Belial
Belial is one of the most important and evil Demons, who is deceptively beautiful in appearance and soft in voice, but full of treachery, recklessness, and lies.
The 68th of the 72 Spirits of Solomon, Belial is dedicated to creating wickedness and guilt in humankind, especially in the form of sexual perversions, fornication, and lust.
Saint Paul considered him to be chief of Demons.
Belial’s name may be derived from the Hebrew term beli ya’al, which means “without worth.” In Hebrew lore, Belial was the next angel created after Lucifer and was partly of the order of angels and partly of the order of virtues.
He was evil from the start, one of the first to revolt against God. After his fall from heaven, he became the personification of lies and evil. Belial’s name is sometimes a synonym for Satan or the Antichrist. In the Old Testament, the phrase “sons of Belial” refers to worthlessness and recklessness.
In the Testament of Solomon, a pseudepigraphical text, Belial danced before King Solomon and was among the Demons who worked under the king’s command, ruled by Solomon’s magical ring.
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, Belial is described as the leader of the Sons of Darkness, the chief of all devils, dedicated to destruction.
In a Qumrun text called the Testament of Amran (Q543, 545–48), Belial is one of the Watchers, whose three titles are Belial, Prince of Darkness, and King of Evil. He is empowered over all darkness and his every way and every work are darkness.
Johann Weyer said Belial commands 80 legions of Demons and serves as an infernal ambassador to Turkey.
According to the magical grimoire the Lemegeton, sacrifices and offerings are necessary to invoke him. He appears as a beautiful angel riding a chariot pulled by firebreathing dragons, and he speaks sweetly. He will break his promises to magicians, but those who manage to gain his true favor are handsomely rewarded with good Familiars and other favors, such as preferences for senatorships or political offices.
From “The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King” (1904) Written by S.L. MacGregor Mathers
Belial. – The Sixty-eighth Spirit is Belial. He is a Mighty and a Powerful King, and was created next after Lucifer. He appeareth in the Form of Two Beautiful Angels sitting in a Chariot of Fire. He speaketh with a ComelyVoice, and declareth that he fell first from among the worthier sort, that were before Michael, and other Heavenly Angels. His Office is to distribute Presentations and Senatorships, etc.; and to cause favour of Friends and of Foes.
He giveth excellent Familiars, and governeth 50 Legions of Spirits. Note well that this King Belial must have Offerings, Sacrifices and Gifts presented unto him by the Exorcist, or else he will not give True Answers unto his Demands. But then he tarrieth not one hour in the Truth, unless he be constrained by Divine Power. And his Seal is this, which is to be worn as aforesaid,etc.
The Seal of Belial
From the “Pseudomonarchia Daemonum” ( 1583 ) Written by Johann Weyer (Johann Wier)
Some saie that the king Beliall was created immediatlie after Lucifer, and therefore they thinke that he was father and seducer of them which fell being of the orders. For he fell first among the worthier and wiser sort, which went before Michael and other heavenlie angels, which were lacking. Although Beliall went before all them that were throwne downe to the earth, yet he went not before them that tarried in heaven. This Beliall is constrained by divine venue, when he taketh sacrifices, gifts, and [burnt] offerings, that he againe may give unto the offerers true answers. But he tarrieth not one houre in the truth, except he be constrained by the divine power, as is said. He taketh the forme of a beautifull angell, sitting in a firie chariot; he speaketh faire, he distributeth preferments of senatorship, and the favour of friends, and excellent familiars: he hath rule over eightie legions, partlie of the order of vertues, partlie of angels; he is found in the forme of an exorcist in the bonds of spirits. The exorcist must consider, that this Beliall doth in everie thing assist his subjects. If he will not submit himselfe, let the bond of spirits be read: the spirits chaine is sent for him, wherewith wise Salomon gathered them togither with their legions in a brasen vessell, where were inclosed among all the legions seventie two kings, of whome the cheefe was Bileth, the second was Beliall, the third Asmoday, and above a thousand thousand legions. Without doubt (I must confesse) I learned this of my maister Salomon; but he told me not why he gathered them together, and shut them up so: but I beleeve it was for the pride of this Beliall. Certeine nigromancers doo saie, that Salomon, being on a certeine daie seduced by the craft of a certeine woman, inclined himselfe to praie before the same idoll, Beliall by name: which is not credible. And therefore we must rather thinke (as it is said) that they were gathered together in that great brasen vessell for pride and arrogancie, and throwne into a deepe lake or hole in Babylon. For wise Salomon did accomplish his workes by the divine power, which never forsooke him. And therefore we must thinke he worshipped not the image Beliall; for then he could not have constrained the spirits by divine vertue: for this Beliall, with three kings were in the lake. But the Babylonians woondering at the matter, supposed that they should find therein a great quantitie of treasure, and therefore with one consent went downe into the lake, and uncovered and brake the vessell, out of the which immediatlie flew the capteine divels, and were delivered to their former and proper places. But this Beliall entred into a certeine image, and there gave answer to them that offered and sacrificed unto him: as Tocz. in his sentences reporteth, and the Babylonians did worship and sacrifice thereunto.
