Baal

The name means "ruler, owner," and, in the Bible, mostly refers to a deity of the Canaanites and Phoenicians. Unfortunately, the people of Israel also worshipped idols of Baal at various times. King Ahab, for example, built a temple to Baal (1 Kings 16:32), who was also worshipped as the weather god (sun and rain god). But it was precisely at this time that God prevented the rain for 3.5 years (1 Kgs 17:1; Js 5:17). Some kings of Israel went so far as to burn children to Baal (2 Kgs 17:17).