo to suit the invention, although it's generally been agreed that the text argues strongly that Philo turned gods into inventors rather than created fictions. It's been suggested that Halieus, under the hypothetical Hebrew name Tsud (meaning "to fish"), was a local fishing god worshipped in Sidon, as its name itself meant "fishery" or "fishing town".

[[folder:Chrysor]]
!!Χρυσωρ | Chrysor
Chrysor was the god of crafts, magic, and sailing. He was a descendant of Agreus and Halieus, and he and his brothers were credited with the invention of iron and the manifold uses of it. Chrysor also exercised himself in words, charms, and divinations, as well as being the first sailor, having invented the first light fishing boats and the hook, bait, and fishing line. His brothers were said to have invented the making of walls with bricks. In Sanchuniathon's euhemerized account, Chrysor was deified after his death, with his worshippers calling him Diamichius ("the great inventor").

* TheBlacksmith: Chrysor was one of the inventors of metallurgy.
* DeityIdentityConfusion: Chrysor is firmly accepted as having been the same god as the Ugaritic craftsman god Kothar-wa-Khasis, with the two serving identical functions, as well as the creator god Chousoros. By extension, it's possible that Chrysor and his brothers were {{Decomposite Character}}s derived from Kothar, as the invention of brick walls by Chrysor's brothers appears to be based on Kothar's additional role as divine architect.
** Additionally, Chrysor's title of Diamichius has been linked to Zeus Meilichius (i.e. Zeus in his aspect as "the easily-entreated"), but it's been noted that the attributes of Zeus Meilichius, an underworld power viewed as a giver of fertility and wealth, but also of punishment and death, seem inappropriate to Chrysor, making a connection between them unlikely. The 19th century German orientalist Heinrich Ewald proposed that the connection was the result of a translation and transliteration of אֵל מָלִיחַ ("El Maliach"), meaning "god of herring", thus alluding to Chrysor's connection with sailors. However, modern scholars consider such a translation unlikely due to a lack proof, pointing out that the form ''mlych'' is unattested and unlikely in Phoenician, and would not yield the vowels of ''Meilichios'' nor make good sense.
** Chrysor was also identified in the text with the Greek Hephaestus and Roman Vulcan.
* RenaissanceMan: Aside from inventing and using iron, Chrysor was also credited with inventing the raft and fishing implements.

[[folder:Technites]]
!!Τεχνίτης | Technites[[note]]translated "artisan"[[/note]]
Technites was one of the gods of bricks and tiling. He was a descendant of Chrysor and the brother of Geinos Autochthon. With his brother, Technites was credited with discovering the use of chaff in brick making, of drying bricks in the sun, and of how to build roofs.

* DishingOutDirt: Technites and his brother were credited with finding out how to mix stubble with the brick-earth, and drying the bricks in the sun.

[[folder:Geinos Autochthon]]
!!Γέϊνος Αὐτόχθων | Geinos Autochthon[[note]]translated "earth-born native"[[/note]]
Geinos Autochthon was one of the gods of bricks and tiling. He was a descendant of Chrysor and the brother of Technites. With his brother, Geinos was credited with discovering the use of chaff in brick making, of drying bricks in the sun, and of how to build roofs.

* DishingOutDirt: Geinos and his brother were credited with finding out how to mix stubble with the brick-earth, and drying the bricks in the sun.

[[folder:Agros]]
!!Αγρός | Agros[[note]]translated "field"[[/note]]
Agros was the god of agriculture and the fields. He was a descendant of Technites and Geinos Autochthon, as well as the brother of Agrotes. He and his brother were credited with inventing courts, porticos, and crypts. Husbandmen, and hunting with dogs, were also said to derive their origin from them. The brothers were also called Aletae ("wanderers"), and Titans.

* FarmBoy: Agros was associated with agriculture and the fields.

[[folder:Agrotes]]
!!Αγρότες | Agrotes[[note]]translated "farmers"[[/note]]
Agrotes was the god of farming. He was a descendant of Technites and Geinos Autochthon, as well as the brother of Agros. Agrotes had a wooden statue that was venerated, and a shrine (or portable temple), drawn about in Phoenicia by yokes of oxen. In books (or at Byblos), he was distinctly called the "greatest of the gods". He and his brother were credited with inventing courts, porticos, and crypts. Husbandmen, and hunting with dogs, were also said to derive their origin from them. The brothers were also called Aletae ("wanderers"), and Titans.