Original Text: Regem Belial aliqui dicunt statim post Luciferum fuisse creatum, ideoque sentiunt ipsum esse patrem and seductorem eorum qui ex Ordine ceciderunt. Cecidit enim prius inter alios digniores and sapientiores, qui præcedebant Michaëlem and alios cœlestes angelos, qui decrant. Quamvis autem Belial ipsos qui in terram dejecti fuerint, præcesserit: alios tamen qui in cœlo mansere, non antecessit. Cogitur hic divina virtute, cum accipit sacrificia, munera and holocausta, ut vicissim det immolantibus responsa vera: At per horam in veritate non perdurat, nisi potentia divina compellatur, ut dictum est. Angelicam assumit imagine in impense pulchram, in igneo curru sedens. Blande loquitur. Tribuit dignitates and prælaturas senatorias, gratiam item amicorum, and optimos famulos. Imperium habet octoginta legionum, ex ordine partim Virtutum, partim Angelorum. Forma exorcistæ invenitur in Vinculo Spirituum. Observandum exorcistæ, hunc Belial in omnibus succurrere suis subditis: Si autem se submittere noluerit, Vinculum Spirituum legatur, quo sapientissimus Salomon eos cum suis legionibus in vase vitreo relegavit: Et relegati cum omnibus legionibus fuere septuagintaduo reges, quorum primus erat Bileth, secundus Belial, deinde Asmoday, and circirer [*circiter] mille millia legionum. Illud proculdubio à magistro Salomone didiciste me fateor: Sed causam relegationis me non docuit, crediderim tamen propter arrogantiam ipsius Belial. Sunt quidam necromantici, qui asserunt, ipsum Salomonem quodam die astutia cujusdam mulieris seductum, orando se inclinasse versus simulacrum Belial nomine. Quod tamen fidem non meretur: Sed potius sentiendum, ut dictum est, propter superbiam and arrogantiam, relegatos esse in magno vase, projectos in Babylone in puteum grandem valde. Enimvero prudentissimus Salomon divina potentia suas exequebatur operationes, quæ etiam nunquam eum destituit: propterea simulachrum non adorasse ipsum sentiendum est, alioqui divina virtute spiritus cogere nequivisset. Hic autem Belial cum tribus regibus in puteo fuit. At Babylonienses ad hæc exhorrescentes, rati se thesaurum amplum in puteo inventuros, unanimi consilio in puteum descenderunt, detegeruntque and confregere vas, unde mox egressi captivi, in proprium locum porto sunt rejecti. Belial vero ingressus quoddam simulachrum, dabat responsa sibi immolantibus and sacrificantibus, ut testatur Tocz in dictis suis: Et Babylonienses adorantes sacrificaverunt eidem.
Translation from above: King gone, some say immediately after Lucifer was created, and therefore they cheat and he was the father of the Order of those who were killed. For he fell first among the worthier and wiser sort, which went before Michael and the angels of Heaven, others also, which were lacking. Even though they were cast down to the earth, they have been very men who had, however, certain worthless fellows, just been observed: not before them that tarried in heaven went not before them. This is driven by the power to accept sacrifices, gifts and offerings, in turn, gives the offerers true answers but in truth it lasts an hour, but the power of the divine, as is stated above. Taketh a beautifull sitting in a fiery chariot. Blonde talking. Distributeth and prelacies senators, and the favor of friends and best servants. , And hath nine hundred and eighty of the legions, of the order of Virtues, may the part of the angels. Exorcist found in the form of bonds of spirits. It must be observed by the exorcists, made this man of Belial, in all things, to bring succor to his own subjects: But if they will not submit himselfe, let the bond of spirits be read, wherewith wise Salomon gathered them with their legions in a glass vessel, where were inclosed among all the legions, were seventy-two kings, the first of which was Bileth, the second, after saieng and above a [* about] a thousand thousand legions. It is without doubt, from the captain of the Solomon didiciste was, I confess, But the cause of his exile, he told me not, I can not believe, however, for the sake of the arrogance of the of the ungodly men. There are some necromancers, who assert that, of one of the craftiness of the woman, being deceived, that Salomon, in a certain day, his prayers were inclined himselfe to the same idoll of Belial, whose name was. This, however, does not merit the faith: but I rather think, as has been said, for the sake of his pride, and his arrogancy, practically sent the vessel to be in a great, cast out into the lake or into the pit of Babylon. For wise Salomon divine power of his workes, which never failed him, therefore the image that is sought to be thought otherwise be unable to compel the spirit of divine power. This, however, was gone with three kings in the well. But the Babylonians to do these things woondering, thought the enemy would have made it a treasure in a well, will find it, with one accord, they went down into the pit of the council, detegeruntque and broke in pieces the weapon, and then later they came out of the captive, a place for the port, are entered on their own they were rejected. Worthlessness entered into a likeness of the answers he gave and sacrificed sacrifice, as the Tocz in their words, they have sacrificed the Babylonians were praying for him.
