Halloween
Master Notes
H1176 ַּבַּעַל זְבוּב ba‛al zebûb 13
Pagan Memorial Days of the Dead 26
Halloween
All Hallow’s Eve
All scripture references are from The Scriptures 2009 translation unless otherwise noted
'‘Do not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim, where you dwelt. And do not do as they do in the land of Kena‛an, where I am bringing you, and do not walk in their laws.'
'‘And do not give any of your offspring to pass through to Moleḵ. And do not profane the Name of your Elohim. I am יהוה.'
'“Say to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Any man of the children of Yisra’ĕl, or of the strangers who sojourn in Yisra’ĕl, who gives any of his offspring to Moleḵ, shall certainly be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. ‘And I, I shall set My face against that man, and shall cut him off from the midst of his people, because he has given of his offspring to Moleḵ, so as to defile My set-apart place and to profane My set-apart Name. ‘And if the people of the land at all hide their eyes from the man, as he gives any of his offspring to Moleḵ, and they do not kill him,'
'And Yisra’ĕl dwelt in Shittim, and the people began to whore with the daughters of Mo’aḇ, and they invited the people to the slaughterings of their mighty ones, and the people ate and bowed down to their mighty ones. Thus Yisra’ĕl was joined to Ba‛al Pe‛or, and the displeasure of יהוה burned against Yisra’ĕl.'
'Do not go after other mighty ones, the mighty ones of the peoples who are all around you,” for יהוה your Elohim is a jealous Ěl in your midst, lest the displeasure of יהוה your Elohim burn against you, then He shall destroy you from the face of the earth.'
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 6:14-15
'“When יהוה your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’'
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 12:29-30
'“Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practises divination, or a user of magic, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. “For whoever does these is an abomination to יהוה, and because of these abominations יהוה your Elohim drives them out from before you.'
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 18:10-12
'“Be perfect before יהוה your Elohim, for these nations whom you are possessing do listen to those using magic and to diviners. But as for you, יהוה your Elohim has not appointed such for you.'
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 18:13-14
'“And now, fear יהוה, serve Him in perfection and in truth, and put away the mighty ones which your fathers served beyond the River and in Mitsrayim, and serve יהוה! “And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve יהוה, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we serve יהוה.”'
'Then the children of Yisra’ĕl did evil in the eyes of יהוה, and served the Ba‛als,'
'For in death there is no remembrance of You; Who gives You thanks in She’ol?'
'“For whoever finds me shall find life, And obtain favour from יהוה, “But he who sins against me injures himself; All who hate me love death!”'
'Water disappears from the sea, and a river dries up and is parched, and man shall lie down and not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they awake not, nor are aroused from their sleep. If only You would hide me in She’ol, conceal me until Your wrath turns away. Set for me a law, and remember me! If a man dies, would he live again? All the days of my struggle I wait, till my change comes.'
'For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know naught, nor do they have any more reward, for their remembrance is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy have now perished; and they no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. All that your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom in She’ol where you are going.'
Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 9:5-6,10
'And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their Elohim? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?'
'Thus said יהוה, “Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be awed by the signs of the heavens, for the nations are awed by them.'
'“Because they have forsaken Me and have profaned this place, and have burned incense in it to other mighty ones whom neither they, their fathers, nor the sovereigns of Yehuḏah have known, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocents, and have built the high places of Ba‛al, to burn their sons with fire for ascending offerings to Ba‛al, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My heart.'
'“And they built the high places of Ba‛al which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and their daughters to Moleḵ, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My heart, that they should do this abomination, to make Yehuḏah sin.'
'“And I shall cut off witchcrafts out of your hand, and let you have no magicians.'
'“By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? “So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. “A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, by their fruits you shall know them –'
'“And if I, by Be‛elzebul, do cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Because of this they shall be your judges.'
'And Aḥazyah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Shomeron, and was injured, and sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Ba‛al-Zeḇuḇ, the mighty one of Eqron, if I shall recover from this injury.”'
'“But when you give a feast, invite poor ones, crippled ones, lame ones, blind ones, “and you shall be blessed, because they do not have to repay you. For you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.'
'“Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have practised evil matters , to a resurrection of judgment.'
'“For Dawiḏ did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself said, ‘יהוה said to my Master, “Sit at My right hand,'
'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.'
'And have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather convictd them.'
'Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heavenlies.'
'No, but what the nations slaughter they slaughter to demons and not to Elohim, and I do not wish you to become sharers with demons. You are not able to drink the cup of the Master and the cup of demons, you are not able to partake of the table of the Master and of the table of demons.'
Qorintiyim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 10:20-21
'See, I speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible has to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality. And when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall come to be the word that has been written, “Death is swallowed up in overcoming.”'
Qorintiyim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 15:51-54
'Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness? And what agreement has Messiah with Beliya‛al? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? And what union has the Dwelling Place of Elohim with idols? For you are a Dwelling Place of the living Elohim, as Elohim has said, “I shall dwell in them and walk among them, and I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. " Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you.'
Qorintiyim Bĕt (2 Corinthians) 6:14-17
'And no wonder! For Satan himself masquerades as a messenger of light!'
Qorintiyim Bĕt (2 Corinthians) 11:14
'And the works of the flesh are well-known, which are these : adultery, whoring, uncleanness, indecency, idolatry, drug sorcery, hatred, quarrels, jealousies, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, murders, drunkenness, wild parties, and the like – of which I forewarn you, even as I also said before, that those who practise such as these shall not inherit the reign of Elohim.'
'See to it that no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.'
'Now, brothers, we do not wish you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you be sad as others who have no expectation. For if we believe that יהושע died and rose again, so also Elohim shall bring with Him those who sleep in יהושע. For this we say to you by the word of the Master, that we, the living who are left over at the coming of the Master shall in no way go before those who are asleep. Because the Master Himself shall come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger, and with the trumpet of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we, the living who are left over, shall be caught away together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air – and so we shall always be with the Master.'
Tas`loniqim Aleph (1 Thessalonians) 4:13-17
'Keep back from every form of wickedness.'
Tas`loniqim Aleph (1 Thessalonians) 5:22
'Beloved ones, do not imitate the evil, but the good. The one who is doing good is of Elohim, but he who is doing evil has not seen Elohim.'
'And I looked and saw a green horse. And he who sat on it had the name Death, and She’ol followed with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and by the beasts of the earth.'
'“Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practises divination, or a user of magic, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. “For whoever does these is an abomination to יהוה, and because of these abominations יהוה your Elohim drives them out from before you. “Be perfect before יהוה your Elohim, for these nations whom you are possessing do listen to those using magic and to diviners. But as for you, יהוה your Elohim has not appointed such for you.'
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 18:10-14
'‘Do not turn to mediums, and do not seek after spiritists to be defiled by them. I am יהוה your Elohim.'
'‘And the being who turns to mediums, and to spiritists, to go whoring after them, I shall set My face against that being and cut him off from the midst of his people. ‘And a man or a woman in whom there is a medium, or who are spiritists, shall certainly be put to death, they are to stone them with stones. Their blood is upon them.’ ”'
'And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their Elohim? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the Torah and to the witness! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no daybreak.'
“Halloween, a holiday observed on October 31 and noted for its pagan and religious roots and secular traditions. In much of Europe and most of North America, observance of Halloween is largely nonreligious, celebrated with parties, spooky costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, pumpkin carvings, and the giving of candy. …
Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland. On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin. …”
”Halloween”, Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Halloween, Accessed 20251017
“Halloween is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the Christian liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. In popular culture, Halloween has become a celebration of horror and is associated with the macabre and the supernatural.”
”Halloween”, Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween, Accessed 20251017
“Halloween
noun
Hal·low·een ˌha-lə-ˈwēn
: October 31 observed especially with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns during the evening”
”HALLOWEEN”, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Halloween, Accessed 20251017
“The Celts or Celtic peoples were a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia, identified by their use of Celtic languages and other cultural similarities. Major Celtic groups included the Gauls; the Celtiberians and Gallaeci of Iberia; the Britons, Picts, and Gaels of Britain and Ireland; the Boii; and the Galatians. The interrelationships of ethnicity, language and culture in the Celtic world are unclear and debated; for example over the ways in which the Iron Age people of Britain and Ireland should be called Celts. In current scholarship, 'Celt' primarily refers to 'speakers of Celtic languages' rather than to a single ethnic group.”
”Celts”, Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celts, Accessed 20251017
“Celt, a member of an early Indo-European people who from the 2nd millennium bce to the 1st century bce spread over much of Europe. Their tribes and groups eventually ranged from the British Isles and northern Spain to as far east as Transylvania, the Black Sea coasts, and Galatia in Anatolia and were in part absorbed into the Roman Empire as Britons, Gauls, Boii, Galatians, and Celtiberians. Linguistically they survive in the modern Celtic speakers of Ireland, Highland Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, and Brittany.”
”Celt”, Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Celt-people, Accessed 20251017
“The ancient Celts were various tribal groups living in parts of western and central Europe in the Late Bronze Age and through the Iron Age (c. 700 BCE to c. 400 CE). Given the name Celts by ancient writers, these tribes and their culture migrated and so they established a presence in territories from Portugal to Turkey.
Although diverse tribes and never a single unified state, the ancient Celts were connected by the Celtic language and marked similarities in art, modes of warfare, religion, and burial practices.”
”Ancient Celts”, World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org/celt/, Accessed 20251017
“A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. While they were reported to have been literate, they are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from recording their knowledge in written form. Their beliefs and practices are attested in some detail by their contemporaries from other cultures, such as the Romans and the Greeks.”
