The Canaanites explained creation or nature in relation to their gods. Each god represented a natural force. They considered the moon, sun, important stars, and visible planets as gods or goddesses.
Canaanite gods had two notable aspects:
Their personalities could change.
Their names related to their roles.
Some of these gods had great influence in the Israelites' interactions with the Canaanite people:
El means “the powerful one.” He was the leader of the Canaanite gods. El lived far from Canaan, “at the source of the two rivers” (this may refer to the garden of Eden). He led a council of gods who were his children. In the Old Testament, El (plural Elohim) refers to God, but the Israelite God is not the same as the Canaanite god.
Baal means "lord." He was the great storm god and king of the gods. Though El was the leader, Baal had more active power as El's second in command. He provided all fertility. When Baal died, plants stopped growing and animals stopped reproducing. He was the god of justice and caused fear for those doing wrong.
Dagon means "fish" or "grain." He is sometimes called the father of Baal. Dagon was the main god of the Philistine city of Ashdod (1 Samuel 5:1–7).
Ashtoreth, Anath, and Asherah were the three main goddesses in the Canaanite group of gods. They focused mainly on sex and war. Their primary role was to have yearly sexual relations with Baal. This maintained Baal's strength and guaranteed the earth would be fertile.
The Canaanites believed that the forces of nature were like people. These gods controlled the changing seasons. From April to October, they saw the dry period as Baal's death after losing a battle each spring. The autumn rains marked Baal's revival as the god of rain and plants, lasting until the next April. They thought the land became fertile again because of Baal's yearly mating with his female partner. Their religious activities included imitating their gods' actions.
The Canaanites worshiped things they believed would bring them material benefits. If this pleased the gods and goddesses, they would provide a good harvest. If a god became angry, the people might offer animal or human sacrifices to calm the god (see 2 Kings 3:26–27). Canaanite worship had its basis in fear and trying to influence or pacify the gods.
Contact among the many religions of the ancient Near East led to social problems and borrowing religious practices. The Arameans and Philistines who settled in Canaan adopted Canaanite practices. In a similar way, the Amorites included Sumerian religious practices when they moved into Mesopotamia.
In contrast, Israel's God, Yahweh, required complete loyalty. His worship had its basis in faith, not fear. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not keep their belief in one God (monotheism). They adopted pagan ideas and practices, worshiping Canaanite gods in their way. Their culture became corrupted and angered God. As a result, God judged them and sent them into exile (see 2 Kings 17:5–23; 24:18–25:21).
Passages for Further Study