Baal-zephon

Baʽal Zephon (Hebrew: בעל צפון‎, romanized: Baʿal Ṣəp̄on, lit. 'Lord of Ṣafon'; Akkadian: Bēl Ḫazi (^dIM ḪUR.SAG); Ugaritic: baʿlu ṣapāni; Hurrian: Tešub Ḫalbağe; Egyptian: bꜥr ḏꜣpwnꜣ), also transliterated as Baal-zephon, was an epithet of the Canaanite storm god Baʿal (lit. "Lord") in his role as lord of Jebel Aqra, called "Mount Zaphon" in antiquity. He is identified in Ugaritic texts as Hadad.

Because of the mountain's importance in the Biblical narrative and location, Zephon (Hebrew: צפון, romanized: ṣap̄on) came to metonymously signify "north" in Hebrew. The name is, therefore, sometimes given in translation as Lord of the North.

Baʿal Zephon was equated with the Greek god Zeus Kasios and later with the Roman Jupiter Casius.

Because Baʿal Zephon was considered a protector of maritime trade, sanctuaries were constructed in his honor around the Mediterranean Sea by his Canaanite and Phoenician devotees. "Baal-zephon" thereby became a placename—most notably mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the location where the miraculous Passage of the Red Sea happened during the Exodus.