"Veneration, Not Worship" Series PART 4: And They Sacrificed their Sons and their Daughters to Devils

 

Explanation of Psalm 105:37

(105:37) And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to devils,

This verse refers to the horrific practice of child sacrifice, particularly to pagan deities like Moloch (Molech) and Baal, which was strictly forbidden in Israelite law (Leviticus 18:21, Deuteronomy 12:31, 2 Kings 23:10). The term devils (δαιμονίοις, daimoniois in the Septuagint) refers to demonic or false gods worshipped by surrounding nations. This practice was particularly associated with the Ammonites, Canaanites, and Phoenicians, but Israel also engaged in it at various times, provoking God’s judgment.

Methods of Child Sacrifice

Ancient sources, including biblical, historical, and archaeological evidence, describe different methods of child sacrifice:

1. Fire Rituals (Moloch Worship)

• Burning Alive: Children were placed on the extended hands of a bronze statue of Moloch, which was heated with fire, causing the victims to be burned alive.

• Passage Through Fire (Topheth Ritual) – Children were "passed through the fire" as a symbolic or actual burning sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 32:35). Some scholars debate whether this was a full incineration or a rite of purification involving singeing, but evidence suggests actual burning in many cases.

2. Ritual Slaughter

• Some texts suggest children were first slain with a knife before being offered on the altar to minimize suffering.

• Archaeological evidence from Topheth sanctuaries suggests that some children were buried with cut marks indicating sacrificial killing before burning.

3. Burial Offerings

• Some sacrificed children were placed in ceramic jars and buried under homes or altars as foundation sacrifices to seek divine favor.

• Excavations in sites like Gezer and Megiddo have found infant skeletons buried in jars, confirming this practice.

Archaeological Evidence of Child Sacrifice

Several discoveries provide strong evidence of child sacrifice in the ancient Near East, especially in regions connected to Canaanite, Phoenician, and Ammonite worship:

1. The Topheth of Carthage (Phoenician Colony)

• Location: Carthage, Tunisia (Phoenician colony, c. 800–146 BC).

• Discovery: Archaeologists found a cemetery with thousands of urns containing the burned remains of infants and small children. Many urns had inscriptions dedicating them to Baal-Hammon and Tanit, the Phoenician equivalents of Baal and Asherah.

• Significance: Confirms large-scale fire sacrifices of children, paralleling biblical descriptions of Moloch worship.

2. Topheth Sanctuaries in the Levant (Israel and Canaan)

• Jerusalem (Valley of Hinnom/Gehenna): Identified as the site of Moloch worship, where children were sacrificed in fires at Topheth (2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 7:31).

• Megiddo and Gezer (Israelite Cities): Excavations uncovered infant burial sites with evidence of fire exposure, suggesting sacrificial rites.

• Rabbah (Ammonite Capital, Jordan): Possible location of Moloch worship, based on biblical accounts of Ammonite child sacrifices (2 Kings 23:10).

3. Egyptian and Mesopotamian Parallels

• Egyptian Influence: Some Egyptian texts suggest child offerings to gods like Osiris in extreme situations, but no direct evidence of large-scale sacrifice.

• Mesopotamian Evidence: Clay tablets from Ugarit mention firstborn offerings to gods like Dagon and Baal, reinforcing biblical accounts of child sacrifices in Canaanite religion.

Biblical and Historical Confirmation

• 2 Kings 16:3, 2 Kings 21:6 – Kings Ahaz and Manasseh made their children pass through fire in idol worship.

• Jeremiah 19:5-6 – God condemns Judah for burning their sons in sacrifice.

• Greco-Roman Accounts – Ancient historians like Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) and Plutarch describe child sacrifice in Carthage, where infants were placed into the burning arms of a bronze statue.

Summary 

Psalm 105:37 describes a tragic reality confirmed by archaeology. Israel, despite God’s commands, engaged in Canaanite and Ammonite child sacrifice, especially through fire rituals to Moloch. Excavations at Topheth sites in Carthage, Israel, and Jordan confirm burned infant remains, ritual burial jars, and sacrificial altars, providing undeniable evidence of this horrific practice. These findings align with biblical narratives, showing how idolatry led Israel into extreme moral corruption and divine judgment.