”Druid”, Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid, Accessed 20251017
“Druid, member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. They acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest known records of the Druids come from the 3rd century bce. Their name may have come from a Celtic word meaning “knower of the oak tree.” Very little is known for certain about the Druids, who kept no records of their own.”
”Druid”, Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Druid, Accessed 20251017
“Parentalia, Roman religious festival held in honour of the dead. The festival, which began at noon on February 13 and culminated on February 21, was essentially a private celebration of the rites of deceased family members. It was gradually extended, however, to incorporate the dead in general. During the days of the festival, all temples were closed and no weddings could be performed. On the last day a public ceremony, the Feralia, was held, during which offerings and gifts were placed at the graves and the anniversary of the funeral feast was celebrated.”
”Parentalia”, Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parentalia-Roman-religious-festival, Accessed 20251017
“In ancient Rome, the Parentalia (Latin pronunciation: [parɛnˈtaːlɪ.a]) or dies parentales ([ˈdɪ.eːs parɛnˈtaːleːs], "ancestral days") was a nine-day festival held in honour of family ancestors, beginning on 13 February.
Although the Parentalia was a holiday on the Roman religious calendar, its observances were mainly domestic and familial. The importance of the family to the Roman state, however, was expressed by public ceremonies on the opening day, the Ides of February, when a Vestal conducted a rite for the collective di parentes of Rome at the tomb of Tarpeia.”
”Parentalia”, Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parentalia, Accessed 20251017
“The ancient Romans had a festival for just about everything, and honoring your family’s dead was no exception. The Parentalia festival was celebrated each year for a week, beginning on February 13. Originating in Etruscan practice, the celebration included private rituals held in the home to honor the ancestors, followed by a public festival.”
”The Parentalia Festival”, Learn Religions, https://www.learnreligions.com/the-roman-parentalia-festival-2562141, Accessed 20251017
“The ancient Romans had several days in their calendar dedicated to honoring the dead. Among these was a period that lasted from February 13 to 21 which was known as the Parentalia. This was a nine-day period that was set aside for people to visit cemeteries and lay offerings on the graves of deceased family members. …
The final day of the Parentalia mourning period was designed to be much more inclusive. February 21 was the date of the Feralia, which was a remembrance festival for all of those who have died, whether they were related to you or not. In the Catholic Christian religious calendar, the Feralia is the equivalent of All Souls Day (November 2), in which people pray for all who have died the previous year. In fact, the Feralia and All Souls Day are directly connected with each other. In the year 609 AD, Pope Boniface IV decreed that February 21 would be known as “All Saints Day”, a general holiday dedicated to all Catholic saints who did not have a specific saint’s day of their own. Later that year, Boniface ordered that the date for All Saints Day would be changed from February 21 to May 13, which was the last day of another ancient Roman festival period dedicated to the spirits known as the Lemuria. …”
”February 21 – Rest in Peace: The Feralia Festival of the Dead”, Dinosaurs And Barbarians, https://dinosaursandbarbarians.com/2020/02/15/february-21-rest-in-peace-the-feralia-festival-of-the-dead/, Accessed 20251017
“On the final day of Parentalia, a public feast called the Feralia was held. …
The Feralia was also a time to celebrate the god Jupiter, in his aspect as Iuppiter Feretrius, the subduer of enemies and oath-breakers. …”
”The Parentalia Festival”, Learn Religions, https://www.learnreligions.com/the-roman-parentalia-festival-2562141, Accessed 20251017
Strong’s Definition:
בַּעַל Baʻal, bah'-al; the same as H1167; Baal, a Phoenician deity:—Baal, (plural) Baalim.
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
בַּעַל Especially
II. lord, specifically as divine name, Baal.
1. without article: במות בעל [H1109 Numbers 22:41] (poetry Balaam); בעל פעור [H1187 Numbers 25:3, 5 (E) Deuteronomy 4:3] (see below). This divine name is not used elsewhere in Hexateuch It probably originated from the sense of divine ownership, rather than sovereignty (RSSem 92). It seems to have been used in Northern Israel = אדון in the South. It was the special name of the God of the Canaanites, Philistines, etc., = Babylonian בֵּל, compare SchrSK 1874, 335 ff. In later times scribes substituted בּשֶׁת, in proper name (ירבשׁת = ירבעל, אשׁבשׁת = אשׁבעל, see בּשֶׁת, GeiZMG 1862, 728 ff.), & also in the text for בעל [H1187 Hosea 9:10]; Jeremiah 11:13 (hence ἡ βάαλ Jeremiah 2:23; Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 11:13, 17; Jeremiah 19:5; Hosea 2:10 [Hosea 2:8]; Hosea 13:1 +, Romans 11:4, see DiBaal mit d. weib. Art1 Kel, MBA 1881, June 16 Dr 2 Samuel 4:4).
2. with article: הַבַּעַל Judges 2:13; Judges 6:25, 28, 30, 31, 32; 1 Kings 16:31, 32 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 18:19, 21, 22, 25, 26 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 18:40; 1 Kings 19:18; 1 Kings 22:54; 2 Kings 3:2; 2 Kings 10:18, 19 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 10:20, 21 (3 times in verse); 2 Kings 10:22, 23 (3 times in verse); 2 Kings 10:25, 26, 27 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 10:28; 2 Kings 11:18 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 23:4, 5; 2 Chronicles 23:17 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 2:8; Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 11:13, 17; Jeremiah 12:16; Jeremiah 19:5 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 23:13; Jeremiah 23:27; Jeremiah 32:29; Jeremiah 32:35; Hosea 2:10 [Hosea 2:8]; Hosea 13:1; Zephaniah 1:4.
3. הַבְּעָלִים emphatic plural (compare האלהים, האדונים) the great lord, the sovereign owner Judges 2:11; Judges 3:7; Judges 8:33; Judges 10:6, 10; 1 Samuel 7:4; 1 Samuel 12:10; 1 Kings 18:18; 2 Chronicles 17:3; 24:7; 28:2; 33:3; 34:4; Jeremiah 2:23; Jeremiah 9:13 [Jeremiah 9:14]; Hosea 2:15 [Hosea 2:13]; Hosea 2:19 [Hosea 2:17]; Hosea 11:2 (or local special Ba`als, see DrSm. p. 50; pillars of Baal MV).
4. with attributive: בַּעַל בְּרִית Lord of convenant [H1170 Judges 8:33; Judges 9:4] (compare אל ברית [H1167 Judges 9:46]; NöZMG 1888, 478); זְבוּב ב׳ Lord of flies [H1176 2 Kings 1:2, 3, 6, 16], Philistine god, Greek Version of the LXX Βααλ μυῖαν (Beelzebub, Matthew 12:24) compare BaeRel 25.
† II. בַּ֫עַל
1. proper name, of a location city in the tribe of Simeon 1 Chronicles 4:33 = בַּעֲלַת בְּאֵר.
2. proper name, masculine
a. a Reubenite 1 Chronicles 5:5;
b. a Gibeonite 1 Chronicles 8:30; 1 Chronicles 9:36.
Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon:
בַּעַל with suff. בַּעְלִי, בַּעְלָהּ; pl. בְּעָלִים, const. בַּעֲלֵי; with suff. 3 sing. בְּעָלָיז Exodus 21:29, 34 Exodus 21:34, 36 Exodus 21:36 -22:1014 ; Ecclesiastes 5:12 and בְּעָלֶיהָ Job 31:39; Ecclesiastes 7:12 sometimes used for the singular (like אֲדֹנָיז his lord, compare Lehrgb. 663); but with suff. 3 pl. בַּעֲלֵיהֶן Esther 1:17, 20, as a plural.
(1) lord, master, possessor, owner ([“frequent in the Phœnician dialect; see Monumen. Phœn. p. 348”] Aram. בַּעַל, בְּעֵל, ܒܥܶܠ, id.; Arab. بَعْلُ in the idiom of Arabia Felix, lord, master, elsewhere husband; Ethiop. በዕል፡ compare also Sansc. pàla, lord [according to Lee, Bala]). Used of the master and owner of a house, Exodus 22:7; Judges 19:22 of a field, Job 31:39 an ox, Exodus 21:28; Isaiah 1:3 of money lent, i.e. a creditor, Deuteronomy 15:2 of the master of a family, Leviticus 21:4 בַּעֲלֵי גוֹיִם “lords of the nations,” Isaiah 16:8, said of the Assyrians, the conquerors of the nations; according to others, of their princes.
(2) a husband (Arab., Syr., Ch., id. [“compare Sansc. pati, lord, also husband”]), Exodus 21:22; 2 Samuel 11:26 בַּעַל אִשָּׁה one who has a wife, Exodus 21:3 בַּעַל נְעוּרִים a husband to whom a wife was married in his youth, Joel 1:8. i.q. κουρίδιος πόσις, Il. v. 414.
(3) lords of a city, a name given to the inhabitants; בַּעֲלֵי יְרִיחוֹ Joshua 24:11 שְׁכֶם Judges 9:2, seq.; בַּעֲלֵי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד 2 Samuel 21:12 who also are called in 2 Samuel 2:4, 2 Samuel 2:5, אַנְשֵׁי י׳ נ׳. Some moderns incorrectly render it princes, nobles, led perhaps into this mistake by the words, Judges 9:51, כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְכֹל בַּעֲלֵי הָעִיר, where also LXX. πάντες οἱ ἡγούμενοι τῆς πόλεως. But it should be rendered “all the men and women, and all they of the city,” the latter again comprehending the former.
