Baal (Ba'al) was a god for the ancient Phoenician people on Earth. Often associated with Human and child sacrifice, in the 21st century, this belief came into question by scholars and archaeologists. The new theory presented was that the Baalists were the victims of an ancient slander campaign.

In 2267, Spock used Baalist child sacrifice as an example of the Federation's lack of religious freedom. (TOS novel: Mission to Horatius)