The source for the name Beelzebub is in 2 Kings 1:2–3, 6, 16, written Ba'al Zəbûb, referring to a deity worshipped by the Philistines. The title Ba'al, meaning "Lord" in Ugaritic, was used in conjunction with a descriptive name of a specific god. Opinions differ on what the name means.
In one understanding, Ba'al Zəbûb is translated literally as "lord of the flies".[1][2][3][4][5] It was long ago suggested that there was a relationship between the Philistine god, and cults of flies—referring to a view of them as pests, feasting on excrement—appearing in the Hellenic world, such as Zeus Apomyios or Myiagros.[6] This is confirmed by the Ugaritic text which shows Baal expelling flies which are the cause of a person's sickness.[6] According to Francesco Saracino (1982) this series of elements may be inconclusive as evidence, but the fact that in relationship to Baal Zebub, the two constituent terms are here linked, joined by a function (ndy) that is typical of some divinities attested in the Mediterranean world, is a strong argument in favor of the authenticity of the name of the god of Ekron, and of his possible therapeutic activities, which are implicit in 2 Kings 1:2–3, etc.[7]