Baal out: Top diplomat's worry about pagan god elicits eye rolls
Summary
Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau paused plans for a U.S. exhibit in Serbia featuring a bull statue because he was worried it might remind people of Baal, an ancient pagan god linked by some to negative ideas. This caused some amusement and confusion among State Department staff as they debated how to handle the issue.Key Facts
- Chris Landau is the Deputy Secretary of State, the second-highest official at the department.
- The U.S. planned to show a bull statue at an exhibit about the American West in Belgrade, Serbia.
- Landau expressed concern that the statue resembled Baal, an ancient pagan god sometimes connected to child sacrifice.
- He sent an email with research about Baal and how bull images are used symbolically.
- State Department officials found the concern strange and joked about the situation internally.
- References to Baal have increased recently due to conspiracy theories linked to antisemitism and the Epstein case.
- Landau is known for active social media use and sometimes controversial online posts.
- He has had disagreements with others in the administration and a history of internal conflicts.
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