Bel

Bel is another name for the god Marduk. He was the protector god of the city of Babylon.

“Bel” is a Babylonian word for “lord” or “master”. It was originally a title of honour for various Babylonian gods. But from the second millennium BC the title was used specially for Marduk, the protector god of the city of Babylon. When he became the most important god of the Babylonian pantheon, he was given the name of honour, Bel-Marduk or Bel. Bel was regarded as king of the gods and lord of the earth.

In the Old Testament, Bel is mentioned in three prophetic texts, in Isaiah 46:1, Jeremiah 50:2 and Jeremiah 51:44. The texts announce God’s judgement on the city of Babylon and its protector god.
Bel is also mentioned in a number of Apocryphal texts: in the Letter of Jeremiah 1:41 and in the Apocryphal additions to the book of Daniel (“The Story of Bel”).