[[folder:Baal Tzeida / Jupiter Baaltzeida]]
!!בַּעַל צֵידָא | Baal Tzeida[[note]]possibly translated "lord of hunting", "lord of ensnaring", or "lord of fishing"[[/note]]
Baal Tzeida was a god worshipped at Gerasa (modern-day Jerash). He was likely the tutelary god of a specific location, possibly Bethsaida, an ancient town located on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Baal Tzeida was one of several local deities in Gerasa who was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, a Latin inscription at Gerasa referred to him as Jupiter Optimus Baaltzeida.
* PatronGod: Baal Tzeida is generally believed to have been the tutelary god of a specific location, possibly Bethsaida, an ancient town located on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

[[folder:Bakathsaphrein / Dii Bakathsaphrein]]
!!Διὶ Βακαθσαφρειν | Dií Bakathsaphrein[[note]]translated "god of Bqaa Safrine"[[/note]]
Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon. He was attested in a 2nd century CE dedication inscribed on the diadem of a bronze statuette with a female head. The inscription was written by a woman named Victoria, daughter of Abdous, who was from a village called Naboukanath, in fulfillment of a vow, with all her household, in token of gratitude.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Bakathsaphrein was conflated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek as Dii Bakathsaphrein, with "Dii" being the dative singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon.

[[folder:Bethel / El Bethel / Baitylos / Mar]]
!!ܒܹܝܬܐܹܝܠ | בֵּיתאּאֵל | 𐎁𐎚𐎛𐎍 | 𐡁𐡉𐡕𐡀𐡋 | 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤀𐤋 | 𒀭𒁀𒀀𒀀𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍 | Βέτυλος | Bêṯ'ēl[[note]]translated "house of god"[[/note]]
!!ܡܵܪ | מָר | 𐎎𐎗 | 𐡌𐡓 | 𐤌𐤓 | Mār[[note]]translated "lord, master, ruler" in Aramaic and Syriac[[/note]]
Bethel, probably an abbreviation of El Bethel, was a god of storms, rain, fire, and protection, who was primarily worshipped by the Arameans in central Syria. He was also associated with baetylia, sacred stones that were supposedly endowed with life, or gave access to a deity. According to Sanchuniathon's account, Bethel was a son of Shamayim/Epigeus and Eretz/Ge, and the brother of El, Dagon, and Atel. He resided in the land of Rash, a mountainous highland area in Aram (possibly modern-day Silsilat al-Jibal as-Sāḥilīyah), where Bethel was described as "dwelling on the mountains", and Mount Lebanon served as his garden. However, he also had an impressive palace in the skies, with the beams having been made from Lebanese wood and having room for "a thousand altars for Bethel". He was likely the namesake of the town Bethel (modern-day Beitin), where, according to the Hebrew Bible, the patriarch Jacob built and annointed a stone pillar to the god who had appeared to him in his dream. The Hebrew Bible in general associated the god of Bethel with sacred space on a smaller scale, such as stones, pillars, altars, terebinths, and oaks. Bethel had an unbroken tradition of having a shrine from the third millennium BCE, and eventually became a major sanctuary of Yahweh in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Bethel was also possibly worshipped throughout the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as a saying directed against Moab in Jeremiah 48:13 stated that the house of Israel "was ashamed of Bethel, the source of their confidence" the same way that Moab was going to be ashamed of their national god Chemosh. The earliest known attestation of Bethel was in the 7th century BCE treaty between Baal I of Tyre and the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. During the Babylonian exile in the 6th and 5th centuries, a number of exiled Judaeans in places such Al-Yahudu had names with Bethel as a theophoric element, likely due to the influence of Samarians who had previously fled to Judah in the wake of Samaria's fall. Bethel was prominently worshipped by the polytheistic Elephantine Jews and Syrian-Arameans of Aswan in Egypt up to at least the late 3rd century BCE. The latest known reference to Bethel was in a 3rd century CE inscription from Dura-Europos, in which he was referred to as the ancestral god of the dwellers along the Orontes River.

