The city of Baalbek, in present-day Lebanon, has been a subject of interest to students of the Bible for more than a millennium. Since the tenth century C.E., many have identified it with Baal-Gad (Josh 11:17) and/or Baalath (1 Kgs 9:18). (1) Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, others have connected it, in one way or another, with Bikath-Aven (Amos 1:5). In 1863, these and other suggestions were reviewed by John Hogg in a lengthy treatise. (2) The etymology of the toponym, which appears as Bclbk in classical Syriac and as Baclabakku in classical Arabic, has been widely discussed since the eighteenth century. Many etymologies have been suggested, most of them unconvincing. (3) Part of the problem is that a combination of etymologies is needed, for the name of the place changed over the centuries as its religious significance evolved.
