Moloch - Canaanite God of Hebrews
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Moloch - Canaanite God of Hebrews
Moloch is a name or term that appears several times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the book of Leviticus. The Bible strongly condemns practices associated with Moloch, which appear to have included child sacrifice. Traditionally, Moloch has been understood as referring to a Canaanite god. However, since 1935 scholars have debated whether the term instead refers to a type of sacrifice on the basis of a similar term used to mean "sacrifice" in the Punic language. This second position has grown increasingly popular but remains contested. Among proponents of this second position, controversy continues as to whether the sacrifices were offered to Yahweh or another deity, and whether they were a native Israelite religious custom or a Phoenician import.
Moloch is a name or term that appears several times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the book of Leviticus. The Bible strongly condemns practices associated with Moloch, which appear to have included child sacrifice. Traditionally, Moloch has been understood as referring to a Canaanite god. However, since 1935 scholars have debated whether the term instead refers to a type of sacrifice on the basis of a similar term used to mean "sacrifice" in the Punic language. This second position has grown increasingly popular but remains contested. Among proponents of this second position, controversy continues as to whether the sacrifices were offered to Yahweh or another deity, and whether they were a native Israelite religious custom or a Phoenician import.