(4) lord or possessor of a thing, is often applied to him to whom that quality belongs; a common circumlocution for adjectives is thus formed in the Hebrew (see אִישׁ No. 1, k, אָב No. 8), as אַיִל בַּעַל הַקְּרָנַיִם a two-horned ram, Daniel 8:6, 20 בַּעַל כְּנָפַיִם winged, poetically used of a bird, Ecclesiastes 10:20 אִישׁ בַּעַל שֵׂעָר a hairy man, 2 Kings 1:8 בַּעַל הַחֲלֹמוֹת a dreamer, one who has dreams, Genesis 37:19 בַּעַל דְּבָרִים one who has forensic causes, Exodus 24:14 comp. Isaiah 50:8 “masters of my covenant, of my oath,” joined in league with me, Genesis 14:13; Nehemiah 6:18 בַּעַל הַלָּשׁוֹן master of tongue, charmer, Ecclesiastes 10:11 בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ greedy, Proverbs 23:2 compare 29:22. Proverbs 16:22, מְקוֹר חַיִּים שֵׂכֶל בְּעָלָיו “prudence is a fountain of life to its owner,” i.e. to him who is endowed with it; Proverbs 1:19, 17:8 Ecclesiastes 8:8, לֹא יְמַלֵּט רֶשַׁע אֶתִ־בְּעָלָיִו “wickedness does not deliver its owner,” i.e. the wicked person; Ecclesiastes 7:12; Proverbs 3:27, אַל־תִּמְנַע־טוֹב מִבְּעָלָיו “withhold no good from its owner,” from him to whom it is due, to whom it belongs, i.e. the needy.
(5) With art. הַבַּעַל; with pref. בַּבַּעַל, לַבַּעַל Baal, i.e. Lord; κατʼ ἐξοχὴν, the name of an idol of the Phœnicians, especially of the Tyrians: it was their domestic and principal deity, also worshipped with great devotion together with Astarte, by the Hebrews, especially in Samaria (see אֲשֵׁרָה, עַשְׁתֹּרֶת ), Judges 6:25, seq.; 2 Kings 10:18, seq. Hence בֵּית הַבַּעַל the temple of Baal, 1 Kings 16:32 נְבִיאֵי הַבַּעַל prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 18:22, 25 1 Kings 18:25שְׁאָר הַבַּעַל remains of the worship of Baal, Zephaniah 1:4 pl. הַבְּעָלִים statutes of Baal, Judges 2:11, 3:7 8:33 10:10 1 Samuel 7:4, 12:10, etc. The worship of this God by the Phœnicians and Pœni is shewn amongst other things by the Phœnician proper names, as אֶתְבַּעַל (which see), Jerombalus (יְרֻבַּעַל), and by those of the Pœni, as Hannibal (הַנִּבַעַל “grace of Baal”), Hasdrubal (עַזְרוּבַעַל “aid of Baal”), Muthumballes (מְתוּבַעַל “man of Baal”), etc. Amongst the Babylonians the same deity was called in the Aramean manner בֵּל Belus (see that word) for בְּעֵל; amongst the Tyrians themselves his full name appears to have been מַלְקֶרֶת בַּעַל צֹר (Inscr. Melit. Bilingu.) Malkereth (i.e. “king of the city,” for מֶלֶךְ קֶרֶת), lord of Tyre; the Greeks, from some supposed resemblance of emblems, constantly called him (see the cited inscription) Hercules, Hercules Tyrius; see my more full remarks in Germ. Encyclopædia, vol. viii. p. 397, seq., arts. Baal, Bel, Belus. Many suppose (see Münter, Religion der Babylonier, p. 16, seqq.; [“Movers’ Phönizier, i. p. 169, seq.”]) that the sun itself was worshipped under this name; but that it was not this luminary but the planet Jupiter, as the ruler and giver of good fortune, that is to be understood by this name, I have sought to shew by many arguments in my Comment. on Isa. vol. ii. p. 335, seq., and in Encyclop. 1. 1. p. 398, seq.; this is acceded to by Rosenmüller, Bibl. Alterthumskunde, i. ii. p. 11, et passim [“Yet I would not deny that בַּעַל with certain attributes, as בַּעַל חַמָּן (see חַמָּן ) is also referred to the sun”]. From particular cities devoted to his worship he received particular epithets; such as
(a) בַּעַל בְּרִית [Baal-berith], lord and guardian of covenants, worshipped by the Shechemites, Judges 8:33, 9:4 compare 46 Judges 9:46, as if Ζεὺς ὅρκιος, or Deus fidius [“According to Movers loc. cit. ‘Baal in covenant with the idolaters of Israel’ ”].
(b) בַּעַל זְבוּב [Baal-zebub], worshipped by the Philistines of Ekron, as if the fly-destroyer, like Ζεὺς Ἀπόμυιος of Elis (Pausan. v. 14, § 2), and Myiagrus deus of the Romans (Solin. Polyhist. c. 1), 2 Kings 1:2.
(c) בַּעַל פְּעֹר [Baal-peor] of the Moabites; see פְּעֹר.
(6) Inasmuch as it denotes the possessor of a thing, it is applied also to the place which has any thing, i.e. in which any thing is and is found, and it is of the same power as בַּיִת No. 5. So in the proper names of towns.
(a) בַּעַל 1 Chronicles 4:33 [Baal], perhaps the same town as בַּעֲלַת בְּאֵר (“having a well”), on the borders of the tribe of Simeon. Joshua 19:8.
(b) בַּעַל גַּד [Baal-Gad], so called from the worship of Gad (i.e. “Fortune”), situated at the foot of Hermon near the source of the Jordan, prob. i.q. בַּעַל חֶרְמוֹן letter e. It is a great mistake to suppose, as some do, that this city is to be sought for where the remarkable ruins of the city of Baalbec or Heliopolis stand: as to which see Thes. p. 225.
(c) בַּעַל הָמוֹן [Baal-hamon], (“place of a multitude,” i.q. בַּעַל אָמוֹן sacred to Jupiter Ammon), a town near which Solomon had a vineyard, Song of Solomon 8:11. The town of Βελαμών (Alexand. Βαλαμών), situated in Samaria, is mentioned Jdt_8:3.
(d) בַּעַל חָצוֹר [Baal-hazor], (“having a village”), a town or village near the tribe of Ephraim, 2 Samuel 13:23 perhaps i.q. חָצוֹר Nehemiah 11:33, in the tribe of Benjamin.
(e) בַּעַל חֶרְמוֹן [Baal-hermon], a town with a mountain near it, at the foot of Hermon, 1 Chronicles 5:23; Judges 3:3 compare letter b.
(f) בַּעַל מְעוֹן [Baal-meon], (“place of habitation”), see מְעוֹן בַּעַל בֵּית p. 117, A.
(g) בַּעַל פְּרָצִים [Baal-perazim], (“place of breaches”), a place or village near the valley of Rephaim, 2 Samuel 5:20; 1 Chronicles 14:11 compare Isaiah 28:21.
(h) בַּעַל צְפוֹן [Baal-zephon], (“place of Typhon,” or, “sacred to Typhon”), a town of the Egyptians near the Red Sea, Exodus 14:2, Exodus 14:9; Numbers 33:7. The name suits very well the site of this city in the uncultivated places between the Nile and the Red Sea, which were regarded as the abode of Typhon or the evil demon of the Egyptians. See Creuzer, in Comment. on Herodotus, i. § 22; Symbol. i. 317, seq.
(1) בַּעַל שָׁלִשָׁה [Baal-shalishah], 2 Kings 4:42, the name of a town, probably situated in the region of שָׁלִשָׁה near the mountains of Ephraim (1 Samuel 9:4).
(k) בַּעַל תָּמָר [Baal-tamar], (“place of palm trees”), Judges 20:33.
(l) בַּעֲלֵי יְהוּדָה (“citizens of Judah”), 2 Samuel 6:2 a town which is elsewhere called בַּעֲלָה (“city”), and Kirjath-Jearim, compare 1 Chronicles 13:6 see בַּעֲלָה No. 2,.
(7) proper names of men are
(a) בַּעַל [Baal]
(α) 1 Chronicles 5:5.
(β) 8:30 9:36.
(b) בַּעַל חָנָן [Baal-hanan], (“lord of benignity”), pr.n.
(α) of a king of the Edomites, Genesis 36:38; 1 Chronicles 1:49 (β) of a royal officer, 1 Chronicles 27:28.
Jastrow’s Dictionary of the Targums:
בַּעַל m. (b. h.; preced.) 1) husband. Kidd. I, 1 and she becomes her own master בגט ובמיתת הב׳ through a letter of divorce or on the husband’s death; a. v. fr. —2) the idol Baal. Y. Ab. Zar. III, 43ᵃ bot. ב׳ ראש גוייה הוה וכ׳ the Baal was the phallus and had the shape of a bean [read וכאפון]. —3) [the fructifier,] rain (v. Taan. 6ᵇ; cmp. Is. LV, 10). בֵּית בַּ׳ a field sufficiently watered by rain and requiring no artificial irrigation. Tosef. M. Kat. I, 1 שדה (בית) הב׳. B. Bath. III, 1. Tosef. Succ. II, 7 ערבה של ב׳ (sub. בית) a willow in a naturally watered field. Ib. Shebi. II, 4 בשל ב׳ (= בשדה של ב׳), opp. של שוקי. Num. R. s. 16 the Egyptian gods של שקר הם (read שקי) are gods of artificial drainage, but those of Canaan של ב׳ הם are gods of rain; (Tanḥ. Sh’laḥ 13, through misunderstanding, שקר … בעליכח. —4) (mostly in compounds) owner of, master of, possessed of, given to &c.; e.g. ב׳ אבידה owner of a lost object; ב׳ אגדה master of Agadah, lecturer; ב׳ דין opponent in court; v. infra. Pes. 86ᵇ ב׳ השם אני I am so named.—Pl. בְּעָלִים, בְּעָלִין owners; mostly as sing. owner. B. Mets. VIII, 1; a. fr. [Y. Dem. III, 23ᵇ bot. לבלעין, read לבעלין.]