From the “Dictionnaire Infernal” (edition of 1863 ) Written by Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy
Original Text : Bélial, démon adoré des Sidoniens. L’enfer n’a pas reçu d’esprit plus dissolu, plus crapuleux, plus épris du vice pour le vice même. Si son âme est hideuse et vile, son extérieur est séduisant. Il a le maintien plein de grâce et de dignité. Il eut un culte à Sodome et dans d’autres villes ; mais jamais on n’osa trop lui ériger des autels. Delancre dit que son nom signifie rebelle ou désobéissant. — Wiérus, dans son inventaire de la monarchie de Satan, lui consacre un grand article. « On croit, dit-il, que Bélial, l’un des rois de l’enfer, a été créé immédiatement après Lucifer, et qu’il entraîna la plupart des anges dans la révolte : aussi il fut renversé du ciel un des premiers. Lorsqu’on l’évoque, on l’oblige par des offrandes à répondre avec sincérité aux questions qu’on lui fait. Mais il conte bien vite des mensonges, si on ne l’adjure pas, au nom de Dieu, de ne dire que la vérité. Il se montre quelquefois sous la figure d’un ange plein de beauté, assis dans un char de feu ; il parle avec aménité ; il procure les dignités et les faveurs, fait vivre les amis en bonne intelligence, donne d’habiles serviteurs. Il commande quatre-vingts légions de de l’ordre des Vertus et de l’ordre des Anges. Il est exact à secourir ceux qui se soumettent à lui ; s’il y manquait, il est facile de le châtier, comme fit Salomon, qui l’enferma dans une bouteille avec toutes ses légions, lesquelles font une armée de cinq cent vingt-deux mille deux cent quatre-vingts démons. Il fallait que la bouteille fût de grande taille. Mais Salomon était si puissant que, dans une autre occasion, il emprisonna pareillement six mille six cent soixante —six millions de diables qui ne purent lui résister. — Des doctes racontent encore que Salomon mit la bouteille où était Bélial dans un grand puits, qu’il referma d’une pierre, près de Babylone ; que les Babyloniens descendirent dans ce puits, croyant y trouver un trésor ; qu’ils cassèrent la bouteille, que tous les diables s’en échappèrent, et que Bélial, qui avait peur d’être repris, se campa dans une idole qu’il trouva vide, et se mit à rendre des oracles ; ce qui fit que les Babyloniens l’adorèrent.
Translation from above: Belial, demon worshiped by the Sidonians. Hell did not receive a more dissolute, more villainous spirit, more infatuated with vice for vice itself. If his soul is hideous and vile, his exterior is attractive. He has a posture full of grace and dignity. He had a cult in Sodom and in other cities; but we never dared to erect altars too much for him. Delancre says his name means rebellious or disobedient. - Wiérus, in his inventory of the monarchy of Satan, devotes a great article to him. “It is believed,” he said, “that Belial, one of the kings of hell, was created immediately after Lucifer, and that he dragged most of the angels into revolt: also he was overthrown from heaven one of the first . When we talk about it, we force it with offerings to answer with sincerity the questions we ask. But he quickly tells lies, if he is not told, in the name of God, to tell only the truth. He sometimes appears under the figure of an angel full of beauty, seated in a chariot of fire; he speaks with amenity; it procures dignities and favors, keeps friends alive, gives skillful servants. He commands eighty legions of the Order of Virtues and the Order of Angels. It is right to help those who submit to him; if he failed, it is easy to punish him, as did Solomon, who enclosed him in a bottle with all his legions, which make an army of five hundred and twenty-two thousand two hundred and eighty demons. The bottle had to be large.
But Solomon was so powerful that on another occasion he likewise imprisoned six thousand six hundred and sixty-six million devils who could not resist him. - Scholars also say that Solomon put the bottle where Belial was in a large well, which he closed with a stone, near Babylon; that the Babylonians descended into this well, believing that they would find a treasure there; that they broke the bottle, that all the devils escaped from it, and that Belial, who was afraid of being taken back, encamped himself in an idol which he found empty, and began to make oracles; which made the Babylonians worship him.
