By Rebecca
Religious landscapes are always complex, but they can become downright insane
when tracing the most ancient deities. This month we’re discussing the Phoenician
goddess Ba’alat. Of course, the Egyptians and Semites claim her as well. She has
a list of associated names, whether hers or deities believed to also be her, a mile
long. None of that confusion matters to me though, Ba’alat is one of my favorite
goddesses and here is why.
Ba’alat is sometimes referred to as the “Queen of Gods”. This is mostly likely
because she is the female counterpart to the Phoenician deity Baal, who is the
supreme God of all. To me, she is the “Queen of Gods” for breaking that most
ancient of stereotypes, that smart women cannot be sexy.
Ba’alat is the goddess of libraries, books, and writers. She is responsible for giving
humans papyrus, the forerunner of modern paper. Obviously, Ba’alat is a
knowledgeable deity.
The Phoenicians would depict this smarty as a woman with a smokin’ hot body,
naked, with her hands covering her full breasts. Later there was the addition of an
elaborate Egyptian hairstyle and a tight robe with shoulder straps.
Apparently, the Phoenicians had no trouble believing that an immensely attractive
woman could be intelligent and sexual, even if it may have only been in their
deities. In my mind, this sexed up Velma Dinkley is a wonderful role model for
women everywhere.
Magical Buffet Mythology: Ba'alat