Compounds: . - ב׳ מחשבות He who knows man’s thoughts. Snh. 19ᵇ.—Ib. בעלי מ׳ those entertaining considerations (of fear), hesitating to do justice.—ב׳ שיבה gray-haired. Ned. III, 8.—ב׳ תשובה repentant sinner. Succ. 53ᵃ; a. fr.—ב׳ תשובות a man of many objections or excuses. Gen. R. s. 20 beg.—[For other compounds, not self-evident, see the respective determinants.]
Klein Dictionary:
בַּֽעַל m.n. 1 owner, master. 2 husband. 3 Baal, name of the chief god of the Canaanites. PBH 4 soil watered by rain. [Prob. derived from בעל. Related to Phoen. בעל, Palm. בעל, Aram.–Syr. בַּעְלָא, Ugar. b‘l, Akka. bēlu, Arab. ba‘l, Ethiop. bā‘el (= lord, owner).] Derivatives: בַּעֲלָה, בַּעֲלוּת, בַּעֲלָה. cp. בּֽעָלִים.]
HALOT:
15v2, Sam.M70 bāl: *ba'l, owner, lord, husband; MHb., Ug. b'l b'lt UTGI. 493, Ph. (Pun.Ba1 ZDMG 107:284, bal Sznycer Poen. 1027), Arm. בּעל -> BArm .; Akk. bēlu, Amor. (Bauer Ostk. 72; Jean StMariana 77) and Can. (Fschr. Baudissin 193f) bahlu, balu, Eg. b'r (after the Nineteenth Dynasty, Erman-G. 1:447), OSArb. (Ryckmans Rel. 46) Eth. bā'el rich; Palm. 1 Böl ? (Harris Gramm. 32; Eissfeldt AO 40:84 :: Starcky 87), Arb. ba'lu (Nöldeke ZDMG 40:174); Well-hausen Heidentums 146; Smith Rel. Sem. 93ff, 532ff; Baudissin Kyr. 3:246ff; Eissfeldt RGG 1:805f; Lökkegard ActOr. 22:10ff; WbMyth. 1:253ff; > "formal word" (VG 2:240, v.i. A 6):בְּעַל -*; בָּעַל and *בְּעֶל־ cf. ,בַּעְלִי; בְּעַלְיָה, בְּעֶלְיָדָע - (2160 BL) אֶבְיָתָר -pl. (also as sg., Ex 2129 Is 13, Brockel,בַּעְלָהּ ,בְּעָלָיו, בַּעֲלֵי, בְּעָלִים (mann Heb. Syn. $19c בַּעֲלֵיהֶן
A. owner; -1. husband (Neumann 231ff):בַּ׳ אִשָּׁה Ex 213 (Ug. PRU 2, 77:2-5) Gn 203 Dt 2222, cj. Lv 214; Ex 2122 Dt 244 2S 1126 Pr 124 3111-23-28; Ho 218 (cf. Cowley Arm. Pap. 15:23 אני בעלה, בעלי Kraeling Arm. Pap. 2:4; אָדוֹן) JI 1g; Est 117-20; -2. landowner, citizen ֹבַּעֲלֵי יְרִיחו Jos 2411, קְעִילָה,205 הַנִּבְעָה 946f מִנְדַּל שְׁכֶם, 92 Ju שְׁכֶם בַּעַל .Ju 951;rd הָעִיר,2112 2S יָבֵישׁ 1S 23 11f n.loc. 2S 62 ;- 3.בעלֵי נוים lords of the nations Is 16g and cj. בַּעֲלֵי עַמִּים Ps 6831; -4. partner of a community:בַּעֲלֵי בְרִית allies Gn .5- ;618 bound by oath Ne בַּ׳ שְׁבוּעָה ,1413 ,2134 בּור ,2128 Ex שור :owner of an object (Ug. b'l bt; + Pedersen Isr. 1-2:62f) בַּעַל בַּיִת Ex 227 Ju 1922f, 2 שֵׁעָרK 18; Ex 2129-34-36 2210f-13f Is 13 Pr 119 327 1622 17g Jb 3139 ( -* II בעל !) Qoh 510-12 712 88 ;- 6. status word indicates the owner of an object which בַּעל embodies his manner, his character or his occupation:בַּ׳ חֲלמוֹת dreamer (someone who possesses the gift of dreaming and the ,מָרֵי חֶלְמָא '.interpretation of dreams, JArm בַּ׳ דְּבָרִים ,3719 Pedersen Isr. 1-2:134ff) Gn someone with matters of concern Ex 2414 < my adversary (Akk. bel dini בַּ׳ מִשְׁפָּטִי MHb. בַּ׳ דִּין, Syr. Mnd. (MdD 60b) berel dina, Zimmern 24) Is 50g, cj.בַּ׳ מַשֶּׁה creditor, Akk. bēl hubulli, Dt 152 (17, obj. of tnti "his share", Lv 2526, + 7, 4b/c; likewise North VT 4:196ff),בַּ׳ שׂחַד a person who offers a bribe ( :: Ehrlich: someone who takes it) Pr 17g, with ובu those who have an interest in goodness Pr 327 ( :: Akk. bēl țābti benefactor AHw. 120, EgArm. בעל טבתא Cowley Arm. Pap. 30:23 and ZAW 47:150f);בַּ׳ חִצִּים archer Gn 4923,cj. בַּעֲלֵי רֶכֶב men of the chariots 2S 16 בַּעֲלֵי פָרָשִׁים mounted men 2S 16, wrathful Nah בֵַּ׳ חֵמָה; 3713 sentry Jr בַּ׳ פְּקדֶת 12 Pr 2922,בַּ׳ אֵף bad-tempered Pr 2224 Sir 816 (cf. the "hot-headed one" Amenemope, בַּ׳ מְזִמּוֹת,232 greedy Pr בַּ׳ נֶפֶשׁ,(4 chapter intriguer Pr 24g, בַּ׳ מַשְׁחִית destroyer 189; which has בַּ׳ כְּנָפֵים ,117 winged Pr בַּ׳ כָּנָף wings Qoh 1020, בַּ׳ פִּיפִיּות double-edged Is 4115 , בַּעֲלֵי אֲסֶפּוֹת (? rd. מִשְׁלֵי, Galling :: Bardtke) Qoh 1211,בַּ׳ קְרָנַיִם with two horns Da 86-20, בַּ׳ לָשוֹן charmer Qoh 1011; -table-com ב׳ לחם ,66 confidant Sir ב׳ סוד panions 916-
B. בָּעַל n.div., WbMyth. 1/1:270): -1. designates the nameless, numinous beings which are known to appear at wells, trees, rocks etc. as the owners of the place, and whose influence was initially limited to the place itself; usu. (but only in OT) mentioned in the pl. הַבְּעָלִים ( :: Eissfeldt ZAW 56:15ff; Kapelrud Baal) :- a) הַבַּעַל (the individual) Baal (- B 2 !) Ju 213 631f 1K 1821-26 2K 213 234f Jr 28 79 1113-17 1216 195 2313.27 3229 Hos 210 131 Zeph 14, cj. Jr 324; -b) the Baals Ju 211 37 833 106-10 1S הַבְּעָלִים 74 1210 1K 1818 Jr 223 913 Hos 215-19 112 2C 173 247 282 333 344 in conflict with the main God-2. one particular Baal as a higher deity (often not clearly distinguished from B 1a) within his own cult (Wright 104b) - Eissfeldt v.s .; cf. Ba'lu (ina šamē) EA (Gressmann Fschr. Baudissin 191ff), > proper names, in particular of + Hadad: '277 DV 1K 1118 1021-23-25-27 1K 1632 2K בֵּית הַבַּ׳ 1826 2C 23 17 בָּמוֹח בַּ׳ Nu 2241 and בָּמוֹת הַבַּ׳ Jr 195 32 2K מַצְּכַת הַבַּ׳ 625-28-30 Ju מִזְבַּח הַבַּ׳ 3235 1027 Cj 26 2 עֹבְדֵי הַבַּ׳K 1019.21-23 2 כֹּהֵן הַבַּ׳K 1118 2C 2317,1 נְבִיאֵי הַבַּ׳K 1819-22-25.40 2K 1019;rd. בֶּלְעָה Nu 2128 ;- a) בַּ׳ פְּעוֹר, the (בֵּית פּ׳ +-) פְּעוֹר Baal who is worshipped in Nu 253.5 Dt 43 Hos 910 Ps 10628; -b) the Baal of Shechem who observes ַּ׳ בְּרִית how covenants are kept (Meyer Isr. 550f, בּ׳ זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן (557f) Ju 833 94 ;- c 2K 12f-6-16-d) n. loc. with בַּעַל + C ;- e) מלקרת בעל צר,the city-god of Tyre, הַבַּעַל CIS 1:122 Melkart ( :: Eissfeldt ZAW 56:19ff: Baalšamēm :: Albright Religion 174f) 1K 1631f 1918 2254 2K 1018- 20-28 1716 t; -3. 2 a designation of Y. Hos 218 !: n.m. ,בַּעְשָׁא, יְרֶבַּעַל,בְּעַלְיָה,בְּעֶלְיָדָע, אֶשְׁבַּעַל cj. בַּעֵל;מְרִיבַעַל*, יִשְׁבַּעַל replaced by ;Baudissin Kyr. 389ff; אֲבִי־עַלְבּוֹן .cf בֹּשֶׁת Mulder Ba'al; Reicke-R. 1:173.
