(demon Beelzebub from Collin de Plancy's Dictionnaire Infernal, 1863)

Beelzebub is a prince of hell whose name is usually translated Lord of the Flies (beelzeboub) but which should probably be translated Lord of the Earth (beelzeboul). He is one of the oldest and most famous demonic figures, having been derived from the local god of the Philistine city of Ekron, mentioned in the Old Testament. Evidently Beelzebub had command over disease, which may explain the popular version of his name. Flies congregate around the corpses of the dead, and spread disease from the dead to the living. In the Bible, messengers are sent to the priests of Baal-zebub in Ekron to inquire by divination whether or not a man will recover from sickness (Second Kings 1:2).

According to the inspired vision of the possessed Catholic nun Sister Madeleine of Aix-en-Provence, Beelzebub is one of the rulers of the infernal regions. "Beelzebub was Prince of the Seraphim, the next unto Lucifer. For all the princes, that is to say all the chief of the nine choirs of angels, are fallen; and of the choir of Seraphim there fell the three first, to wit, Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Leviathan, who did all revolt." Sister Madeleine further reported that Beelzebub's office is to tempt men with the sin of pride, and that his heavenly adversary is the humble Saint Francis of Assisi.

The Renaissance magician Cornelius Agrippa classed Beelzebub among the demonic order of False Gods, who in his opinion have their place in the lower reflection of Kether. "There are some of the school of the theologians who distribute the evil spirits into nine degrees, as contrary to the nine orders of the angels. Therefore the first of these are those which are called False Gods, who usurping the name of God, would be worshipped for gods, and require sacrifices and adorations, as that Devil, who saith to Christ, if thou wilt fall down and worshop me, I will give thee all these things, showing him all the kingdoms of the world; and the prince of these is he who said, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, and will be like to the Most High; who is therefore called Beelzebub, that is, an old god." This would seem to place Beelzebub above even Lucifer. The leader of the Golden Dawn, S. L. MacGregor Mathers, put Beelzebub in the second demonic order in the sphere of Chokmah, below Satan and Moloch but above Lucifer (see the Kabbalah Unveiled, plate IV).

All of these systems of associations are speculative, and none of them should blindly be accepted as the supreme authority. The only thing we can state with certainty is that Beelzebub is very high up the rank of demons in hell.