Plural of baal; false gods or idols worshipped in ancient Semitic religions, or figuratively, things people wrongly devote themselves to.
From Hebrew בַּעַל (ba'al) meaning 'master' or 'lord.' In biblical texts, Baals referred to fertility deities worshipped by Canaanites and neighboring peoples. The plural form entered English through Latin and Greek translations of religious texts.
The Bible uses 'baals' as a warning against idolatry, and the term became so symbolically powerful that medieval theologians used it to represent any false god or destructive obsession—essentially making it history's most famous religious criticism.
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