View source for Belial

{{Short description|Term in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament; later denoted a devil or fallen angel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{about|the term in the Hebrew Bible|}}
{{Lead too short|date=October 2021}}
[[File:Belial.jpg|thumb|300px|A woodcut of Belial and some of his followers from a German edition of [[Jacobus de Teramo]]'s book ''[[Consolatio peccatorum, seu Processus Luciferi contra Jesum Christum]]'' (1473).]]
'''Belial''' ({{IPAc-en|'|b|i:|l|i|.|@|l}};<ref>{{dict.com|Belial}}</ref> {{langx|he|{{Script/Hebr|בְּלִיַּעַל}}}}, ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the [[Hebrew Bible]]/[[Old Testament]] which later became personified as the [[devil]]<ref name="earlychristianwritings.com">See the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at ''[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html  EarlyChristianWritings.com]'', specifically at 1:8–9, 2:4, 3:11–13, 4:2, 4:14–18, 5:1, 5:15.</ref> in Christian texts of the New Testament.<ref>{{cite book|first=Michael H.|last=Floyd|date=2000|title=Minor Prophets: Volume 2|publisher=[[Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company]]|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan|ISBN=978-0802844521|page=46|quote=In late biblical times beliya'al came to designate a mythic personification of evil, and Belial thus became the name of a satanic figure... Two considerations militate against this sort of reading, one historical and the other grammatical. First, the mythic personification of Belial appears to have been a rather late development, and there is no good reason to suppose that beliya'al had assumed this meaning by the time Nahum was composed. There is no evidence of a satanic figure named Belial in biblical or extrabiblical literature from earlier than the third century BC (T. J. Lewis, "Belial," ABD 1 :655–56), and most scholars would date the final edition of ..}}</ref> Alternate spellings include '''Baalial''', '''Balial''', '''Belhor''', '''Beliall''', '''Beliar''', '''Berial''', '''Bylyl''' and '''Beliya'al'''. Early usage of ''Belial'' referred to "wickedness" or "worthlessness", occurring several times in the Old Testament. Later, in the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] (c. 300 BCE), Belial was personified as a demon. 

In the [[Apocryphon of John|Secret Book of John]], an early [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] text, the ruler of the underworld is referred to as '''Belias'''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=[[Marvin Meyer]]|author2=[[Willis Barnstone]]|title=The Gnostic Bible|publisher=[[Shambhala Publications|Shambhala]]|chapter=The Secret Book of John|url=http://gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn-meyer.html|date=June 30, 2009|access-date=2022-02-01}}</ref> 

==Hebrew Bible/Old Testament==
''Belial'' is a Hebrew word "used to characterize the wicked or worthless". The [[etymology]] of the word is often understood as "lacking worth",<ref name="oxford">{{cite book|editor1-first=Bruce M.|editor1-last=Metzger|editor2-first=Michael David|editor2-last=Coogan|date=1993|title=Oxford Companion to the Bible|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458/page/77 77]|publisher=[[Oxford University]]|location=Oxford, England|ISBN=978-0195046458|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458/page/77}}</ref> from two common words: ''beli-'' (בְּלִי "without-") and ''ya'al'' (יָעַל "to be of value").

Some scholars translate it from Hebrew as "worthless" (''Beli yo'il''), while others translate it as "yokeless" (''Beli ol''), "may he have no rising" or "never to rise" (''Beli ya'al''). Only a few [[Etymology|etymologists]] have believed it to be an invented name from the start.<ref>[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=571&letter=B JewishEncyclopedia.com: Belial]</ref>

The word occurs twenty-seven times in the [[Masoretic Text]], in verses such as the [[Book of Proverbs]] ({{bibleverse||Proverbs|6:12|KJV}}), where the [[King James Version]] (KJV) translates the Hebrew phrase ''adam beli-yaal'' as "a naughty person".<ref>''The Epistles to the Corinthians [Gr. text] with notes and ...'' – Page 131 Arthur Penrhyn Stanley – 1855 "The fullest description of a man of Belial in the Old Testament is in {{bibleref2|Proverbs|6:12–15|9|Proverbs, vi. 12 – 15}}. : " A naughty person ('Adam Belial'), a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. [13] He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with ..."</ref>

