Second Temple period Belial

1 second temple period

1.1 dead sea scrolls
1.2 jubilees
1.3 testament of twelve patriarchs
1.4 ascension of isaiah

second temple period

the term belial appears in jewish texts of second temple period (texts classified christians old testament pseudepigrapha , apocrypha). large number of references belial evidenced in dead sea scrolls discovered @ qumran 1948.

dead sea scrolls

in war of sons of light against sons of darkness, 1 of dead sea scrolls, belial leader of sons of darkness:

made belial pit, angel of enmity; in darkness domain, counsel bring wickedness , guilt. spirits of lot angels of destruction, walk in laws of darkness; towards goes desire.

in rules of community, god depicted saying, shall not comfort oppressed until path perfect. shall not retain belial within heart.

the war scroll , thanksgiving hymns both delve idea belial accursed god , people, , shows how existence of belial in world can attributed mysteries of god since can not know why permits dealings of belial persist.

in dead sea scrolls, belial further contrasted god. these angel of light , angel of darkness. manual of discipline identifies angel of light god himself. angel of darkness identified in same scroll belial.

also in dead sea scrolls recounting of dream of amram, father of moses, finds 2 watchers contesting on him. 1 belial described king of evil , prince of darkness. belial mentioned in fragments of zadokite work (which known damascus document (cd)), states during eschatological age, belial shall let loose against israel, god spoke through isaiah prophet. fragments speak of 3 nets of belial said fornication, wealth, , pollution of sanctuary. in work, belial presented agent of divine punishment , rebel, mastema is. belial inspired egyptian sorcerers, jochaneh , brother, oppose moses , aaron. fragments ruled spirits of belial , speaks of rebellion should condemned necromancer , wizard.

jubilees

in book of jubilees, uncircumcised gentiles called sons of belial .

testament of twelve patriarchs

belial mentioned in testaments of twelve patriarchs. author of work seems dualist because presents belial god s opponent, not servant, not mention how or why came be. simeon 5:3 says fornication separates man god , brings him near belial. levi tells children choose between law of god , works of belial states when soul disturbed, lord departs , belial rules on it. naphtali contrasts law , of god purposes of belial. also, in 20:2, joseph prophesies when israel leaves egypt, god in light while belial remain in darkness egyptians. finally, testament describes when messiah comes, angels punish spirits of deceit , belial , messiah bind belial , give children power trample evil spirits.

many hath fornication destroyed; because, though man old or noble, or rich or poor, bringeth reproach upon himself sons of men , derision beliar.

ascension of isaiah

in ascension of isaiah, belial angel of lawlessness , ruler of world , , identified samael , satan.

and manasseh turned aside heart serve belial; angel of lawlessness, ruler of world, belial, name matanbuchus.