C. n.loc. and top. with בַּעַל,initially deriving from בֵּית בַּעַל for the local God (Boree 96f; Simons Geog. 4323).
https://www.sefaria.org/Jastrow%2C_%D7%91%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%A2%D6%B7%D7%9C.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h1168/kjv/wlc/0-1/
https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/hebrew/1168.html
https://archive.org/details/hebrewaramaiclex0001kohl/page/142/mode/2up
Strong’s Definition:
בַּעַל זְבוּב Baʻal Zᵉbûwb, bah'-al zeb-oob'; from H1168 and H2070; Baal of (the) Fly; Baal-Zebub, a special deity of the Ekronites:—Baal-zebub.
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
Baal-zebub = “lord of the fly”
HALOT:
OI 722 2K 12f-6-16, Sept.B τώ/τή Βααλ μυΐαν, Sept.A Βααλζεβουβ, Symm. Βεελζε-βουλ (Βεελ- -BArm. *>Ω2): Lord of the flies, God of the flies, god of ]ipy, cf. Ζεύς Άπόμυιος and Θεός Μυίαγρος, Nilsson Griech. Rel. 1:198; Baudissin RePThK 2:514ff; orig בַּעַל זְבּוּל < Ug. zbl b'l'rs the high one, the lord of the world, corrupted Albright JPOS 12:191f; 16:17f; Gaston ThZ 18:247ff; Reicke-R. 175; NT Βεε(λ)ζεβουβ/λ. +
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h1176/kjv/wlc/0-1/
https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/hebrew/1176.html
https://archive.org/details/hebrewaramaiclex0001kohl/page/260/mode/2up
Strong’s Definition:
זְבוּב zᵉbûwb, zeb-oob'; from an unused root (meaning to flit); a fly (especially one of a stinging nature):—fly.
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
† זְבוּב noun masculineEcclesiastes 10:1 fly (as moving to and fro in the air? compare Fl NHWBi. 438 b; Late Hebrew id., Assyrian zumbu, DlS 63 f.; Arabic bdb025603, Aramaic דִּיבָבָא, bdb025604, bdb025605); — literal only זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת Ecclesiastes 10:1 i.e. dead flies; so AV RV Hi Now and others; > Greek Version of the LXX De and others death-bringing, deadly flies; זְבוּב metaphor of Egyptian army Isaiah 7:18 (|| דְּבוֺרָה, bee, of Assyrian); on בַּעַל זְבוּב see בַּעַל II. 4, above.
Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon:
זְבוּב m. a fly, from the root זָבַב. Isaiah 7:18; Ecclesiastes 10:1, זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת “flies of death,” i.e. deadly, or poisonous [“dead, not poisonous, which is not in accordance with the context.” Thes.]; בַּעַל זְבוּב the lord of flies, see בַּעַל No. 5, letter b. [“Arab. ذُبَابُ, Ch. דְּבָבָא id.”]
Jastrow’s Dictionary of the Targums:
זְבוּב m. (b. h.; זבב) fly. Sabb. 121ᵇ ז׳ שבארץ מצרים the Egyptian fly (whose sting is dangerous). Tosef. Sot. V, 9; Gitt. 90ᵃ. Pesik. Zakhor, p. 26ᵇ לז׳ שהוא וכ׳ (Amalek resembles) the fly which is greedy for a sore; a. fr.—Pl. זְבוּבִים, זְבוּבִין. Y. Sabb. XIV, beg. 14ᵇ; Tosef. ib. XII (XIII), 4. Keth. 77ᵇ ז׳ של בעלי וכ׳ (not זבובי) flies which sucked from those afflicted with gonorrhœa (carrying contagion); a. fr.
Klein Dictionary:
זְבוּב m.n. fly. [Related to Aram. דִּבָּבָא, Syr. דֶּבָּבָא or דַּבָּבָא, Arab. dhubāb (= flies), Amharic zimb, zemb, Akka. zumbu. Prob. of imitative origin. cp. ‘zimb’ in my CEDEL.] Derivatives: זְבוּבוֹן, זְבוּבִי.
HALOT:
;BL 4741, Noldeke Beitr. 119f ,זבב:זבוּב MHb .; JArm.t8 דִּיבְבָא,CPArm. Syr. daldeb-bābā, JArm.b Mnd. (MdD 106b) and NSyr. (Maclean Dictionary 64b) דידבא < *dbdb Schulthess Gramm. §50:2; Spitaler 79; Arb. dubāb, Amh. zemb (Leslau 18), Meh. debbēt; Akk. zubbu, zumbu (also n.m. Tallqvist Names 249; Landsberger Fauna 130f): pl. "Dr (v.i.): coll. flies (Bodenheimer Animal Life 275ff; Reicke-R. 486): -Is 718, -Qoh 101 dead or deadly (i.e. poi זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת sonous) flies (Bardtke KAT 188, usu. rd. .(זבוּב מֵת
https://www.sefaria.org/Jastrow%2C_%D7%96%D6%B0%D7%91%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%91.1?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2070/kjv/wlc/0-1/
https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/hebrew/2070.html
https://archive.org/details/hebrewaramaiclex0001kohl/page/260/mode/2up
Strong’s Definition:
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon:
Jastrow’s Dictionary of the Targums:
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5647/kjv/wlc/0-1/
https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/hebrew/5647.html
“HALLOWE'EN, hal-o-en', or HAL-LOW-EVEN, the evening of 31 October, so called as being the eve or vigil of All Hallows, or festival of All Saints, which falls on 1 November. It is associated in the popular imagination with the prevalence of supernatural influences, and is clearly a relic of pagan times. In the north of England, hallowe'en is known as Nutcrack Night. In Scotland the ceremonies of the eve were formerly regarded in a highly superstitious light, and Burns' 'Hallowe'en’ gives a humorous and richly imaginative presentment of the usual ceremonies as practised in Scottish rural districts in his day. The principal object of curiosity in consulting the future was to discover who should be the partner in life. Popular belief ascribed to children born on hallowe'en the faculty of perceiving and holding converse with supernatural beings.”
“HALLOWEEN”, Encyclopedia Americana, 1924, vol 13, pg 649
“HALLOWE'EN, or ALL HALLOWS EVE, the name given to the 3Ist of October as the vigil of Hallowmas or All Saints' Day. Though now known as little else but the eve of the Christian festival, Hallowe'en and its formerly attendant ceremonies long antedate Christianity. The two chief characteristics of ancient Hallowe'en were the lighting of bonfires and the belief that of all nights in the year this is the one during which ghosts and witches are most likely to wander abroad. Now on or about the Ist of November the Druids held their great autumn festival and lighted fires in honour of the Sun-god in thanksgiving for the harvest. Further, it was a Druidic belief that on the eve of this festival Saman, lord of death, called together the wicked souls that within the past twelve months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. Thus it is clear that the main celebrations of Hallowe'en were purely Druidical, and this is further proved by the fact that in parts of Ireland the 3Ist of October was, and even still is, known as Oidhche Shamhna, " Vigil of Saman." On the Druidic ceremonies were grafted some of the characteristics of the Roman festival in honour of Pomona held about the Ist of November, in which nuts and apples, as representing the winter store of fruits, played an important part. Thus the roasting of nuts and the sport known as " apple-ducking "-attempting to seize with the teeth an apple floating in a tub of water,-were once the universal occupation of the young folk in medieval England on the 31st of October. The custom of lighting Hallowe'en fires survived until recent years in the highlands of Scotland and Wales. In the dying embers it was usual to place as many small stones as there were persons around, and next morning a search was made. If any of the pebbles were displaced it was regarded as certain that the person represented would die within the twelve months.”
“HALLOWEEN”, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910, vol 12, pgs 857-858
“All Saints, a feast of the highest rank, celebrated on the first of November, having a vigil and an octave, and giving place to another feast. It is instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints feasts during the year. In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Busil of Cæsarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honoured by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. In the West, Boniface IV, 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).”
“All Saints”, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907, vol 01, pg 315
“All Souls' Day .- The commemoration of all the faithful departed is celebrated by the Church on 2 November, or, if this be a Sunday or a feast of the first class, on 3 November. The Office of the Dead must be recited by the clergy and all the Masses are to be of Requiem, except one of the current feast, where this is of obligation. The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body, are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, almsdeeds and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass. In the early days of Christianity the names of the departed brethren were entered in the diptychs. Later, in the sixth century, it was customary in Benedictine monasteries to hold a commemoration of the deceased members at Whitsuntide. In Spain there was such a day on Saturday before Sexagesima or before Pentecost, at the time of St. Isidore (d. 636). In Germany there existed (according to the testimony of Widukind, Abbot of Corvey, c 980) a time-honoured ceremony of praying to the dead on 1 October. This was accepted and sanctified by the Church. St. Odilo of Cluny (d. 1048) ordered the commemoration of all the faithful departed to he held annually in the monasteries of his congregation Thence it spread among the other congregations of the Benedictines and among the Carthusians. Of the dioceses, Liege was the first to adopt it under Bishop Notger (d. 1008). It is then found in the martyrology of St. Protadius of Besançon (1053-66). Bishop Otricus (1120-25) introduced it into Milan for the 15 October. In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, priests on this day say three Masses. A similar concession for the entire world was asked of Pope Leo XIII. He would not grant the favour but ordered a special Requiem on Sunday, 30 September, 1888. In the Greek Rite this commemoration is held on the eve of Sexagesima Sunday, or on the eve of Pentecost. The Armenians celebrate the passover of the dead on the day after Easter.”