In the Hebrew text, the phrase is either "sons of Belial" or simply "sons of worthlessness".<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Douglas |author-link=Douglas Wilson (theologian) |title='Reformed' Is Not Enough |date=2002 |publisher=Canon Books |ISBN=978-1591280057 |location=Moscow, Idaho |page=148 |quote=What are we to make of the phrase 'sons of Belial'? In every instance of the phrase in the Old Testament, it always refers to members of the covenant whose lives were completely at odds with the terms of it, and whose hollowness was ...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=John|last=Phillips|title=Exploring People of the Old Testament|volume=2|publisher=[[Kregel Publishing|Kregel Academic & Professional]]|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan|date=2006|ISBN=978-0825433856|quote=Eli's Sons Were Unregenerate (2:12) 1 Samuel 2:12 says, 'The sons of Eli were worthless men', or 'sons of Belial'. We would say ... }}</ref> Phrases beginning with "sons of" are a common Semitic idiom, such as "sons of destruction" or "sons of lawlessness".<ref>Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament Gregory K. Beale, D. A. Carson – 2007 {{"'}}But as for you, come here, you sons of lawlessness Are you not children of destruction, a lawless seed?' Both phrases involve a Semitic idiom in which a generic personal noun ('son' 'man', 'master', etc.) followed by an adjectival genitive ..."</ref> In Semitic languages, the term "sons of" (in any context other than preceding the name of an actual human being) is better explained as "people defined by." "Sons of worthlessness/belial" means "people defined by worthlessness." Another common example of this is Aramaic term "Bar Mitzva" (literally "son of the commandment," but better translated as "one defined by the commandment" as it refers to an individual who is obligated to fulfill the commandment of God). 

Of these 27 occurrences, the idiom "sons of Belial" (בְּנֵֽי־בְלִיַּעַל ''beni beliyaal'') appears 15 times to indicate worthless people, including [[Idolatry|idolater]]s (Deuteronomy 13:13), the men of [[Gibeah]] (Judges 19:22, 20:13), the sons of [[Eli (biblical figure)|Eli]] (1 Samuel 2:12), [[Nabal]], and [[Shimei ben Gera|Shimei]]. The [[Geneva Bible]] (1560) uses "wicked", and at the [[Book of Judges]] 19:22 has the marginal note "''Ebr'' [Hebrew] ''men of Belial: that is, given to all wickednes.''" In the KJV these occurrences are rendered with "Belial" capitalised:
* "the sons of Eli were '''sons of Belial'''" (KJV)
In modern versions these are usually read as a phrase:
*"the sons of Eli were '''worthless men'''" (1 Samuel 2:12, NRSV and NIV)
*"the wicked men of the city" (Judges 19:22, NIV)

"Belial" is applied to ideas, words, and counsel, to calamitous circumstances, and most frequently, to worthless men of the lowest sort, such as men who would induce worship of other gods; those of Benjamin who committed the sex crime at Gibeah; the wicked sons of Eli; insolent Nabal; opposers of [[God in Judaism|God]]'s anointed, David; Rehoboam's unsteady associates; Jezebel's conspirators against Naboth; and men in general who stir up contention. Indicating that the enemy power would no longer interfere with the carrying out of true worship by his people in their land, YHWH declared through his prophet: "No more will any worthless person pass again through you. In his entirety he will certainly be cut off."

==Second Temple period==
The term ''belial'' appears frequently in Jewish texts of the [[Second Temple]] period (texts classified by Christians as the Old Testament [[pseudepigrapha]] and [[apocrypha]]).<ref name="oxford"/> Also a large number of references to Belial are evidenced in the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at [[Qumran]] from 1948.

===Dead Sea Scrolls===
In ''[[War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness|The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness]]'',<ref>1QM, Col. XIII (=4Q495 2), 10–12</ref> one of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], Belial is the leader of the Sons of Darkness:

<blockquote>You made Belial for the pit, angel of enmity; in darkness is his domain, his counsel is to bring about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits of his lot are angels of destruction, they walk in the laws of darkness; towards it goes their only desire.<ref name="Dead Sea">{{cite book|title=The Dead Sea Scrolls: Study Edition|editor1-first=Florentino García|editor1-last=Martínez|editor2-first=Eibert J.C.|editor2-last=Tigchelaar|publisher=[[Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company]]|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan|date=2019|ISBN=978-0802877529|page=135}}</ref></blockquote>

