Belphegor

📷 Wikimedia Commons — domaine public — Louis Le Breton — 1863

SpiritualityMythologyMiddle AgesChristian Middle Ages and Hebrew demonological traditions

Belphegor is a demon from Hebrew and medieval Christian traditions, associated with the deadly sin of sloth. Considered one of the seven princes of Hell, he tempts humans with promises of wealth and ingenious inventions. His name derives from Baal-Peor, a Moabite deity mentioned in the Bible.

Key Facts

His name derives from Baal-Peor, a Canaanite deity mentioned in Numbers (25:3) of the Hebrew Bible
Listed among the seven princes of Hell corresponding to the seven deadly sins in medieval demonology
Described in Collin de Plancy's 'Dictionnaire Infernal' (1818) as a tempter through sloth and inventions
Associated with the deadly sin of sloth (acedia) in medieval Christian tradition
Mentioned in several grimoires and demonological treatises of the 16th and 17th centuries

Works & Achievements

Book of Numbers, chapter 25 (Hebrew Bible) (8th–5th century BC)

A foundational text mentioning the cult of Baal-Peor and its disastrous consequences for the people of Israel. The primary source for the name and origins of Belphegor in religious tradition.

Belfagor arcidiavolo, Niccolò Machiavelli (Written c. 1515, published 1549)

A satirical novella in which an archdemon is sent on an observation mission to Earth. A landmark text that established Belphegor as a figure in European Renaissance literature.

De Praestigiis Daemonum, Johann Weyer (1563)

A demonology treatise cataloguing demons and their attributes. One of the earliest works to attempt a critical, rationalized approach to medieval demonological beliefs.

Tractatus de confessionibus maleficorum et sagarum, Peter Binsfeld (1589)

A treatise by Bishop Binsfeld establishing the list of seven princes of Hell associated with the deadly sins. This is the text in which Belphegor is officially linked to sloth.

Dictionnaire Infernal, Jacques Collin de Plancy (1818 (illustrated edition: 1863))

An encyclopedia of demonology synthesizing medieval and early modern traditions. Louis Breton's famous illustration of Belphegor in this volume forged the grotesque image of the demon that endures to this day.

Anecdotes

The name Belphegor comes from Baal-Peor, a Moabite deity mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 25). The Israelites who bowed down before this idol were struck by a great calamity, and this episode turned Baal-Peor into a cautionary figure in the Hebrew tradition, which gradually transformed him into a demon.

According to Christian medieval demonology, each of the seven deadly sins was ruled by a prince of Hell. Pierre Binsfeld, auxiliary bishop of Trier, established a precise classification in 1589: Belphegor was thus officially associated with sloth (acedia), the sin of avoiding spiritual and moral effort.

A widespread medieval legend held that Belphegor had been sent to Earth by Satan to verify whether marriage truly made men happy — as some demons in Hell claimed. After observing human couples, he fled back to Hell in a hurry, convinced that the institution of marriage was already a sufficient form of torment in itself.

Belphegor is one of the rare demons to whom demonological tradition attributes the talents of an inventor. He was said to be capable of suggesting ingenious discoveries and easy riches to men — but only to corrupt them through the temptation of sloth and effortless gain.

In the famous Dictionnaire Infernal by Collin de Plancy (1818), illustrator Louis Breton depicted Belphegor seated on a toilet, mouth agape and wearing a dazed expression. This grotesque image, which became iconic, captures both the idea of sloth and the medieval contempt for diabolical seductions, presented as utterly ridiculous.

Primary Sources

Hebrew Bible, Book of Numbers, chapter 25 (Written between the 8th and 5th centuries BCE)

Israel joined himself to Baal-Peor. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. The Lord said to Moses: Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them before the Lord.

Niccolò Machiavelli, Belfagor arcidiavolo (The Devil Belphegor) (Written around 1515, published posthumously in 1549)

Pluto, having summoned all the princes of Hell into council, learned that the souls of damned men attributed their misfortune to the women they had married. It was decided to send a devil to Earth to verify this claim.

Peter Binsfeld, Tractatus de confessionibus maleficorum et sagarum (1589)

Belphegor is the prince who governs the vice of sloth, for it is through him that the enemy of mankind drives souls to shun spiritual labor and surrender to the corruption of idleness.

Jacques Collin de Plancy, Dictionnaire Infernal (1818 (illustrated edition: 1863))

Belphegor is a demon whom the Moabites worshipped in the form of a young woman. Other authors have claimed that he appeared in obscene forms, and that he seduced men with riches and ingenious inventions.

Johann Weyer (Wierus), De Praestigiis Daemonum (1563)

Demons seek to deceive men through flattery and the promise of earthly goods, in order to turn the soul away from divine contemplation and plunge it into torpor and indifference.

Key Places

Mount Peor, Moab (present-day Jordan)

A place of worship for Baal-Peor mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 23–25). It was on this mountain overlooking the plain of Moab that the rituals took place which gave the future demon his name.

Jerusalem

Center of the Hebrew tradition and biblical monotheism, against which the cult of Baal-Peor was seen as a serious act of betrayal. The texts condemning this cult were compiled and transmitted here.

Trier (Germany)

Home city of Peter Binsfeld, the bishop who in 1589 codified the correspondence between Belphegor and the sin of sloth. Trier was also the scene of major witchcraft trials at the end of the 16th century.

Florence (Italy)

Birthplace of Machiavelli, where around 1515 the satirical novella Belfagor arcidiavolo was written, popularizing the figure of a spy demon sent to Earth to observe human marriage.