!!Βάαλβοσορος | Baal Bosoros[[note]]possibly translated "Lord of Bosor"[[/note]]

[[folder:Bakathsaphrein / Dii Bakathsaphrein]]
!!Διὶ Βακαθσαφρειν | Dií Bakathsaphrein[[note]]translated "god of Bqaa Safrine"[[/note]]
Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon. He was attested in a 2nd century CE dedication inscribed on the diadem of a bronze statuette with a female head. The inscription was written by a woman named Victoria, daughter of Abdous, who was from a village called Naboukanath, in fulfillment of a vow, with all her household, in token of gratitude.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Bakathsaphrein was conflated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek as Dii Bakathsaphrein, with "Dii" being the dative singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon.

[[folder:Bethel / El Bethel / Baitylos / Mar]]
!!ܒܹܝܬܐܹܝܠ | בֵּיתאּאֵל | 𐎁𐎚𐎛𐎍 | 𐡁𐡉𐡕𐡀𐡋 | 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤀𐤋 | 𒀭𒁀𒀀𒀀𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍 | Βέτυλος | Bêṯ'ēl[[note]]translated "house of god"[[/note]]
!!ܡܵܪ | מָר | 𐎎𐎗 | 𐡌𐡓 | 𐤌𐤓 | Mār[[note]]translated "lord, master, ruler" in Aramaic and Syriac[[/note]]
Bethel, probably an abbreviation of El Bethel, was a god of storms, rain, fire, and protection, who was primarily worshipped by the Arameans in central Syria. He was also associated with baetylia, sacred stones that were supposedly endowed with life, or gave access to a deity. According to Sanchuniathon's account, Bethel was a son of Shamayim/Epigeus and Eretz/Ge, and the brother of El, Dagon, and Atel. He resided in the land of Rash, a mountainous highland area in Aram (possibly modern-day Silsilat al-Jibal as-Sāḥilīyah), where Bethel was described as "dwelling on the mountains", and Mount Lebanon served as his garden. However, he also had an impressive palace in the skies, with the beams having been made from Lebanese wood and having room for "a thousand altars for Bethel". He was likely the namesake of the town Bethel (modern-day Beitin), where, according to the Hebrew Bible, the patriarch Jacob built and annointed a stone pillar to the god who had appeared to him in his dream. The Hebrew Bible in general associated the god of Bethel with sacred space on a smaller scale, such as stones, pillars, altars, terebinths, and oaks. Bethel had an unbroken tradition of having a shrine from the third millennium BCE, and eventually became a major sanctuary of Yahweh in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Bethel was also possibly worshipped throughout the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as a saying directed against Moab in Jeremiah 48:13 stated that the house of Israel "was ashamed of Bethel, the source of their confidence" the same way that Moab was going to be ashamed of their national god Chemosh. The earliest known attestation of Bethel was in the 7th century BCE treaty between Baal I of Tyre and the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. During the Babylonian exile in the 6th and 5th centuries, a number of exiled Judaeans in places such Al-Yahudu had names with Bethel as a theophoric element, likely due to the influence of Samarians who had previously fled to Judah in the wake of Samaria's fall. Bethel was prominently worshipped by the polytheistic Elephantine Jews and Syrian-Arameans of Aswan in Egypt up to at least the late 3rd century BCE. The latest known reference to Bethel was in a 3rd century CE inscription from Dura-Europos, in which he was referred to as the ancestral god of the dwellers along the Orontes River.