In the ''Rules of the Community'', God is depicted as saying, "I shall not comfort the oppressed until their path is perfect. I shall not retain Belial within my heart." Belial controls all demons, which are specifically allotted to him by God for the purpose of performing evil.<ref>Dead Sea Scrolls 1QS III 20–25</ref> Belial, despite his malevolent disposition, is considered an [[Angels in Judaism|angel]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Dale Basil |last=Martin |author-link=Dale Basil Martin |title=When did Angels Become Demons? |journal=[[Journal of Biblical Literature]] |year=2010 |volume=129 |issue=4 |pages=657–677 |doi=10.2307/25765960 |jstor=25765960}}</ref>

Belial's presence is found throughout the War Scrolls and is established as the force occupying the opposite end of the spectrum of God. In Col. I, verse 1, the first line of the document, it is stated that "the first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial."<ref>1Q33;1:1</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Nickelsburg |first=George |title=Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishna }}</ref> This dichotomy sheds light on the negative connotations that Belial held at the time.

The ''War Scroll'' and ''the Thanksgiving hymns'' both delve into the idea that Belial is accursed by God and his people, and shows how the existence of Belial in this world can be attributed to the mysteries of God since we can not know why he permits the dealings of Belial to persist.

In the Dead Sea Scrolls, Belial is further contrasted with God. These are the Angel of Light and the Angel of Darkness. The Manual of Discipline identifies the Angel of Light as God himself. The Angel of Darkness is identified in the same scroll as Belial.<ref name="Dead Sea"/>

The Dead Sea Scrolls also provide a recounting of a dream of [[Amram]], the father of [[Moses]], who finds two [[watcher (angel)|watcher]]s contesting over him. One is Belial who is described as the King of Evil and Prince of Darkness. Belial is also mentioned in the ''Fragments of a Zadokite Work'' (which is also known as The [[Damascus Document]] (CD)), which states that during the [[eschatological]] age, "Belial shall be let loose against Israel, as God spoke through [[Isaiah]] the prophet."<ref>CD 4:13</ref> The ''Fragments'' also speak of "three nets of Belial" which are said to be fornication, wealth, and pollution of the sanctuary.<ref>CD 4:17–18</ref> 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 [[necromancy|necromancer]] and a wizard.

===Jubilees===
In the [[Book of Jubilees]], [[circumcision|uncircumcised]] Israelites are called "sons of Belial".<ref>[http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/15.htm Jubilees 15:32]</ref>

===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 [[Dualism in cosmology|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 Belial<ref>Levi 19:1</ref> It also states that when the soul is constantly disturbed, the Lord departs from it and Belial rules over it. Naphtali<ref>2:6, 3:1</ref> contrasts the Law and will of God with the purposes of Belial. Also, in 20:2, Joseph prophesies that when Israel leaves [[ancient Egypt|Egypt]], they will be with God in light while Belial 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<ref>3:3</ref> and that the Messiah will bind Belial and give to his children the power to trample the evil spirits.<ref>18:12</ref> {{quote|1=For many hath fornication destroyed; because, though a man be old or noble, it maketh him a reproach and a laughing-stock with Beliar and the sons of men.<ref>4:7–8</ref>}}

===Ascension of Isaiah===
In the [[Ascension of Isaiah]], Belial is the angel of [[Antinomianism|lawlessness]] and "the ruler of this world", and identified as [[Samael]] and [[Satan]].<ref name="earlychristianwritings.com"/>{{fv|date=July 2020}}

{{quote|And Manasseh turned aside his heart to serve Belial; for the angel of lawlessness, who is the ruler of this world, is Belial, whose name is Matanbuchus.|(Ascension of Isaiah 2:4)<ref name="earlychristianwritings.com"/>}}

==Christianity/New Testament==
The word occurs just once in the [[New Testament]], when [[Paul the Apostle]] asks:
{{quote|[W]hat concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?|{{Bibleverse|2|Corinthians|6:15|KJV}}}}

The spelling found in most manuscripts of 2 Corinthians is actually ''Beliar'' (Βελιάρ) not ''Belial'' (Βελίαλ). This is the reading preferred by textual scholars<ref>Metzger</ref> and the change of -l to -r is attributed to a common change in Aramaic pronunciation.<ref>Neil Forsyth ''The Old Enemy: Satan and the Combat Myth'' Princeton 1987 Page 201 "The form Beliar (c.g., 2 Cor. 6.15) is due to Syriac pronunciation."</ref><ref>[[Marvin R. Vincent]] (1834–1922) Word Studies in the New Testament Part Three – Page 325 – 2004 "The form Beliar, which is preferred by critics, is mostly ascribed to the Syriac pronunciation of Belial, the change of 1 into r being quite common."</ref>

