Belial

SpiritualityMythologyBefore ChristAntiquity (Hebrew and Judeo-Christian period, 2nd century BCE and beyond)

Belial is a demonic figure from ancient Hebrew and Jewish traditions, whose name means 'worthless' or 'wickedness'. He appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls as a prince of darkness opposed to the Archangel Michael. He is considered one of the four crowned princes of Hell in medieval demonology.

Key Facts

The term 'Belial' appears as early as the 9th century BCE in the Hebrew Bible to denote moral depravity.
In the Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd–1st century BCE), Belial is personified as the leader of the forces of evil, opposing the Archangel Michael.
The 'Community Rule' (1QS) of the Qumran Essenes presents Belial as the chief of the 'sons of darkness'.
In the 'War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness', Belial commands the demonic armies in a final cosmic conflict.
In the Middle Ages, Christian demonology incorporated him among the four crowned princes of Hell, associated with anarchy and lies.

Works & Achievements

War Scroll (1QM) (c. 150–100 BCE)

A text from the Qumran community describing the final eschatological war between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness, led by Belial. It is the most detailed document on Belial's military and cosmic role.

Damascus Document (CD) (c. 100 BCE)

An Essene text describing Belial's corrupting influence throughout the history of Israel through three moral snares. This document is essential for understanding how Belial was woven into a theological reading of Jewish history.

Book of Jubilees (c. 160–150 BCE)

A retelling of Genesis and Exodus in which Belial (under the name Mastema) acts as an adversary of God and the patriarchs. This text reveals the emergence of a structured good-versus-evil dualism in Jewish thought.

Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (2nd century BCE)

A collection of fictional testaments from the sons of Jacob in which Belial is presented as the instigator of all human wrongdoing. This text shows how Belial became a theological explanation for moral evil.

Sibylline Oracles (excerpts) (2nd century BCE — 1st century CE)

A collection of Judeo-Hellenistic prophecies in which Belial appears as a false messiah who will come to lead humanity astray before the end of times. This text illustrates the spread of the figure of Belial throughout the Mediterranean world.

Second Epistle to the Corinthians (6:15) (c. 55 CE)

Paul of Tarsus's mention opposing Christ and Belial, permanently establishing the figure within Christian theology. It is the only occurrence of the name in the canonical New Testament.

Anecdotes

In the War Scroll discovered at Qumran, Belial is presented as the supreme commander of the army of darkness, opposed to the archangel Michael who leads the Sons of Light. This text, written around 150 BCE, describes a final eschatological war between good and evil, in which Belial will be definitively defeated.

The Hebrew name 'Belial' (בְּלִיַּעַל) is a combination of the words 'beli' (without) and 'ya'al' (worth or use), literally meaning 'worthless' or 'the useless one'. In the Hebrew Bible, the expression 'sons of Belial' refers to immoral or corrupt individuals, long before the term came to designate a full-fledged demonic entity.

The apostle Paul mentions Belial in his second letter to the Corinthians (6:15), asking: 'What accord has Christ with Belial?' This is one of the rare uses of the name in the New Testament, reflecting the enduring presence of this figure in the Judeo-Christian imagination of the 1st century.

In the Damascus Document, another text from the Qumran community, Belial is described as having 'cast three nets' to ensnare Israel: fornication, wealth, and defilement of the Temple. This text reveals how the Essene community viewed Belial as responsible for the moral and religious corruption of their time.

In the medieval period, demonology treatises such as the Liber Officiorum Spirituum assign Belial the rank of king of hell and credit him with 80 legions of demons. He is described as having been created immediately after Lucifer, granting him a particularly high status in the infernal hierarchy imagined by medieval theologians.

Primary Sources

War Scroll (1QM) — Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 150–100 BCE)

For this is the day appointed by God for the war of annihilation against all the sons of darkness. Belial and all the spirits of his lot are ready for the day of destruction.

Damascus Document (CD) — Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 100 BCE)

Throughout all these years, Belial shall be unleashed against Israel, as God has spoken through the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: Terror, pit, and snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.

Book of Jubilees (c. 160–150 BCE)

And Prince Mastema said to the Lord: Lord Creator, leave some of them before me, and let them listen to my voice and do according to all that I shall tell them; for if none are left, I shall not be able to exercise the power of my will among the sons of men.

Testament of Dan (Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs) (2nd century BCE)

And now, fear the Lord, my children, and beware of Satan and his spirits. Draw near to God and to the angel who intercedes for you, for he is the mediator between God and men.

Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 6:15 (Paul of Tarsus) (c. 55 CE)

What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

Key Places

Qumran, West Bank

Site of the Essene community where the principal texts about Belial were written, including the War Scroll and the Damascus Document. The surrounding caves preserved these manuscripts for two millennia.

Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

The discovery site of the 972 Dead Sea Scrolls, found between 1947 and 1956, which revealed to the modern world the significance of Belial in ancient Jewish theology. The remote desert setting reinforced the sense of a universal spiritual struggle.

Jerusalem, Israel

Religious center of Second Temple Judaism that Belial is accused of having defiled according to the Damascus Document. The holy city represents the central stake in the cosmic conflict between Belial and the divine forces.

Judean Desert, Israel

A vast arid expanse perceived in Hebrew traditions as a place inhabited by evil spirits. In the Hebrew Bible, the desert is associated with primordial chaos and the forces that Belial embodies.