[[folder:Baal Ephara / Zeus Beelepharos]]
!!ܒܵܥܵܠ ܐܸܦ̮ܪܵܝ | בַּעַל אֶפַרַע | Βεελεφαρῳ | Baal Ephara[[note]]translated "Lord of Ephara"[[/note]]
Baal Ephara was the tutelary god of Ephara (modern-day Efra), a small mountainous Syrian village in the Rif Dimashq Governorate. The village used to be an ancient Roman summer resort due to its weather, and a Roman sanctuary, presumably dedicated to Baal Ephara, was located in the village. A dedication to the god was located in Halboun, a Syrian village located 10 kilometers east of Ephara, and two inscriptions in Rome outside the pomerium, one at Pozzo Pantaleo on the Via Portuensis and another near the Lateran, attested to the existence of a sanctuary to Baal Ephara in the vicinity.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Romans equated Baal Ephara with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, a Greek dedication at Halboun referred to him as Zeus Beelepharos, while in Rome he was identified as Jupiter Beellefaro.
** Scholar Edward Lipiński considered Baal Ephara to be the same deity as the biblical Baal Peor, the tutelary god of Mount Peor. However, Baal Peor was attested elsewhere as Zeus Baalpeor, suggesting that they were regarded as separate gods.
* PatronGod: Baal Ephara was the tutelary god of Ephara (modern-day Efra). A Roman sanctuary known to have been in the village is generally believed to have been dedicated to him.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In Greek, his name was written as Beelepharos, while Latin inscriptions transliterated it as Beellefaro and Beheleparo.

[[folder:Baal Galasos / Zeus Beelgalasos]]
!!Βεελγαλασος | Baal Galasos[[note]]possibly translated as either "lord of the high mountain" or "lord of laceration". Possibly derived from either the Arabic root ''gals'', meaning "high mountain, rough and hard ground", or from the Syriac root ''g'las'', meaning "to lacerate, to grow teeth, to serrate"[[/note]]
Baal Galasos was the tutelary god of Faqra, a site on the slopes of Mount Sannine in the Mount Lebanon range. His temple was located at Qalaat Faqra, an extensive Roman fortress, and a tower was dedicated to him around 43/44 CE during the reign of Emperor Claudius. He was also attested in the theophoric name Galassos, which was the name of a Syrian philosopher.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Roman Soldiers at Qalaat Faqra equated him with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and their inscriptions thus addressed him as Zeus Beelgalasos.
* DishingOutDirt: As a mountain god, he likely had this power. Based on the possible etymology of his name, he might have been specifically associated with the limestones at Qalaat Faqra.
* PatronGod: Baal Galasos was the tutelary god of Faqra, and an inscription dedicated to the god addressed him as an "ancestral god".
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: His name can also be transliterated as Baal Galassos.

[[folder:Baal Mares / Beelmarès / Zeus Baithmare]]
!!Βεελμαρι / Βαιθμαρηι | Baal Marès[[note]]possibly translated "Lord of Maréa"[[/note]]
Baal Mares was the tutelary god of Baithmare (modern-day Bab Mareaa), a village east of Sidon in the southern region of the Beqaa Valley. He was attested in an inscription from Tyre dedicated to him, and also received a bronze ship (which was later converted into a lamp) as an offering from a worshipper about 5 km away from Bab Mareaa.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: The Romans equated Baal Mares with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus/Jupiter. As such, Greek inscriptions referred to him as Zeus Baithmare.
* PatronGod: Baal Mares was the tutelary god of Baithmare (modern-day Bab Mareaa), a village east of Sidon in the southern region of the Beqaa Valley.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In Greek inscriptions, his name was spelled as Beelmares and Baithmare.

[[folder:Bakathsaphrein / Dii Bakathsaphrein]]
!!Διὶ Βακαθσαφρειν | Dií Bakathsaphrein[[note]]translated "god of Bqaa Safrine"[[/note]]
Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon. He was attested in a 2nd century CE dedication inscribed on the diadem of a bronze statuette with a female head. The inscription was written by a woman named Victoria, daughter of Abdous, who was from a village called Naboukanath, in fulfillment of a vow, with all her household, in token of gratitude.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Bakathsaphrein was conflated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek as Dii Bakathsaphrein, with "Dii" being the dative singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Dii Bakathsaphrein was the tutelary god of Bqaa Safrine, a village located about 30 km east of Tripoli in Lebanon.

