A quick look at: Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility and rain, whom is known at Ugarit as “the Rider of Clouds” -which is where this artifact of him was found.
Baal is actually a title meaning master or lord. There was a large number of local Baals, such as Baal-hamon (Cant 8:11), Baal-gad (Josh 11:17), and Baal-zephon (Exod 14:2).
Of these Baals was the “Great Baal,” or “the Rider of Clouds.” Baal was the son of El (the Father of the gods) and brother of Yam-Nahar (god of the rivers and seas). He is a fertility god, who represents the beneficial aspects of water as rain. Baal worship likely included a number of rituals, such as a ritual dance which involved participants limping around the altar (1 Kgs 18:26).
According to Ugaritic texts there were two stories which played a particularly significant role in shaping Canaanite thought about Baal:
These were the stories of Baal and Yamm, the Sea, and Baal and Mot, Death. In these accounts Baal is featured as a god who faced extremely powerful destructive forces, confronted the challenge at hand, appeared to be near defeat at the heart of the confrontation, but in the end emerged victorious.
The story of Baal’s encounter with the dragon, Yamm, highlights Baal’s role as a god who confronted and defeated the monster who was the source of chaos. […] The story of Baal’s encounter with Mot, Death, highlights Baal’s role as a god of fertility. The story features the cycle the Canaanites believed Baal passed through each year. In the encounter Baal was defeated by Mot, sent to the underworld -the realm of the dead- and eventually reappeared victorious over Mot. (Mills & Bullard 1990)
The shown artifact is courtesy & currently located at the Louvre, France. Bronze, dates to the 14th-12th centuries BCE, and was found in Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit). Photo taken by Jastrow. When writing up this post the Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (1990) by Watson E. Mills & Roger Aubrey Bullard was of great use.
so, an estimable character then, and not the evil demiurge those of The Book would have us believe him to be.