Beel-Zebub

Tho disfifriiri'd Baal of tinTeinpli-s. ami iiiori' cdi Dctly Bt'fl-Zfbul. Bet4-Zt'bub means literally "god of flies"; the derisory epithet used by the Jews, and the incorrect and confused rendering of tiie "god of the sacred scarabapi", the divinities watching the mummies, and symbols of transformation, regeneration and immortality. Beel-Zeboul means proi)erly the "God of the Dwelling" and is si)oken of in this sense in Matihav x. 2.'). As Apollo, originally not a (Jreek but a Phenician god, was the healing god. I'aiait, or ])hysi('ian, as well a-s tile god of oracles, he became gradually transformed as such into the "Lord of Dwelling", a liousehold deity, and thus was calh'd BeelZeboul. He was also, in a sense, a psychopompic god. taking care of the souls as did Anubis. Beelzebub was always the oracle god, and was only confused and identified with Apollo later on.