Name of Baal as the god of Ekron, signifying 'lord of the fly.' Josephus says with reference to king Ahaziah sending to this god, "Now it happened that Ahaziah, as he was coming down from the top of his house, fell down from it, and in his sickness sent to the Fly, which was the god of Ekron, for that was this god's name." Ant. ix: 2,1. It was regarded as a preserver from poisonous flies, and hence as a healer of diseases. 2 Kings 1:2,3,6,16 . In the N.T. there is the similar name of BEELZEBUB(q.v. ) to whom the miracles of the Lord in casting out demons were blasphemously attributed.