In early 2026, the United States Department of Justice released emails related to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. Among the documents, international media noted a wire transfer mentioning the name “Baal” for $11,438, which sparked online speculation about occult connections.
On February 11, during the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, protesters in Tehran and other cities burned effigies of Baal. The statues carried anti-Israel symbols such as the Star of David, the number 666, and images of Donald Trump. A similar protest took place in Mexico City on March 8, where demonstrators burned a Baal effigy alongside piñatas of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show solidarity with Palestine.
In Karachi on March 11, police seized a thermopol statue of Baal from a shop in Mehran Town after a video of it went viral and caused panic. The statue had been commissioned by scholar Allama Shabbar Zaidi for burning during the Yaum-e-Quds procession on Jumatul Wida. The incident led to widespread questions about what Baal represents.
Research published by MM News explains that Baal was an ancient Semitic deity worshiped by Canaanites and Phoenicians as a god of fertility, storms, rain, and agriculture. The name means “lord” or “owner” in Semitic languages and was often used for local gods, most famously the storm god Hadad. In Ugaritic texts, Baal appears in myths where he battles other gods, symbolizing cycles of fertility and drought. He was depicted as a warrior holding lightning and associated with the bull as a symbol of strength.
In the Hebrew Bible, Baal is described as a rival to Yahweh, with prophets condemning his worship. Over time, his cult was demonized in Jewish and Christian traditions and linked to figures such as Beelzebub and Moloch in later lore.
As of today, Baal symbolizes satanic Western imperialism, elite corruption from Epstein scandals, and Israeli dominance in anti-US/Iranian protests.
The burning of Baal effigies in Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico has been interpreted as symbolic acts against the same Western corruption, satanism, and aggression. These actions draw on Baal’s biblical image as a false god and have been amplified by conspiracy theories connected to the Epstein files, the United States, and Israel.