“All Souls’ Day”, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907, vol 01, pgs 315-316
“The people of Europe celebrated festivals that marked the seasons dividing the year. There were eight main points of celebration. The summer and winter solstices (the longest and shortest days of the year, respectively) and the spring and autumn equinoxes (the days in the spring and fall when night and day are the same length) marked the year’s turning points and were occasions for feasts and parties. … Ancient Europeans divided the year into two halves, the dark winter half and the bright summer half. The festivals known as Samhain and Beltane in Ireland (but celebrated under other names throughout ancient Europe) marked the dividing lines between these two halves of the year.
The Celtic year began at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, around October 31, when Celts celebrated the final harvest. This festival was known as Samhain in Ireland. On this date the spirits of the dead were said to walk the earth to visit their old homes. Gods were also believed to roam about the dwellings of the living, intent on doing harm. People lit large bonfires to honor the dead and protect themselves from evil spirits wandering the land. Young men lit torches and ran around the boundaries of their farms to protect their families and property from evil spirits. … Because the line between the living and the dead was blurred at this time, Druids believed that Samhain was the best possible time to predict the future.
Tribes gathered at this festival to hold political discussions, horse races, and markets, and to exchange spouses. Animal sacrifices were common, as people killed and ate animals fattened during the summer. … In Roman Gaul this harvest festival blended with the Roman festival Feralia. People celebrated Feralia by leaving food on the graves of their ancestors and decorating their homes with apples. This autumn festival gradually transformed into the modern festival Halloween.
The autumn equinox fell around September 21 and marked the beginning of autumn. Numerous ancient stone structures were designed to catch the light of the rising sun on this date. The Druids celebrated the equinox by burning a large wicker figure that represented the plant spirit; some scholars believe that this custom was the origin of Julius Caesar’s belief that Druids practiced human sacrifice.”
“festivals: Europe”, Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World, 2008, pgs 467-468
“... one aspect of Celtic belief mentioned by Caesar involved the transmigration of souls. The word transmigration is here chosen with care, because it is not the same as reincarnation. Celts did not believe in reincarnation—the rebirth of the soul into a new human being—but some believed that the soul of a dead person could migrate to the body of another living person. Thus the souls of the dead were dangerous. …
Other Celts, however, believed that the souls of the dead went to an aft erlife. Th ey envisioned a special land where no one ever lied, where good fruit abounded, and where hunting was always successful. …
… During the festivals of Beltane (May 1) and Samhain (November 1) the borders between the everyday world and the otherworld disappeared, and both humans and supernatural beings could cross from one to the other without trouble.
… Druids served as judges in legal matters, as priests in worship, and as seers who through ritual could foretell the future. The Greeks and Romans depicted the Druids and Celtic priests in general as very murderous and bloody, and the archaeological record supports their claims. For instance, the Druids foretold the future by cutting out a living human being’s intestines and studying their confi guration. Another approach to telling the future was to stab a person in the diaphragm and observe where the blood spurted and how the victim writhed in agony. Torturing, maiming, and mangling human sacrifices occurred at festivals and during eff orts to win the favor of certain gods. Sometimes horses were sacrificed. Wars may sometimes have been waged for the purpose of taking prisoners to be used in ritual sacrifices.”
“religion and cosmology: Europe”, Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World, 2008, pg 850
“It is clear that the gods known in Ireland as the Tuatha De Danann were common to all Celtic peoples … On the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain, celebrated on the last day of October to mark the new year, the De Danann were believed to allow mortals to enter their realm.”
“TUATHA DE DANANN”, Encyclopedia of Mythology, 2006, pg 170
“The Feasts of the Celtic Year. There were four main feasts in the Celtic year. The year began on what is now the first of November with the feast of Samain. Three months later on the first of February was Imbolc followed by the feast of Beltain or Cetshamain on the first of May. The fourth least was that of Lughnassah on the first of August. Of these four Samhain and Beltain were the more important and in the myths many important events took place on those days.
The beginning of the Celtic New Year was a particularly important event and the mythological cycle contains in its many references to Samain evidence of ritual acts which took place at this time. On the eve of the feast, time appeared to belong neither to the old year nor to the new. There was a feeling that this lack of distinction in time was matched by a similar indistinct boundary between the world of man and that of his gods. Although man had taken possession of the land after their defeat the Tuatha de Dannan were still powerful and could affect man's welfare. Whereas the mythical heroes of the Celts could venture bravely into sidhe to meet their gods either as allies or enemies, the ordinary people felt less sanguine about the possibility that on the eve of Samhain the people of the sidhe left their domain and wandered in the world of man. …
… Similarly, there is an echo in the Dindshenchas, the mythological geography of Ireland, of human sacrifices to Cram Cruaich and hideous and terrifying ritual at Samain in Celtic Times. There are references, too, to ordeals by fire and water, which are probably myths of human sacrifice. … The stories of attacks by hostile supernatural powers and of sacrifices are indicative of this insecurity and the need for propitiation.”
“CELTIC MYTHOLOGY: The Feasts of the Celtic Year”, New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1968, pg 236
“It seems we have assigned Halloween with one of two labels: satanic or harmless. But what if it’s neither of those things? What if we have given this evening entirely too much power over the way we respond to evil?
Imagine how our lives would change if we truly believed the darkness cannot overcome the light (John 1:4-5). We need to remain on guard against evil, but we don’t need to fear it, for Christ wins in the end (Psalm 23:4).”
“The ghosts and ghouls are a reminder of the day's dark origins in ancient Celtic history, when Oct. 31 was believed to be the night when ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a monk and university professor, released his "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," also known as "The 95 Theses."
Was it coincidence he chose to do so on Oct. 31? Reformation scholars say absolutely not.
"The reason he did that was because the next day was All Saints' Day," Martinson said. "He knew that well-educated people were going to come to the services."
All Saints' Day, celebrated on Nov. 1, is dedicated to honoring saints (those who have attained heaven), and one of the ways people did that was through relics. An enviable collection of relics — one from all 5,005 saints — was amassed by Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, who founded the University of Wittenberg, where Luther taught. The relics were housed at the Castle Church, where Luther is said to have nailed his theses to the door.
"The relics were kept very carefully in the church, but on specific occasions, they were publically shown," explained Pia Cuneo, professor of art history at the UA School of Art. "People would come from all over to see and venerate these relics, because according to traditional Christian belief, that made their prayer and their connection to God particularly effective. One of the days on which those relics were shown was All Saints' Day."
Halloween started as a pagan Celtic festival known as Samhain, which celebrated the harvest and new year. After the Roman Empire conquered the Celts in the first century, festivals traditional to each culture were combined and then eventually usurped by the Roman Catholic Church, which created All Martyrs' Day in A.D 609.
Nearly 400 years later, Pope Gregory III replaced All Martyrs' Day with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. All Saints' Day also was called All-Hallows — and the night before All-Hallows became All-Hallows Eve, the precursor of Halloween.
While Halloween isn't observed worldwide, many countries have holidays with similar origins. In Mexico and other Latin America countries, Oct. 31 is the start of Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, a three-day celebration to honor deceased loved ones and ancestors. Día de los Muertos also has been historically tied to All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, giving it a link to the Reformation, as well.”
“What Does Halloween Have to Do With the Reformation? Plenty”, University of Arizona, https://news.arizona.edu/story/what-does-halloween-have-do-reformation-plenty
“Halloween today is a pagan vine trained to grow upon a Christian trellis, later draped with modern frivolity — but the root remains ancient and unholy.”
→ Personal
“To-day, beloved, we celebrate in the joy of one solemnity, the festival of All Saints, in whose companionship the heaven exults; in whose guardianship the earth rejoices; by whose triumphs the Holy Church is crowned; whose confession, as braver in its passion, is also brighter in its honor—because while the battle increased, the glory of them that fought in it was also augmented.”
“SERMON ON ALL SAINTS”, Bede, 710 CE, https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_World%27s_Famous_Orations/Volume_3/His_Sermon_on_All_Saints
“Dearly beloved: Today we keep holy-day, with one great cry of joy, in memory of all the Saints; whose presence is a gladness to heaven; whose prayers are a blessing to earth; whose victories are the crown of holy Church; whose testimony is now to be honored in proportion to the glory imparted to it by the agony which was endured in the giving of it.”
“The Venerable Bede on All Saints”, Bede, Sermon 18 De sanctis, https://locuscommunis.blog/2024/11/01/the-venerable-bede-on-all-saints/
“At the suggestion of Pope Gregory and with the agreement of all the bishops, the emperor Ludovicus ordered that in Gaul and Germany the festivity of the all the Saints would be celebrated on the Kalends of November, which the Romans were celebrating by the institution of Pope Boniface. At this time the relics of Vitus the martyr are transported from Paris to Corbie in Saxony; because of which the Franks themselves bore witness that from that time the glory of the Franks was transferred to the Saxons. Ebbo, archbishop of Riems is deposed; and others unpunished, who had conspired with him to depose the emperor Ludovicus, are condemned and exiled.”
“Chronicle of Sigebert of Gembloux”, Sigebert of Gembloux, 12th Century writing about the year 835, https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2019/10/08/all-saints-the-edict-of-louis-in-835-establishing-the-date-as-1st-november/
'And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand drachms of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering, doing therein very well and honestly, in that he was mindful of the resurrection: for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead. And also in that he perceived that there was great favor laid up for those that died godly, it was an holy and good thought. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.'
2 Maccabees 12:43-45 (KJV w/ Apocrypha)
Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.
https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
During some Celtic celebrations of Samhain, villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantom visitors; banquet tables were prepared and food was left out to placate unwelcome spirits.