The Jewish Greek [[Septuagint]], later the Old Testament of the early Christian church, generally renders the "sons of Belial" verses in the Hebrew Bible either as "lawless men", by idioms "sons of the pestilence", rather than a personal name "sons of Belial":
* ''andres paranomoi'' ("lawless men" ἄνδρες παράνομοι) (Deuteronomy 13:13)
* ''huioi loimoi'' ("sons of the plague" υἱοὶ λοιμοὶ) (1 Samuel 2:12)
The Septuagint also avoids Belial in the singular so [[Shimei]] (2 Samuel 16:7) when he cursed [[David]], "Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial" is rendered "you lawless man" (''paranomos''), and [[Hannah (Bible)|Hannah]] to Eli "Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial" is rendered "don't count your maidservant as a daughter of the pest."<ref>[[Septuagint]] 1 Samuel 1:16 μὴ δῷς τὴν δούλην σου εἰς θυγατέρα λοιμήν ὅτι ἐκ πλήθους ἀδολεσχίας μου ἐκτέτακα ἕως νῦν "don't count your maidservant as a daughter of the pest"</ref> The Latin [[Vulgate]]<ref>''Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer'' – Page 471 Geoffrey Chaucer, Walter W. Skeat – 2008 "Belial signifies worthlessness; and hence, lawlessness, or evil. But in the Vulgate version of Judges, xix. 22, the word Belial is explained to mean 'absque iugo'; which in O. French would become ..."</ref><ref>Chaucer name dictionary: a guide to astrological, biblical, ... – Page 169 Jacqueline De Weever – 1995 "The Parson quotes I Kings 2:12: filil Heli filii Belial, 'the sons of Helie are the sons of Belial{{'"}}</ref> and Syriac [[Peshitta]] Old Testaments in some cases follow the Greek, in other literalize as Hebrew. The single New Testament use is preserved "Belial" in Latin and Syriac.

==Rabbinical literature==
The [[Talmud]] and rabbinical interpretation generally present Belial as an allegorical personification of evil, consistent with its usage in the [[Torah]] and later Jewish texts. The phrase "sons of Belial" appears in various rabbinic writings as a reference to wicked or corrupt individuals.<ref>The censor, the editor, and the text: the Catholic Church and the ... – Page 218, Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin, 2007. "Yosef Hacohen does not mention the issue of the printers but writes that the event happened as a result of informants who were "people, sons of Belial from our midst." See the summary in Heller, Printing of the Talmud, 156–63. 49."</ref>

The Teliya Yeshu (a variant of the Toledot Yeshu, a later medieval anti-Christian text) applies the name Belial to Yeshu, whom it describes as the son of Miriam Migdala. However, these writings are not part of mainstream Talmudic tradition and are generally considered polemical or satirical rather than historical.

The claim that Yeshu is the son of "Miriam Magdala" is misleading. The Talmud does not mention Mary Magdalene from the New Testament. Instead, it refers to a Miriam Migdala (מרים מגדלא), likely meaning "Miriam the hairdresser", which has no connection to the historical Mary Magdalene {{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}. Additionally, the figures Ben Stada and Ben Pandera (son of a Roman Soldier) are debated within Talmudic scholarship {{By whom|date=June 2025}}, and there is no definitive evidence linking them to Jesus (Yeshua) of the New Testament {{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}.{{Relevance inline|paragraph|reason=Article is about Belial, not Toledot Yeshu or discussions about "Miriam Migdala".|date=June 2025}}

==English literature==
[[John Milton]], ''[[Paradise Lost]]'', Book I:

<blockquote><poem>
BELIAL came last, than whom a Spirit more lewd
Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love
Vice for it self: To him no Temple stood
Or Altar smoak'd; yet who more oft then hee
In Temples and at Altars, when the Priest
Turns Atheist, as did ELY'S Sons, who fill'd
With lust and violence the house of God.
In Courts and Palaces he also Reigns
And in luxurious Cities, where the noyse
Of riot ascends above thir loftiest Towrs,
And injury and outrage: And when Night
Darkens the Streets, then wander forth the Sons
Of BELIAL, flown with insolence and wine.
Witness the Streets of SODOM, and that night
In GIBEAH, when hospitable Dores
Yielded thir Matrons to prevent worse rape.
</poem></blockquote>

John Milton, ''Paradise Lost'', Book 2:
<blockquote><poem>
... On th' other side up rose
BELIAL, in act more graceful and humane;
A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd
For dignity compos'd and high exploit:
But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue
Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear
The better reason, to perplex and dash
Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low;
To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds
Timorous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the eare...
</poem></blockquote>

