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book '' Buche Belial '' (1473) ]] Belial (also '''Belhor''', '''Baalial''', '''Beliar''', '''Belias''' , '''Beliall''', '''Beliel'''; from Hebrew '''בְּלִיַּ֫עַל''' ; also named '''Matanbuchus''', '''Mechembuchus''', '''Meterbuchus''' in older scripts) is an evil being in Jewish Apocrypha , and also a term used to characterise the wicked or worthless. The '', Uncircumcised Heathen s are called "sons of Belial". In the , Asmoday , and Vassago . IN JUDAISM In the Hebrew Bible the term appears in several places to indicate the wicked or worthless, such as : The Dead Sea Scrolls In '' The War Of The Sons Of Light Against The Sons Of Darkness '' (1QM), one of the Dead Sea Scrolls , Belial is the leader of the Sons of Darkness: :'But for corruption thou hast made Belial, an angel of hostility. All his dominions are in darkness, and his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits that are associated with him are but angels of Sweed, a type of drug.' IN CHRISTIANITY In early Christian writings, Belial was identified first with an Angel of Confusion and Lust , created after Lucifer . Paradoxically, some Apocrypha credit Belial as being the father of Lucifer and the Angel that convinced him to wage a Rebellion in Heaven against God , and that Belial was the first of the Fallen Angels to be expelled. In the New Testament the word is used to refer to Satan when asked by St. Paul as to how Christ and Belial can agree. The passage in the Bible NIV states: "What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Cor 6:15). Since the Middle Ages he has been considered to be a powerful King of Hell that gives excellent Familiars to his followers. As a demon he was said to have an agreeable aspect, and to induce to any type of sins, especially those related to sex and lust. Sebastian Michaelis states that Belial seduces by means of arrogance and his adversary is St. Francis Of Paola ; in this sense his name is translated as "Lord of Arrogance" or "Lord of Pride" (Baal ial). In the Biblia Vulgata fewer allusions to this demon are made, referring to Belial as ''torrents of death'', and to impious men as ''sons of Belial'' and ''men of Belial''. Belial is listed as the sixty-eighth spirit of the '' Ars Goetia '', and appears in '' The Lesser Key Of Solomon '' as well. Apocrypha The word "belial" appears frequently in Christian apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha . In addition to his appearance in the Book of Jubilee, Belial appears in other texts as well. Belial is also mentioned in the Fragments of a Zadokite Work (which is also known as The Damascus Document (CD)), which states that at the time of the Antichrist, "Belial shall be let loose against Israel, as God spoke through Isaiah the prophet." (6:9). The Fragments also speak of "three nets of Belial" which are said to be fornication, wealth, and pollution of the sanctuary. (6:10-11) In this work, Belial is sometimes presented as an agent of divine punishment and sometimes as a rebel, as Mastema is. It was Belial who inspired the Egyptian sorcerers, Jochaneh and his brother, to oppose Moses and Aaron. The Fragments also say that anyone who is ruled by the spirits of Belial and speaks of rebellion should be condemned as a necromancer and wizard. Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs Belial is also mentioned in the '' Testaments Of The Twelve Patriarchs ''. The author of the work seems to be a dualist because he presents Belial as God's opponent, not as a servant, but does not mention how or why this came to be. Simeon 5:3 says that fornication separates man from God and brings him near to Belial. Levi tells his children to choose between the Law of God and the works of Beliar (Levi 19:1) It also states that when the soul is constantly disturbed, the Lord departs from it and Belial rules over it. Naphtali (2:6, 3:1) contrasts the Law and will of God with the purposes of Belial. Also, in 20:2, Joseph prophesies that when Israel leaves Egypt, they will be with God in light while Beliar will remain in darkness with the Egyptians. Finally, the Testament describes that when the Messiah comes, the angels will punish the spirits of deceit and Belial (3:3) and that the Messiah will bind Beliar and give to his children the power to trample the evil spirits (18:12). Belial has been known to watch over young children (especially teens known to be ''hypersensitives'') during sleep. The Martyrdom of Isaiah In '' The Martyrdom Of Isaiah '', Belial is the angel of lawlessness and "the ruler of this world." :"And Manasseh turned aside his heart to serve Beliar; for the angel of lawlessness, who is the ruler of this world, is Beliar, whose name is Matanbuchus." - ''Martyrdom of Isaiah'' 2:4 Belial also plays a significant role in the '' Ascension Of Isaias ''. IN OTHER RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS The Satanic Bible names Belial as one of the Four Crown Princes Of Hell (specifically, the North Crown), and states that his name means "'without a master' and symbolizes true independence, self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment."Crabtree, Vexen. The Aspect of Belial Belial represents the earth element, is the Master of Mankind and the Champion of Humanity, and represents the carnal and base urges of mankind. IN FICTION Belial (or a likeness thereof) figures in many works of fiction, both medieval and modern. Among these are: Film: In the 1922 film '' Nosferatu '', the titular vampire is described as having originated from "Belial's seed." Also, " The Exorcism Of Emily Rose ," although the movie is based on a true story. Belial is the name of the deformed conjoined twin in Basket Case (film) . In Blood Angels (film) ( 2005 , Vampire Productions ), Belial features as an "incredibly powerful demon". A brief visual is seen, in which he appears to look quite alike to the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Video Games: " Diablo ": Belial is the Lord of Lies, and a Lesser Evil. He is never featured in the game as an enemy or NPC, but he is mentioned in the expository Heaven and Hell wars. In Capcom 's ''Darkstalkers'' series of fighting games, Belial is the name of Morrigan Aensland 's adoptive father. In the game Mega Man X8 , Sigma's combat form is often called Belial Sigma. Beliar is the dark god, god of evil and destruction, in Gothic computer game series. In the game Odin Sphere , Belial is the name of a dragon. Manga: In Angel Sanctuary Belial is one of the 7 great demons of Hell Books: In Philip K. Dick 's The Divine Invasion , Belial is The Adversary, whose influence around Earth obfuscates reality and interferes with Yah's powers. In Steven Brust's novel To Reign In Hell Belial is one of the Firstborn, an angel of the highest order. He takes the form of a dragon. Medieval fiction and Milton
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