"Veneration, Not Worship" Series PART 5: Explanation of Psalm 105:38; They Shed innocent Blood of Their Sons and Daughters

 

Explanation of Psalm 105:38

(105:38) and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Chanaan; and the land was defiled with blood.

This verse refers to the child sacrifices practiced in Canaanite religion, a major reason for God’s command to Israel to utterly destroy the Canaanite nations (Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 12:29-31). The shedding of innocent blood through child sacrifice was one of the most abominable practices of the Canaanites and later apostate Israelites.

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Canaanite Child Sacrifice: Historical and Biblical Context

1. Which Idols Required Child Sacrifice?

Several Canaanite and Near Eastern deities were associated with human sacrifice, particularly child sacrifice:

• Molech (Moloch, Milcom) – The chief deity most explicitly connected to child sacrifice in the Bible. Worshiped by the Ammonites and Canaanites, Molech was often depicted as a bronze or metal figure with outstretched arms, into which infants were placed and burned alive.

• Baal (Ba’al) – A Canaanite storm and fertility god, whose worship included human sacrifices, often firstborn children, to ensure agricultural prosperity and protection from enemies.

• Ashtoreth (Astarte, Ishtar) – A goddess of fertility and war, sometimes associated with ritualistic sacrifice and temple prostitution.

• Dagon – The Philistine deity, though mainly a grain god, had connections to human sacrifices, particularly in times of crisis.

These gods were worshiped at high places (bamot), altars, and temples throughout Canaan, with some Israelite kings later adopting these practices, leading to God’s judgment and exile of Israel and Judah (2 Kings 17:17, 2 Chronicles 28:3).

2. Methodology of Canaanite Child Sacrifice

Archaeological and textual evidence from biblical sources, Near Eastern inscriptions, and Greco-Roman historical accounts provide details on how child sacrifice was carried out:

A. Fire Sacrifices to Molech (Tophet Rituals)

1. Infants and young children were offered alive – Parents, particularly noble or royal families, dedicated their firstborn children to Molech.

2. The child was placed on the idol’s burning hands – Molech’s statue was often made of bronze, with outstretched hands, and heated by fire from within.

3. Drums and music drowned out screams – Ritual drummers played loudly so the cries of the sacrificed child would not be heard.

4. Ashes and remains were collected in urns – In Tophet sites, urns containing the burned bones of children have been found, particularly in Carthage, a Phoenician colony that preserved Canaanite religion.

B. Baal Sacrifices (Blood Offerings and Immolation)

1. Baal sacrifices often involved burning children alive – Some texts suggest that Baal required "passing through the fire" (2 Kings 16:3, Jeremiah 19:5).

2. Dismemberment and blood offerings – Some rituals required cutting the child’s throat and offering the bloodat the altar.

3. Seasonal Rituals and Crisis Sacrifices – Severe droughts, military threats, or plagues led to mass human sacrifices to appease Baal and restore prosperity.

C. The Role of High Places and Tophets

1. High Places (Bamot) – Sacred hilltop shrines where sacrifices, including children, were offered (Jeremiah 7:31).

2. Tophets (Sacred Burial Grounds for Burnt Children)

• Archaeological excavations in Carthage, Sicily, and Sardinia have revealed cemeteries filled with urns containing burned infant bones, confirming biblical accounts.

• The name Tophet (תֹּפֶת, Topheth) means "place of burning" and refers to the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), where child sacrifices were made (2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 7:31-32).

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3. Biblical Condemnation of Child Sacrifice

God explicitly forbade child sacrifice multiple times:

• Leviticus 18:21 – "You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God."

• Deuteronomy 12:31 – "You shall not do so to the Lord your God, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods."

• 2 Kings 23:10 – King Josiah abolished child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom (Tophet).

Yet, despite these laws, Israel fell into this sin, leading to divine judgment and exile (2 Kings 17:17, Ezekiel 16:20-21).

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4. Archaeological Evidence Supporting Child Sacrifice

A. Carthaginian Tophets (Phoenician-Canaanite Practices)

• Thousands of urns with burned infant bones have been found in Carthage, a Phoenician colony where Canaanite worship continued.

• The Stele of Carthage includes inscriptions dedicated to Baal and Tanit (a fertility goddess), referencing "the offering of the child" to the gods.

• Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, and Philo of Byblos describe the ritual burning of infants in times of crisis.

B. Israelite Tophets and High Places

• Excavations in Gezer, Megiddo, and Jerusalem have found Canaanite sacrificial altars and evidence of infant remains, supporting biblical accounts.

• In the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), later transformed into a garbage-burning site, early evidence suggests it was originally used for sacrificial rites to Molech.

C. Biblical and Extra-Biblical Textual Evidence

• The Mari Tablets (18th century BC, Mesopotamia) mention human sacrifice in Canaanite rituals.

• Ugaritic texts (Ras Shamra) describe Baal’s demand for child sacrifices to secure his blessing.

• Ancient Greek and Roman writers (Diodorus, Plutarch, Tacitus) confirm that the Phoenicians (descendants of the Canaanites) continued child sacrifices even into the Classical period.

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5. Theological and Moral Implications

1. The Ultimate Abomination – Child sacrifice represents the most extreme form of idolatry, violating both moral and divine law.

2. The Land Was Defiled by Blood – Innocent bloodshed was seen as polluting the land, leading to divine judgment (Numbers 35:33).

3. A Direct Challenge to God’s Sovereignty – Offering children to false gods rejected God’s authority over life and death.

4. Christ as the Ultimate Sacrifice – The atonement of Christ contrasts sharply with pagan sacrifices. Rather than humans offering their children to false gods, God offered His Son as a sacrifice for humanity (John 3:16).

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Summary 

Psalm 105:38 recounts the horrific practice of child sacrifice in Canaanite religion, describing how Israel fell into these abominable customs, leading to divine judgment and exile. Archaeological evidence, including burned infant remains in Carthaginian Tophets and ancient texts, confirms the reality of these barbaric rites. God’s repeated prohibition of human sacrifice emphasized His holiness and distinction from the cruel gods of the nations, ultimately pointing to Christ’s sacrificial death as the only true atonement for sin.