[[Robert Browning]] (1839), "[[Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister]]", eighth stanza:
<blockquote><poem>
Or, my scrofulous French novel
   On gray paper with blunt type !
Simply glance at it, you grovel
   Hand and foot in BELIAL's gripe:
If I double down its pages
   At the woeful sixteenth print,
When he gathers his greengages,
   Ope a sieve and slip it in't?
</poem></blockquote>

==Occult==
The 17th-century [[grimoire]] ''[[The Lesser Key of Solomon]]'' mentions Belial, as does [[Aleister Crowley]]'s ''[[Goetia]]'' (1904) and [[Anton LaVey]]'s ''[[The Satanic Bible]]'' (1969). In ''The Satanic Bible'', Belial is listed as one of the Four Crown Princes of Hell, and the third book of ''The Satanic Bible'' is ''The Book of Belial''.<ref>LaVey 2005, p. 57.</ref>

In 1937, [[Edgar Cayce]] used the term "sons of belial" and (in opposition to) the "sons of the law of one" for the first time in one of his deep trance readings given between 1923 and 1945. Cayce was often referred to as the "sleeping prophet" who gave over 2,500 readings to individuals while in a deep trance state.  While his definition of the sons of belial was consistent with the Hebrew meaning of "worthless" individuals focused on self-gratification, Cayce went on to use the term frequently to compare opposing human forces at work in pre-historical times related to the early development of [[Atlantis]].

