Baal was a god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites; who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon.

He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal’s epithet as the storm god was “He Who Rides on the Clouds”. In Phoenician he was called “Baal Shamen” (Lord of the Heavens).