In Judge, chapter two, verse thirteen, Baal, a chief god worshipped by the Canaanites, was a god of fertility, rain, and vegetation. Baal worship included cult prostitution and child sacrifice. Israel’s compromise with Baalism received condemnation from the prophets. Ashtaroth, the goddess of war and fertility and the female consort of Baal, was depicted by figurines and statues.
Israel failed to heed the warnings of God in Deuteronomy twenty, verses sixteen through eighteen. As expected, their choice to live side-by-side with the depraved Canaanites meant a corruption of their spiritual lives. The people of Israel began to imitate the wicked practices of the Canaanites. The included worship of deities referred to using names such as Baal and Ashtaroth.
In Semitic languages, the term Ba’al implies a master or lord. Used in a religious context, it can either mean one of many idols, as in Judges two verse eleven or a specific fertility deity, which the Bible refers to simply as Baal. The female equivalent to these Baals was the Ashtaroth, likely related to the pagan goddess Astarte in Judges two verse thirteen.
Baal was the god of fertility and war. He is known to have a sexual relationship with his female consort, Ashtoreth. The result of their sexual encounters was said to bring fertility to those who worshiped them, along with abundant crops and herds and the financial security they may carry.