i went on a really fascinating rabbit hole

Just posting to say that I initially read that as "i went on a really fascinating rabbi hole"

That's pretty interesting, if questionable. The major prophets of Abrahamic monotheism are pretty clearly men, with flaws and no major powers (Moses parted the sea and Jesus healed the sick but the former had to exile himself and lead his people through the desert and much suffering and the latter got captured and murdered by the Romans... Zeus wouldn't have gone through that, you know). Solomon was proud and very hedonistic in his youth, Moses killed a man, Job got angry at God... But yeah, before God guided people full-on, paganism was the law of the land. Or they had something more interesting and closer to the magnanimity, complete supremacy and non-anthropomorphic nature of God, like the cultures that worshipped the Sun. 🤷

Yes. As Christians we're largely taught not to question or doubt. I'm hard-headed, and wanting to better understand my faith had changed it in irrevocable ways, over the years. Regardless of the faiths I've explored, I keep ending up at the same place, different vantage point, like climbing an eternal spiral staircase, and the ancient mystical symbol found on cave walls makes more sense, and clues us that these people were much more intelligent than we credit them. In short, lack of language/vocabulary != lack of intelligence, ability to think deeply. We just rely more heavily on different brain hemispheres. If we ever evolve to the place where the larger world populace uses both equally and simultaneously, I'll daresay we will become "as gods," able to eat from every tree in the metaphorical garden!

Thanks for the context. It was also iffy because it gives credence to the implication that Iran is burning Ba'al because he represents Yaweh and therefore Zionists can say "Iran is antisemitic".

I did a little more research and found a Reddit thread where everyone really just seems to make random stuff up https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateReligion/comments/hu3gvu/yahweh_and_baal_the_same_deity/

But even there the seeming most sensible comment says that Baal and Yaweh were two different deities.

In ancient times Baal is a term for various deities in the West Semitic (Syrian and Levantine) area and means Lord, master, owner, husband, king or god. Baal was a title that could be used for any god. Baal is usually referred to as the supreme god of the local pantheon. He is usually a god of mountains, weather and fertility. The Babylonian weather god Adad was often equated with Baal.

In the Bible, the term Baal is used synonymously as a name for a number of local deities, but the Hebrew word Baal also appears in the Bible in its non-religious meaning Lord, owner or husband.

According to the biblical account, the Israelites came into contact with the cult of Baal during the desert migration (Dtn 25:3). In the narratives a sharp contrast is usually emphasized. On the other hand, names containing Baal show that in the early days of Israel, the worship of JHWH and Baal was not perceived as a contrast: Saul named his first son Jonathan (YH gave), another Ishbaal (man of Baal). David named one son Adoniah: My Lord is YH), another Beeljada (Baal has recognized, 1 Chr 14:7).

Baal was worshipped for centuries, especially in northern Israel (1 Kings 16:32); both the Elijah legends and the Book of Hosea polemicize against and call for monolatrous YHWH worship instead. Hosea 2:18 suggests that the word Baal (according to its original etymology) was previously used as a title for YHWH itself (which the prophet opposes for several reasons). Its worship in Northern Israel can be explained at least in part by the cultural and religious influence of Tyros.

The biggest connection people seem to find is that one is called "The Lord" and the other one "God" but it still all feels like a very large stretch to me. Thanks for your input though I don't really feel like spending more time on this subject but I might check out the Youtube channel in the future.