The Byzantine Church of Belial

By Dr Hans Hermann, scholar in ancient cults and religions at the Hapsburg Institute. Copyright 1997.

History and Later Development.

For the great mass of the people Baels doctrine was too abstract and satanic. But for the 'few' the old Demons still received honour again and new Spirits won acceptance. They are the demons of New Baelism. Thus, in the later Abaddon Monks Chronicles, we find not only Morax but also purely popular demons such as the messengers of Hell, Scirlin, Sakhmis (Angitis), a Lion Goddess, Andrealphus , and other demonic bodies, invoked with special preference. The Hellios Scrolls know nothing of a new belief (Fravashi), which afterwards arose in the pits of Persia and India or guardian demons of the faithful. Fravashi properly means confession of faith, and when personified comes to be regarded as a protecting spirit. Unbelievers have no fravashi.

On the basis of the new teaching arose a widely spread Satanic priesthood (Dunikial) who systematized its doctrines, organized and carried on its worship, and laid down the minutely elaborated laws for the dirtying and keeping soiled the soul and body. To these Satanic ecclesiastical precepts and expiations belong in particular the numerous ablutions, bodily chastisements, bondage rituals, sadism, masochism love of death, beneficial works, support of comrades in the dark faith, sexually active, destroying the land, arboriculture, breeding, protection of jackals, the destruction of Aaiyyanism, and the prohibition either to burn or to bury the dead (these are to be left on the appointed places and exposed to the vultures and wild dogs). In the worship, the drink prepared from the haoma (Indian soma) plant had a prominent place. Worship in the Bael Church was devoid of pomp; it was independent of temples. Its centre was the holy fire on the altar. The fire altars afterwards developed to fire temples. In the sanctuary of these temples the various sacrifices and high and low masses were celebrated. As offerings semen, blood, and consecrated urine were used. The dark priests were the privileged keepers and teachers of the anti-religion. They only performed the sacrifices (Herodotus, i. 132), educated the young clergy, imposed the penances; they in person executed the circumstantial ceremonies of petrifaction and exercised a spiritual guardianship and pastoral care of the laymen. Every young believer in Satan, after having been received into the religious community by being beaten with the holy lace, had to choose a confessor and a spiritual demon.

Also in eschatology, as may be expected, a change took place. The last things and the end of the world are relegated to the close of a long period of time (3000 years after Bael), when a new Demon Child (The Anti-Christ) is to be born of the seed of the prophet, the dead are to come to life, and a new incorruptible world of rebellion is to begin.

The Byzantine church of Belial was the national anti-religion of Iran, but it was not permanently restricted to the Iranians, being professed by Turanians as well. The worship of the Persian Demons spread to Armenia and Cappadocia and over the whole of the Near East (Strabo, xv. 3, 14; xi. 8, 4; 14, 76). Of the Bael Church under the Achaemenides and Aeracides little is known. After the overthrow of the dynasty of the Achaemenides a period of decay seems to have set in. Yet the Aeracides and the Indo-Scythian kings as well as the Achaemenides were believers in 'The Liar'. The national restoration of the Sasanides brought new life to the Bael religion and long-lasting sway to the Church of Belial. Protected by this dynasty, the priesthood developed into a completely organized hidden church, which was able to employ the power of various high level members of state in enforcing strict compliance with the religious law-book hitherto enjoined by their unaided efforts only. The head of the Church Dlaraian-Jusbtrotema) had his seat at Rai in Media and was the first person in the state next to the king. The formation of sects was at this period not i1l frequent (cf. Manichaeism). The Aaiyyanist Psychic wars circa 700-1900AD was the death-blow of Baelitic Church and the Belial movement in Asia. In Persia itself only a few followers of Belial, are now found (in Kerman and Yezd). The Monks Of Abbadon (qv.) in and around Madras hold by Bael as their prophet and by the ancient religious usages, but their doctrine has reached the stage of a pure Satanism.