[[folder:Bethel / El Bethel / Baitylos / Mar]]
!!ܒܹܝܬܐܹܝܠ | בֵּיתאּאֵל | 𐎁𐎚𐎛𐎍 | 𐡁𐡉𐡕𐡀𐡋 | 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤀𐤋 | 𒀭𒁀𒀀𒀀𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍 | Βέτυλος | Bêṯ'ēl[[note]]translated "house of god"[[/note]]
!!ܡܵܪ | מָר | 𐎎𐎗 | 𐡌𐡓 | 𐤌𐤓 | Mār[[note]]translated "lord, master, ruler" in Aramaic and Syriac[[/note]]
Bethel, probably an abbreviation of El Bethel, was a god of storms, rain, fire, and protection, who was primarily worshipped by the Arameans in central Syria. He was also associated with baetylia, sacred stones that were supposedly endowed with life, or gave access to a deity. According to Sanchuniathon's account, Bethel was a son of Shamayim/Epigeus and Eretz/Ge, and the brother of El, Dagon, and Atel. He resided in the land of Rash, a mountainous highland area in Aram (possibly modern-day Silsilat al-Jibal as-Sāḥilīyah), where Bethel was described as "dwelling on the mountains", and Mount Lebanon served as his garden. However, he also had an impressive palace in the skies, with the beams having been made from Lebanese wood and having room for "a thousand altars for Bethel". He was likely the namesake of the town Bethel (modern-day Beitin), where, according to the Hebrew Bible, the patriarch Jacob built and annointed a stone pillar to the god who had appeared to him in his dream. The Hebrew Bible in general associated the god of Bethel with sacred space on a smaller scale, such as stones, pillars, altars, terebinths, and oaks. Bethel had an unbroken tradition of having a shrine from the third millennium BCE, and eventually became a major sanctuary of Yahweh in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Bethel was also possibly worshipped throughout the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as a saying directed against Moab in Jeremiah 48:13 stated that the house of Israel "was ashamed of Bethel, the source of their confidence" the same way that Moab was going to be ashamed of their national god Chemosh. The earliest known attestation of Bethel was in the 7th century BCE treaty between Baal I of Tyre and the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. During the Babylonian exile in the 6th and 5th centuries, a number of exiled Judaeans in places such Al-Yahudu had names with Bethel as a theophoric element, likely due to the influence of Samarians who had previously fled to Judah in the wake of Samaria's fall. Bethel was prominently worshipped by the polytheistic Elephantine Jews and Syrian-Arameans of Aswan in Egypt up to at least the late 3rd century BCE. The latest known reference to Bethel was in a 3rd century CE inscription from Dura-Europos, in which he was referred to as the ancestral god of the dwellers along the Orontes River.

** In Egypt, Asherah was worshipped under the name Qetesh, which was derived from Qadesh, one of Asherah's most common titles. Her worship was imported to Egypt during the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom period (c. 16th century BCE). Qetesh was worshipped as part of a triad alongside Reshep, a fellow imported Canaanite god, and Min, the Egyptian god of fertility. Her epithets included "Mistress of All the Gods", "Lady of the Stars of Heaven", "Beloved of Ptah", "Great of magic", "mistress of the stars", and "Eye of Ra, without her equal".

!!ܪܵܫܵܦ̮ | רֶשֶׁף | 𐎗𐎌𐎔 | 𐡓𐡔𐡐 | 𐤓‬𐤔‬𐤐 | 𒀭𒊏𒊭𒀊 | 𓂋𓈙𓊪𓅱𓀭 / 𓂋𓈙𓊪𓏲𓅆 | Resheph[[note]]translated "burning fever, plague, pestilence"[[/note]]

!!ܒܹܝܬܐܹܝܠ | בֵּיתאּאֵל | 𐎁𐎚𐎛𐎍 | 𐡁𐡉𐡕𐡀𐡋 | 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤀𐤋 | 𒀭𒁀𒀀𒀀𒋾𒀭𒈨𒌍 | Βαίτυλος | Bêṯ'ēl[[note]]translated "house of god"[[/note]]

* NamesTheSame: In Sanchuniathon's account, an entirely different entity named "Mot" was mentioned, with the death god being mentioned separately as "Muth". This Mot was produced by the union of the primordial deities Pothos and Omichle, and was described as being either mud or a putrescence of watery compound. Mot, in turn, produced every seed of creation and the generation of the universe by bursting forth into light, thus also creating the sun, the moon, the stars, and the great constellations. Scholars generally agree that the cosmogonic Mot was not a separate deity but instead most likely just the underworld, as Mot's domain was similarly described as muddy, filthy, slushy, and putrescent, with the death god's name simply being used for the realm itself.

