A Greek transcription of the Hebrew molech, meaning king, Moloch was one of the prominent pagan deities of ancient Mesopotamia. As many Israelites burned their children alive in tribute to this idol, modern thinking holds that the name in fact derives from the Punic root MLK, meaning offering or sacrifice, and suggests that Moloch refers not to the name of a god but to a particular form of ritual sacrifice.

In 605 BC, Babylon rose again and King Nebuchadnezzar repeatedly banished the Jews to disparate parts of the Arabian subcontinent several times – not only leading to widespread Jewish Diaspora, but ensuring that many of the deities of ancient Mesopotamia would be recorded in the Old Testament as well.

Idolatry was a then commonplace practice throughout ancient Canaan – popular gods included the fishtailed Dagon of the Philistines, the “he-goat” Asima of the Emathites and the fly Beezlebub worshipped in the kingdom of Accaron. The deity with the grisly repute of all, however, was Moloch, whose cult first arose in the city of Ammon in what is now modern day Jordan.

Several Biblical accounts record the followers’ belief that by appeasing Moloch with the lives of burnt children and animals, he would renew the vitality of their king, who in turn could then reap a plentiful harvest. That, however, is not to say that it was a tidy affair – on days of sacrifice, drums and cymbals had to be played at maximum ferocity to drown out screams of burning children.

In the 11th century, famed Talmudic commentator and rabbi Rashi stated that sacrifices to Moloch had taken place in a large brass cauldron that would have been heated to cook its victims alive. Later historians embellished this detail have the oven become a bull-shaped effigy of Moloch himself — recalling the form of the golden calf fashioned by Aaron to appease the Hebrews during Moses’ tribulation on Mount Sinai.

Interestingly enough, one of laws issued by Moses upon his return from the mountaintop, as stated in Leviticus 18:21, was “You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to Moloch, and so profane the name of your God.” To this day it remains unclear whether this was a preventative measure to prevent Moses’ flock from straying or whether certain contingents of Jews had already given themselves over to Moloch worship.

Modern archaeologists generally hold that the Canaanite god Moloch had analogs in the Greek titan Cronus and Carthaginian’s Ba’al Hammon – two pagan deities both reputed to have required the ritual sacrifice of children by flame. In fact, some of the first clues to historical Moloch worship appeared after the excavation of mass grave in Carthage in 1921, which produced hundreds of child and animal sacrifices, comingled with stones inscribed MLK.

History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.

History Store History DVDs Replica Guns Replica Swords Scale Model Kits

Tags: 11th century, 1921, Accaron, Ammon, ancient Canaan, ancient Mesopotamia, archaelogy, Asima, Babylon, Beezlebub, Bull shaped effigy, Carthaginian’s Ba'al Hammon, Dagon pagan god, Emathites, excavation of Carthage, golden calf, Greek Titan Cronus, He-Goat, History DVDs, History Store, human sacrifice, idolatry, Israelites, Jewish diaspora, Jordan, King Nebuchadnezzar, MLK, molech, Moloch worship, Mount Sinai, paganism, Philistines, rabbi Rashi, replica guns, Replica Swords, ritual sacrifice, scale model kits, the Old Testament