767. Canaanites and Phoenicians worshiped many nature gods. Baal, who was regarded as master of the earth, had an arm that hurled bolts of lightning, and his voice caused thunder. The Israelites referred to baal as baal-zebul or beelzebub, which means "lord of the flies," no doubt referring to the hordes of flies that buzzed around the animals sacrificed to this god. By New Testament times beelzebub had become a title for satan.
768. Mutual gods. Just as the Israelites were attracted to Canaanite gods, so were the Philistines. Their deities-dagon, ashtaroth, and baal-zebub-were related to Canaanite gods.
769. The father was the priest of the whole family in the days of the early patriarchs. This honor and responsibility was then passed down to the firstborn son after the father's death. This practice continued until the Law of Moses transferred the right to the tribe of Levi, who became the priests of the Hebrew nation.
770. The altar. Throughout the Old Testament many altars were built and described. After Abraham pitched his tent in the vicinity of Bethel, the Scripture says, "There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord" (Gen. 12:8). Altars served as monuments of Holiness and provided an approach to God through sacrifice.
771. Clay figures called teraphim were household gods that served as guardian angels of the home in Babylonia. At the death of a father they were passed down to the eldest son. When Jacob left the home of Laban in Haran, Rachel stole the teraphim that belonged to her father (Gen. 31:19). This made Laban very upset, so he pursued Jacob's caravan. Even though Jacob told his family to get rid of the foreign gods and purify themselves, the teraphim appeared several times in later history of the Israelites.
772. Religious education in the family became a special mark of Judaism. The Law of Moses was very specific in its requirements that parents must train their children in the knowledge of God and His laws. The emphasis on this education in the family has contributed largely to the permanence of the Jews in history.