Ainkanias was the tutelary god of Ainkania (modern-day Jdeidat Yabous), a village situated 45 km west of Damascus. There is a spring and Roman temple in the area called Ain Qaniya, after which the village was originally named. The god was attested in an
inscription at Qasr Hammara (modern-day Manara/Hammara in the West Beqaa district in eastern Lebanon), located about 5 km west of Ainkania, in which he was referred to as the "Fortunate of Ainkania".

!!Αιρεσιος | Airesios

[[folder:Theou Aremthenou]]
!!θεοῦ Αρεμθηνου | Theoû Aremthenou[[note]]translated "god of Aremtha"[[/note]]
Theou Aremthenou was the tutelary god of Aremtha (modern-day Aaremta/Aarenta), a hill in the town of Brummana. He was attested in an inscription at Deir el-Qalaa, which was addressed to the god Balmarcod "on the order of the god of Aremtha". The modern Mar Cha'aya church on the hill was partly built with Roman temple blocks, suggesting that there may have previously been a Roman temple there.

* DishingOutDirt: As a hill god, he likely had this power.
* PatronGod: Theou Aremthenou was the tutelary god of Aremtha (modern-day Aaremta/Aarenta), a hill in the town of Brummana.

[[folder:Theou Orneas / Dios Orneas]]
!!θεοῦ Ωρνεας | Theou Orneas[[note]]translated "god of Arne"[[/note]]
Theou Orneas was the tutelary god of Arne (modern-day Tell Aran), a town located about 27 km southeast of Aleppo, close to Sabkhat al-Jabbul. He was attested in an inscription at Arne, which commemorated the decoration of the god's temple, apparently sponsored by the god himself, likely referring to sacred funds.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: Theou Orneas was equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, and was thus referred to in Greek inscriptions as Dios Orneas, with "Dios" being the genitive singular form of Zeus.
* PatronGod: Theou Orneas was the tutelary god of Arne (modern-day Tell Aran), a town located about 27 km southeast of Aleppo, close to Sabkhat al-Jabbul.

[[folder:Theou Remala]]
!!θεοῦ Ρεµαλ̣α̣ | Theou Remala[[note]]translated "god of Remala(s)"[[/note]]
Theou Remala was a god worshipped at Haloua, a city located on the northwestern part of Mount Hermon in the Beqaa Governorate. A stele dedicated to the god, dated to around 156 CE, was located in Haloua, which stated that Theou Remala had ordered the stele to be erected and that the order had been transmitted to the worshippers by the angel god Melicertes, who served as the god's divine messenger. The precise identification of Remala is unclear, but is generally assumed to have either been a toponym (possibly the ancient name of Haloua) or the genitive of the name of the cult founder.

* PatronGod: Theou Remala has generally been interpreted as the tutelary of either a location called Remala (possibly the ancient name of Haloua) or a man called Remalas, who was presumably the founder of the god's cult.

[[folder:Tsurbarak / Zeus Tourbarachos]]
!!צוּרבָרַךְ | Τουρβαραχος | Tsúrbāraḵ[[note]]translated "blessed rock"[[/note]]
Tsurbarak was the tutelary god of Jebel Sarir, a mountain near the village of Tell Elkarame and east of the town of Sarmada in the Idlib Governate. A Roman temple dedicated to him was built at the peak of Jebel Sarir in 116 CE, when the road from Antioch to Aleppo was being developed for military traffic to support Roman campaigns to the east.

* DeityIdentityConfusion: By the second century BCE, Tsurbarak had been equated with the Graeco-Roman god Zeus, with his temple on Jebel Sarir addressing him as Zeus Tourbarachos.
* DishingOutDirt: As a mountain god, he likely had this power.
* PatronGod: Tsurbarak was the tutelary god of Jebel Sarir, a mountain in the Idlib Governate in northwestern Syria. He might also have been the patron god of Tell Elkarame, a village located near the mountain, from which a dirt road leads to the temple at the peak.