Death Journal

6-Belial

Belial translates to 'worthless' or 'yokeless' in Hebrew. He was canonized as the leader of the sons of Darkness in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

  From the Hebrew 'Bliol', meaning Wicked One, in demonology Belial, is one of Satan's most venerable demons. In fact, before the New Testament firmly established Satan as the leader of the forces of evil, Belial was the one in charge. In the Old Testament, the word had the meaning of worthlessness or wickedness, but it later came to be used as a proper noun for the Devil or Satan.

  The Dead Sea Scrolls are an ancient Jewish text discovered in 1947 which are believed to be written before 400 BC and refers to a wide host of demonic beings.  

According to one of the Dead Sea Scrolls (The war of the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness), he was the uncontested ruler of the dark side:

"But for corruption thou hast made Belial, an angel of hostility. All his dominion is in darkness, and his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt."

The Lord of Lies was acknowledged in the Bible as a source of great, and even as the lord of demons. Some apocryphal declared that Belial was created next to Lucifer and that he was a king of governing 80 Infernal Legions. Other credit Belial as being the father of Lucifer and the angel that convinced him to wage a rebellion in Heaven against God, and that as such he was the first of the fallen angels to be expelled.

In these scrolls, Belial is described as both, 'The King of Evil' and the prince of Darkness' which has led many to believe that Belial is a pseudonym of the Devil himself.

He is also known as the 'Lord of Lies' and the 'Master of Deceit'.

Many texts refer to Belial as a devious figure who utilizes formication, wealth and pollution of the sanctuary to get what he wants. 

However, in the Satanic Bible, Belial's name is suggested to translate as 'without a master' and symbolizes independence, self-sufficiency and personal accomplishment.

  apocryphal = questionable, fake, mythical