In later centuries, people began dressing as ghosts, demons and other malevolent creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink.
https://www.history.com/news/halloween-trick-or-treating-origins
The way was dark and Jack, unable to see his way out from Hell requested something to light his path. The Devil then tossed a hot, burning coal ember for Jack to carry. This ember would never burn out since it was from the flames of Hell.
Since the coal burnt his hands, Jack looked for a vessel to use to carry this coal and eventually came across a turnip which he carved to create a lantern.
https://halloween.com/2020/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern/
Witches have been around for eons and were often thought to have mystical powers, partly because of their connection to Satan or the spirit world. Their most notorious gatherings were thought to happen during the two major season changes on April 30 and, of course, October 31
https://halloween.com/2020/halloween-symbols/
“Lemuria
Lemuralia was a holiday in the ancient Roman religion, which scholars date back to the sixth century BCE.
In ancient Rome, where even-numbered days were considered unlucky, the festival of the dead known as the Lemuralia was held on May 9, 11, and 13. It was established by Romulus, one of the legendary founders of Rome, to atone for killing his twin brother, Remus.
The Lemures were the wandering spirits of the dead, who returned to visit and sometimes to threaten their kinfolk.”
“Lemuralia”, The Free Dictionary, https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Lemuria+(festival)
“Poor people would visit the houses of wealthier families and receive pastries called soul cakes in exchange for a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ dead relatives. Known as "souling," the practice was later taken up by children, who would go from door to door asking for gifts such as food, money and ale.”
“How Trick-or-Treating Became a Halloween Tradition”, History Channel, History.com, https://www.history.com/news/halloween-trick-or-treating-origins
“All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown.
From the 4th century, feasts commemorating all Christian martyrs were held in various places, on various dates near Easter and Pentecost. In the 9th century, some churches in the British Isles began holding the commemoration of all saints on 1 November, and in the 9th century this was extended to the whole Catholic Church by Pope Gregory IV.
From the 4th century, there existed in certain places and at sporadic intervals a feast day to commemorate all Christian martyrs. …
On 13 May 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary; the feast of dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres has been celebrated at Rome ever since. It is suggested 13 May was chosen by the Pope and earlier by Christians in Edessa because it was the date of the Roman pagan festival of Lemuria, in which malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were propitiated. Some liturgiologists suggest that Lemuria was the origin of All Saints, based on their identical dates and their similar theme of "all the dead".”
”All Saints' Day”, Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Day, Accessed 20251017
“All Saints’ Day, in the Christian church, a day commemorating all the saints of the church, both known and unknown, who have attained heaven. It is celebrated on November 1 in the Western churches and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Eastern churches. In Roman Catholicism, the feast is usually a holy day of obligation. It is part of the three-day triduum dedicated to remembering the dead, beginning with Halloween (October 31) and followed by All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2).
… A feast of all martyrs was kept on May 13 in the Eastern church according to Ephraem Syrus (died c. 373), which may have determined the choice of May 13 by Pope Boniface IV when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome as a church in honour of the Blessed Virgin and all martyrs in 609. The first evidence for the November 1 date of celebration and of the broadening of the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs occurred during the reign of Pope Gregory III (731–741), who dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s, Rome, on November 1 in honour of all saints.”
”All Saints’ Day”, Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-Saints-Day, Accessed 20251017
“All Saints Day, celebrated on November 1 in the Roman Catholic Church, is a holy day of obligation, … On this day, the Church honors all saints, both those formally canonized and others who have attained heaven … Whether officially recognized by the Church or not, these saints have played a significant role in spreading Christianity and leading others toward holiness …
… Initially, Christians would celebrate martyrs on the anniversaries of their death, because those days marked their birthdays unto eternal life with Jesus in heaven. However, as the number of martyrs grew during persecutions like that of Emperor Diocletian and his successor—which lasted from A.D. 303-311—it became difficult to assign a specific day to each witness who died for the Faith. Therefore, beginning in the fourth century, the Church established a common day to honor all martyrs, including in two cities in modern-day Turkey: Edessa on May 13 and in Antioch on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
In the year 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs, choosing to commemorate the saints on May 13. Later, Pope Gregory III (731-741) dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to all saints and moved the celebration to November 1. Finally, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) made November 1 the official date for the Feast of All Saints throughout the entire Western Church, thereby also recognizing and respecting the same celebration of Eastern Catholics earlier in the year.”
”All Saints Day”, Catholic Answers Guide, https://www.catholic.com/tract/all-saints-day-catholic-answers-guide, Accessed 20251017
“... Divine Scripture teaches us that there is a great Lord above all gods. And by this name gods we are not to understand the objects of gentile worship (for we know that all the gods of the gentiles are demons), but the gods mentioned by the prophets as forming an assembly, whom God judges, and to each of whom He assigns his proper work. For God stands in the assembly of the gods: He judges among the gods. For God is Lord of gods, who by His Son has called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. We are also commanded to give thanks to the God of gods. Moreover, we are taught that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Nor are these the only passages to this effect; but there are very many others.”
“Contra Celsum”, Origen, Book VIII, Chapter 3, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm
“But as he reckons among the servants of God the demons which are worshipped by the gentiles, he cannot induce us, on the plea of consistency, to worship such as are declared by the word to be servants of the evil one, the prince of this world, who leads astray from God as many as he can. We decline, therefore, altogether to worship and serve those whom other men worship, for the reason that they are not servants of God. For if we had been taught to regard them as servants of the Most High, we would not have called them demons. Accordingly, we worship with all our power the one God, and His only Son, the Word and the Image of God, by prayers and supplications; and we offer our petitions to the God of the universe through His only-begotten Son.”
“Contra Celsum”, Origen, Book VIII, Chapter 13, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm
“Let us see what Celsus further says of God, and how he urges us to the use of those things which are properly called idol offerings, or, still better, offerings to demons, although, in his ignorance of what true sanctity is, and what sacrifices are well-pleasing to God, he call them holy sacrifices. His words are, God is the God of all alike; He is good, He stands in need of nothing, and He is without jealousy. What, then, is there to hinder those who are most devoted to His service from taking part in public feasts. I cannot see the connection which he fancies between God's being good, and independent, and free from jealousy, and His devoted servants taking part in public feasts. I confess, indeed, that from the fact that God is good, and without want of anything, and free from jealousy, it would follow as a consequence that we might take part in public feasts, if it were proved that the public feasts had nothing wrong in them, and were grounded upon true views of the character of God, so that they resulted naturally from a devout service of God. If, however, the so-called public festivals can in no way be shown to accord with the service of God, but may on the contrary be proved to have been devised by men when occasion offered to commemorate some human events, or to set forth certain qualities of water or earth, or the fruits of the earth — in that case, it is clear that those who wish to offer an enlightened worship to the Divine Being will act according to sound reason, and not take part in the public feasts. …:
“Contra Celsum”, Origen, Book VIII, Chapter 21, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm
“Let us now see on what grounds Celsus urges us to make use of the idol offerings and the public sacrifices in the public feasts. His words are, ‘If these idols are nothing, what harm will there be in taking part in the feast? On the other hand, if they are demons, it is certain that they too are God's creatures, and that we must believe in them, sacrifice to them according to the laws, and pray to them that they may be propitious.’ In reference to this statement, it would be profitable for us to take up and clearly explain the whole passage of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, in which Paul treats of offerings to idols. The apostle draws from the fact that an idol is nothing in the world, the consequence that it is injurious to use things offered to idols; and he shows to those who have ears to hear on such subjects, that he who partakes of things offered to idols is worse than a murderer, for he destroys his own brethren, for whom Christ died. And further, he maintains that the sacrifices are made to demons; and from that he proceeds to show that those who join the table of demons become associated with the demons; and he concludes that a man cannot both be a partaker of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. But since it would require a whole treatise to set forth fully all that is contained on this subject in the Epistle to the Corinthians, we shall content ourselves with this brief statement of the argument; for it will be evident to any one who carefully considers what has been said, that even if idols are nothing, nevertheless it is an awful thing to join in idol festivals. And even supposing that there are such beings as demons to whom the sacrifices are offered, it has been clearly shown that we are forbidden to take part in these festivals, when we know the difference between the table of the Lord and the table of demons. And knowing this, we endeavour as much as we can to be always partakers of the Lord's table, and beware to the utmost of joining at any time the table of demons.”
