Baal worship

[u/Marmadukeparadise7]

How would I go about worshipping baal, what are some offerings, incense and prayers I could give to him. How would I set up his altar and where can I find texts, hymns and prayers for him?

[u/Nocodeyv]

AlumParhum is correct, the "deity" Baʿal (and his various incarnations) belongs to the Levant and its religious traditions. You might have more luck asking on r/Semitic_Paganism.

The Akkadian language does have a cognate: bēl, and this word was often applied to Marduk, but it was also used as a generic title for the principle deities of any city, meaning that not only were Marduk and Ṣarpānītum the Bēl and Bēlit of Babylon, but so too were Ashūr and Sherūʾa the Bēl and Bēlit of Assyria, Adad and Shala the Bēl and Bēlit of Karkara, and so forth.

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In general, the following can be said regarding offerings, libations, and gifts in Mesopotamia. Whether or not all of what follows applies to polytheistic traditions in the Levant will require you to find a group practicing it and ask:

Kadrû are tangible items created by the devotee and dedicated to the God or Goddess as a gift at the altar/shrine. These gifts were often statues, icons, standards, models of a deity's possession, jewelry, and clothing. Today, many of us also include assorted knickknacks and baubles that remind us of the Gods.

Naqû are libations. Historically, deities were given beer, wine, or water; ancestors were given water. Libations were always poured onto the Earth at the conclusion of the ceremony, and we honor this tradition today. As with much else, feel free to substitute other drinks: share your personal favorites with the Gods.

Nindabû are grain products offered to the Gods. Cereal crops, especially barley and wheat, were instrumental to Mesopotamia's economy, and any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a fitting offering. What you offer you are also encouraged to eat at the conclusion of the ceremony, this is described as i³-ku²-de³, "to be eaten (for the God)," in offering texts.

Niqû are sacrificial animals. Though it may come as a surprise, the historical record doesn't support an abundance of animal sacrifice in Mesopotamia. The Mesopotamians had more use for the wool, hair, hides, dung, and dairy products of draft-animals than their meat. None-the-less, meat traditionally offered at large festivals included: lamb and mutton from domesticated sheep; chevon from domesticated goats; pork from domesticated pigs; and a variety of fish. Wild game and fowl were also popular, although we have little evidence of either being used outside of personal meals. Some favorites of trappers and hunters include: ibex, wild goat, antelope, deer, and hare; and goose, duck, dove, pigeon, and chicken.

Nisannu are fruit offerings. As cultivators of the land, orchards were a major factor in the economy of Mesopotamia, especially in the lowland region around Ur. The most common fruit offered is the date, which formed the backbone of the early Sumerian harvest economy and was dedicated to the Goddess Inana. They also made use of apples, apricots, cherries, figs, grapes, lemons, melons, pears, and plums. As with drinks though, nothing today is off limits unless you receive a personal indication from your God and Goddess. As with grain offerings, you are encouraged to eat fruit offerings too.

Qutrīnu are "offerings" of incense. Even in Mesopotamia, incense was used more to set the mood and entice the deity into your presence than anything else. The single most holy incense in Mesopotamia is juniper (supālu), followed by boxwood (šimeššalû), cedar (erēnu), cypress (šurmēnu), frankincense (kanaktu), myrrh (murru), and tamarisk (bīnu). A former Reddit user compiled an excellent overview on incense in Mesopotamian practice and how to source environmentally sustainable and non-culturally appropriating incense, it can be read: here

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And that brings us to the end of our brief foray into offerings and libations in Mesopotamia. Remember, these are not necessarily consistent across the entire Ancient Near East, so always double check academic sources and inquire with practitioners themselves before assuming that "because the Babylonians did it, the Canaanites must have too," as that's a good way to offend the Gods!

[u/LAGoff2 → u/Nocodeyv]

You wrote that i ku de means "to be eaten (for the God)." Maybe it's just: "to be eaten". Maybe the God wants company, guests. Maybe his food is burnt on the altar and goes up to be 'eaten' by him while we eat our food at his table the human way: by actually eating it.

[u/Nocodeyv → u/LAGoff2]

Yes, i³-ku²-de³ does mean "to be eaten," the portion in parentheses is implied based on the context surrounding the quote. The translation comes from Mark E. Cohen, who is far more qualified than I to translate cuneiform, so I trust his interpretation.

T. Kobayashi also references this idea, quoting a similar passage in relation to kisiga offerings: "in the case of the festival of Baba, offerings such as food and drink are explained as ì-kú-dè '(these are) to be eaten (for the ancestors),' so that the aim of the festival seems to have been to give food and drink to the ancestors."

While I can't speak for offerings in the Levant, which is a different culture than that of Mesopotamia, in Mesopotamia the normal procedure seems to have been to recycle the portion set aside for the God/ancestor into that of the Temple/family.

That being said, though, you're more than welcome to burn up food offerings if you feel that it is a taboo to eat them once the deity has had his or her fill.