The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia states: “Next in importance to the gods in the Bab [ylonian] religion are the demons who had the power to afflict men with manifold diseases of body or mind.
كَانَتْ بَابِلُ مَرْتَعًا لِلْعَقَائِدِ ٱلْبَاطِلَةِ ،‏ ٱلْإِيمَانِ بِٱلْآلِهَةِ وَٱلشَّيَاطِينِ ،‏ وَٱلْأَرْوَاحِيَّةِ .‏