“Contra Celsum”, Origen, Book VIII, Chapter 24, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm
“Celsus says that ‘the demons belong to God, and are therefore to be believed, to be sacrificed to according to laws, and to be prayed to that they may be propitious.’ Those who are disposed to learn, must know that the word of God nowhere says of evil things that they belong to God, for it judges them unworthy of such a Lord. Accordingly, it is not all men who bear the name of ‘men of God’, but only those who are worthy of God — such as Moses and Elias, and any others who are so called, or such as resemble those who are so called in Scripture. In the same way, all angels are not said to be angels of God, but only those that are blessed: those that have fallen away into sin are called ‘angels of the devil’, just as bad men are called ‘men of sin’, ‘sons of perdition’, or ‘sons of iniquity’. Since, then, among men some are good and others bad, and the former are said to be God's and the latter the devil's, so among angels some are angels of God, and others angels of the devil. But among demons there is no such distinction, for all are said to be wicked. We do not therefore hesitate to say that Celsus is false when he says, ‘If they are demons, it is evident that they must also belong to God.’ He must either show that this distinction of good and bad among angels and men has no foundation, or else that a similar distinction may be shown to hold among demons. If that is impossible, it is plain that demons do not belong to God; for their prince is not God, but, as holy Scripture says, ‘Beelzebub.’ ”
“Contra Celsum”, Origen, Book VIII, Chapter 25, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm
“... if we are to obey God, we must die, or endure anything, sooner than obey demons. In the same way, we are not to propitiate demons; for it is impossible to propitiate beings that are wicked and that seek the injury of men. … our duty is to pray to the Most High God alone, and to the Only-begotten, the First-born of the whole creation, and to ask Him as our High Priest to present the prayers which ascend to Him from us, to His God and our God, to His Father and the Father of those who direct their lives according to His word. …”
“Contra Celsum”, Origen, Book VIII, Chapter 26, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04168.htm
“Why, on the day of gladness, do we neither cover our door-posts with laurels, nor intrude upon the day with lamps? It is a proper thing, at the call of a public festivity, to dress your house up like some new brothel. However, in the matter of this homage to a lesser majesty, in reference to which we are accused of a lower sacrilege, because we do not celebrate along with you the holidays of the Cæsars in a manner forbidden alike by modesty, decency, and purity — in truth they have been established rather as affording opportunities for licentiousness than from any worthy motive … The same homage is paid, dutifully too, by those who consult astrologers, and soothsayers, and augurs, and magicians, about the life of the Cæsars — arts which, as made known by the angels who sinned, and forbidden by God, Christians do not even make use of in their own affairs.”
“The Apology”, Tertullian, Chapter 35, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0301.htm
Year | Author | Summary |
-500 BCE | Celtic Druids | The festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, is celebrated by the Celts in Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Britain. It includes rituals to honor the dead, as the veil between the living and the spirit world is believed to be thinnest. |
1st–3rd centuries CE | Early Christian Communities | Local congregations begin commemorating the anniversaries of martyrs’ deaths, often at their burial sites, giving rise to early Christian 'feast days' honoring the dead. |
313 CE | Emperor Constantine | The Edict of Milan grants tolerance to Christianity, allowing public Christian commemorations, including those for martyrs, to flourish in the Roman Empire. |
609 CE | Pope Boniface IV | Pope Boniface IV consecrates the Pantheon in Rome as a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and all martyrs, establishing May 13 as a day to honor them, later known as All Martyrs Day. |
731–741 CE | Pope Gregory III | Expanded the celebration of All Saints’ Day to include all saints, setting the date for November 1, likely to Christianize existing autumn festivals such as Samhain. |
837 CE | Pope Gregory IV | Pope Gregory IV officially moves All Saints’ Day to November 1, aligning it closer to Samhain’s date and incorporating local traditions to honor all saints and martyrs. |
998 CE | Abbot Odilo of Cluny | Established November 2 as All Souls’ Day, a day to pray for the dead in purgatory; this paired with All Saints’ Day to form a two-day commemoration of the dead. |
1000s CE | Medieval European Church | The three-day observance of **Hallowtide** (All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day) becomes prominent. **All Hallows' Eve** (October 31st), the vigil before All Saints' Day, becomes a time for preparation and prayer. |
1000 CE | Unknown | All Souls’ Day emerges on November 2, attributed to monastic traditions, particularly from Cluny Abbey, to pray for the souls of the deceased, further linking Christian and pagan practices. |
12th–15th centuries CE | Medieval Church & European Folk Traditions | ‘Souling’ and ‘mumming’ practices emerge: people offer prayers for the dead in exchange for food; disguises and processions on All Hallows’ Eve become common in Europe. |
16th century CE | Protestant Reformers | Reformers reject prayers for the dead and purgatory, reducing observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days in Protestant regions; folk customs persist independently. |
1700s CE | Scottish and Irish Immigrants | Brought Halloween customs to the American colonies. These early celebrations were generally low-key, often featuring **play parties"** to celebrate the harvest and share stories of the dead." |
18th–19th centuries CE | Irish and Scottish Communities | Celtic Samhain customs—bonfires, divination, and guising—blend with Christian All Hallows’ Eve, creating the folkloric precursor to modern Halloween. |
1840 CE | Irish Immigrants | Irish immigrants bring Halloween customs, including jack-o’-lanterns and trick-or-treating, to America, blending Samhain traditions with Christian observances. |
1921 CE | Anoka, Minnesota Community | Anoka, Minnesota, hosts one of the first organized Halloween celebrations in the U.S., with parades and community events, marking the holiday’s secularization. |
1920s–1930s CE | American Communities & Civic Organizations | Halloween becomes a community-centered holiday in the U.S., featuring parades and parties instead of mischief; the phrase ‘trick-or-treat’ enters popular use. |
1920s-1950s CE | American Municipalities and Families | Transitioned Halloween from rowdy, sometimes destructive, street festivities to a **community-centered, child-friendly holiday** emphasizing **trick-or-treating** as a structured activity. |
1950s CE | American Media & Commerce | Postwar consumer culture popularizes Halloween costumes, decorations, and candy; the holiday becomes a major commercial and secular celebration. |
Late 1900s CE | American Commerce and Media | The holiday becomes highly **commercialized** and popularized through film and television, leading to the massive modern-day industry of costumes, decorations, and themed entertainment, solidifying its current form. |
21st century CE | Global Culture & Media | Halloween spreads globally as a secular and commercial holiday through movies, media, and marketing; spiritual origins largely obscured by entertainment culture. |
Name | Day (fixed or relative) | Culture / Region | Notes |
Parentalia (Dies Parentales) | 13–21 February (nine-day period) | Ancient Rome | A festival to honor family ancestors (di parentes). |
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parentalia-Roman-religious-festival https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parentalia https://www.learnreligions.com/the-roman-parentalia-festival-2562141 https://www.museudebadalona.cat/en/les-parentalia-la-festa-dels-difunts-de-lepoca-romana/ | |||
Feralia | 21 February | Ancient Rome | The closing / public commemoration of the dead during Parentalia — offerings to all deceased (not just family). |
https://www.learnreligions.com/the-roman-parentalia-festival-2562141 | |||
Lemuria / Lemuralia | 9, 11, 13 May (Roman calendar) | Ancient Rome | A ritual to appease restless spirits (lemures) in one’s home, by offerings of black beans, chants, etc. |
Rosalia (dies rosationis) | Various dates (especially May) | Roman / Imperial Rome | A “rose festival” in which flowers were placed at tombs; in many inscriptions the practice is connected to commemoration of the dead. |
Anthesteria | 11–13 Anthesterion (Athenian lunar / Attic calendar) | Ancient Greece (Athens) | A three-day festival in which the souls of the dead (Keres / shades) were believed to roam and were honored; the third day (Chytroi) especially is a “pots”/dead offerings day. |
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Anthesteria https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Anthesteria/ | |||
Ghost / Hungry Ghost Festival | 15th day of 7th lunar month (in Chinese calendar) | Traditional Chinese / East Asian | Also called the Zhongyuan (Daoist) or Yulanpen (Buddhist) festival — a time when spirits roam and offerings are made to ancestors and “hungry ghosts.” |
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hungry-Ghost-Festival https://www.history.com/articles/hungry-ghost-festival-facts-history | |||
Frawardigan | Last ~5 intercalary days + last 5 days of 12th month in Zoroastrian calendar | Zoroastrian / ancient Persia | A ten-day period (in later tradition) to commemorate souls and ancestors (the “fravashis,” protective spirits). |
Samhain | 31 October – 1 November (Gaelic) | Celtic / Gaelic (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man) | This was a liminal festival marking the end of harvest and believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead thinned, allowing communion with ancestors or spirits. |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain | |||
Calan Gaeaf / Nos Galan Gaeaf | 1 November (Calan Gaeaf) / Night before (Nos Galan Gaeaf) | Welsh / Brittonic Celtic | Calan Gaeaf is the first day of winter in Welsh tradition; the night before (Nos Galan Gaeaf) was a “spirit night” when ghosts and ancestors might roam, and people left offerings or took precautions. |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calan_Gaeaf https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/archive/2023/10/title-267437-en.html | |||
Álfablót | Late autumn (varied) | Norse / Scandinavian | A private household sacrifice to the álfar (elves), who were closely linked to ancestors and familial spirits. Because it was practiced in secrecy at the homestead, exact date is not known. |
Dísablót | During “Winter Nights” or around vernal equinox / seasonal turning | Norse / Germanic | A public sacrificial feast in honor of the dísir (female spirits, potentially including ancestral spirits) is attested in the sagas. |
Dziady | Between last day of April and first of May (spring) and/or between last day of October and first of November (autumn) | Slavic (Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania) | Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve) is a Slavic ritual of communion with ancestors; in the autumn version it coincides with the time just before All Saints’ / All Souls’ in Christianized form. |
Veļu Laiks / Velės | Late October – early November (Autumn) | Baltic (Lithuania, Latvia) | The Baltic pagan “time of souls” when the dead were honored, graves visited, candles lit, offerings made. (Often merged with Christian All Saints / All Souls in later tradition.) |
Wag Festival (W3g / Wagy / Wag-fest) | Month of Thout (around August) in Egyptian calendar | Ancient Egypt | In Egyptian funerary and cult texts, the Wag festival is associated with Osiris and the dead. Offerings (bread, beer) and white loaves are given to deceased spirits (akh). |
https://peacefulawakenings.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/wag-festival/ | |||
Frawardigan / Frawardegan | Last days of the year / intercalary days in Zoroastrian calendar | Ancient Persia / Zoroastrian | A ten-day period (in later tradition) to honor the fravashis (ancestral spirits) and deceased souls. |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_the_Dead https://brewminate.com/a-history-of-ancestor-worship-and-veneration-of-the-dead-in-world-religions/ | |||