==In popular culture==
{{main|Belial in popular culture}}
Popular culture in the 20th century included many references to Belial; notably in the celebrated silent film ''[[Nosferatu]]'' (1922), [[Aldous Huxley]]'s novel ''[[Ape and Essence]]'' (1948), [[Philip K. Dick]]'s novel ''[[The Divine Invasion]]'' (1981), the cult horror film ''[[Basket Case (film)|Basket Case]]'' (1982), [[Dean Koontz]]'s novel ''[[Phantoms (novel)|Phantoms]]'' (1983), and [[Graham Masterton]]'s novel ''Master of Lies'' (1991). Belial has also experienced a resurgence in popularity during the 21st Century in numerous media, with video games being the most prominent.
* In the anime series ''[[Digimon Adventure (1999 TV series)|Digimon Adventure]]'', the antagonist MaloMyotismon is known as “BelialVamdemon” in Japanese version. 
* In the ''[[Gothic (series)|Gothic]]'' game series Belial is the god of death.
* In the [[Square Enix]] game ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions]]'', a character named Wiegraf uses the power of a mystical stone and is then possessed by the demon "Belial".
* In the 2005 horror film, ''[[The Exorcism of Emily Rose]]'', Belial is featured as the Devil's representative who possesses the title character.
* In the [[Real-time strategy|real-time strategy game]] ''[[Dungeon Keeper]]'''s Deeper Dungeons expansion the final level is titled "Belial".
* In the role playing game ''[[Vampire: the Requiem]]'', Belial's Brood is a covenant of vampires that serve Vice and evil forces, consorting with infernal spirits for power.
* [[Blizzard Entertainment]]'s video game ''[[Diablo 3]]'' has Belial function as the final boss of Act 2 in its storyline. In the City of Caldeum, where Belial takes residence, there are definite Arabic tones for the art direction and setting in the aforementioned chapter. Also known as the "Lord of Lies" and the "Master of Deception", Belial is regarded as one of the four Lesser Evils and seven Great Evils in the mortal realm that seek to make this world an outpost of Hell itself.
* [[Westwood Studios]]'s PC game ''[[Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny]]'' features Belial as its main antagonist, portraying him as an evil god with a devil-like appearance.
* In the ''[[Warhammer 40k]]'' universe Belial is the current Grand Master of the Deathwing of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter which has other characters named after bleaker Abrahamic entities, such as [[Samael]], the poison of God, and [[Azrael]], the Angel of Death.
* In the mobile game ''[[Puzzle & Dragons|Puzzle and Dragons]]'', Belial is a monster that is part of the Archdemon series.
* In the book ''The Little Ships'' by J.A. Sutherland, the main character sails in a spaceship named Belial.
* "Belial's Meat" is a health item in the video game ''[[Off (video game)|Off]]'' by Mortis Ghost.
* In the video game ''[[Binding of isaac (game)|Binding of Isaac]]'', the Book of Belial is an activated item that increases damage for the current room.
* In the mobile game {{Ill|Crash Fever|lt=''Crash Fever''|ja|クラッシュフィーバー}}, Belial is one of the first protagonists.
* In ''[[Granblue Fantasy]]'', Belial is a "fallen angel", appearing in the What Makes The Sky Blue 2 and 3 event(s) as one of the main antagonists. Belial is also a summon in the gacha, and another summer variant summon. Belial has theme songs associated with his story. His costumes can be unlocked for the main character though in-game code. 
* Similarly, in ''[[Granblue Fantasy Versus]]'' fighting game and its sequel ''[[Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising]]'', Belial is a playable character.
* "Belial" is the theme held in meditation by Vaughn Benjamin (the vocalist of [[Akae Beka]]) on the Midnite & Ras L Collaborative album ''Thru & True'' (2006).
* Belial is referenced, among other demons, on [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]]'s 2014 studio album ''[[Esoteric Warfare]]''. Belial is mentioned in "Pandaemon," the fourth track on the LP.
* [[Lord Belial]] is a Swedish black metal band.
* In the ''[[Ultra Series]]'', Belial is the namesake of recurring villain [[Ultraman Belial]], a rogue Ultraman that made a dark pact to gain the ability to control and merge with monsters, with his alternate forms occasionally taking on demonic appearances.
* Belial is mentioned in the track "Fall from Grace" from [[Morbid Angel]]'s 1991 album, ''[[Blessed Are the Sick]]''.
* In [[Cassandra Clare]]'s bestselling [[The Shadowhunter Chronicles|''Shadowhunter Chronicles'']], Belial is one of the Princes of Hell as well as the demonic father of a major character, Theresa Gray, who was the protagonist of ''[[The Infernal Devices]]''. In ''[[Shadowhunters]]'', the television adaptation of the novel series, Belial is the demonic father of a supporting character in season 3, the warlock Lorenzo Rey. Belial is mentioned as Lorenzo's father in the episode "City of Glass".
* In the 2019 comedy horror film, ''[[Ready or Not (2019 film)|Ready or Not]]'', the name of the demonic presence, Mr. Le Bail, is an anagram for Belial.
* In the ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' and [[Persona (series)|''Persona'']] games, Belial appears as a demon and persona to be used in combat.
* In the 2021 Anime series ''[[Beyblade Burst Dynamite Battle]]'' the main character Bell Daikokuten named his Beyblade Dynamite Belial. Later on, he upgrades Dynamite Belial into Dangerous Belial after its destruction. The name of the bey, however, was changed to Belfyre in the dub and in Hasbro toy releases.
* In Season 2 episode 5 of ''[[The Chosen (TV series)|The Chosen]]'', Caleb is possessed by Belial and shares who he is while conversing with Mary.
* In ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'', one of the Forsaken is named Belal, a reference to Belial.
* In the anime and manga series [[Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun]], Belial is an elderly man who butts heads with the protagonist's grandfather.

==See also==
* [[List of theological demons]]
* [[Asmodai]]
* [[Bel (mythology)|Bel]]
* [[Demon]]
* [[Devil]]
* [[Samael]]
* [[Satan]]
* [[Serpents in the Bible|Serpent]]
* [[Sin]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
*S. L. MacGregor Mathers, A. Crowley, ''[[The Goetia]]: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King'' (1904). 1995 reprint: {{ISBN|0-87728-847-X}}.
*{{cite book |editor=Metzger, Bruce M. |editor-link=Bruce M. Metzger |editor2=Coogan, Michael D. |title=The Oxford Companion to the Bible |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1993 |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=0-19-504645-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458 }}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
{{Wikiquote}}
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=571&letter=B Belial entry at Jewish Encyclopedia.com]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02408a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Belial]
*[http://www.occultopedia.com/b/belial.htm Occultopedia entry on Belial]
*[https://www.themystica.com/belial/ Belial article from the Mystica]

{{Demons in the Ars Goetia}}
{{Demons in Pseudomonarchia Daemonum}}
{{Satan}}

[[Category:Deities in the Hebrew Bible]]
[[Category:Demons in Christianity]]
[[Category:Demons in Judaism]]
[[Category:Fallen angels]]
[[Category:Goetic demons]]
[[Category:Individual angels]]
[[Category:People in the Pauline epistles]]
[[Category:Christian mythology]]
[[Category:Devils]]
[[Category:Book of Jubilees]]