See at the BSA Library: Child Sacrifice at Carthage—Religious Rite or Population Control? Archaeological evidence provides basis for a new analysis by Lawrence E. Stager, Samuel Wolff
Opening paragraph – “Tophet” is a Biblical word. It is the name of a place that was on the south side of ancient Jerusalem in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, where the Israelites sacrificed their children by fire. It may even refer to the altar on which the sacrifices took place. The book of the prophet Jeremiah describes it:
Later Paragraph – As we have noted, the animal burials probably represent a substitution for a child sacrifice. One is immediately reminded of the paradigm in Genesis 22 of Abraham’s offering to sacrifice Isaac, with the ram in the thicket ultimately sacrificed in his stead. Some cultural anthropologists and historians of religion have seen a “line of development which led from human sacrifice to animal sacrifice to the wafer and the wine of the Eucharist,” and in this development they find “a vindication of the moral doctrine of moral progress and enlightenment.”8 According to this cultural evolutionary theory, the “barbaric” practice of human sacrifice was gradually replaced by the more “civilized” practice of animal substitution. Our evidence from Carthage is to the contrary, however. Precisely in the fourth and third centuries B.C., when Carthage had attained the height of urbanity, child sacrifice flourished as never before.
See at BAS Library: Child Sacrifice: Returning God’s Gift, Barren women give birth to exceptional children by Susan Ackerman
From ChatGPT on 5/16/2025.
Critical biblical scholars generally agree that the practice of child sacrifice in Judah persisted until the reign of King Josiah (640–609 BCE), who implemented comprehensive religious reforms to abolish such practices.
Historical Context and Reforms
Child sacrifice, particularly to the deity Molech, is condemned in various biblical texts (e.g., Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 7:31). However, historical accounts suggest that some Judean kings, notably Ahaz and Manasseh, engaged in or permitted such practices. For instance, 2 Kings 16:3 and 2 Chronicles 33:6 describe these kings’ involvement in child sacrifice. Manasseh’s reign (c. 687–642 BCE) is especially noted for reversing his father Hezekiah’s religious reforms and reinstating idolatrous practices, including child sacrifice.(institutefc.org, Enter the Bible)
King Josiah is credited with initiating significant religious reforms aimed at centralizing worship in Jerusalem and eliminating idolatrous practices. According to 2 Kings 23, Josiah destroyed high places, removed idols, and defiled sites associated with child sacrifice, such as Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. These actions are interpreted by scholars as efforts to eradicate the practice of child sacrifice in Judah. (Biblical Archaeology Society)
Scholarly Perspectives
Scholars like Francesca Stavrakopoulou have examined the biblical narratives and archaeological evidence to understand the extent and cessation of child sacrifice in ancient Judah. In her work, she discusses how the biblical portrayal of Manasseh’s reign and Josiah’s reforms reflect a theological agenda to condemn past practices and promote centralized worship. Similarly, Otto Eissfeldt and Paul G. Mosca have analyzed the term “Molech” and its association with child sacrifice, suggesting that the term may refer to a type of sacrificial rite rather than a specific deity. These scholars argue that Josiah’s reforms were pivotal in abolishing child sacrifice in Judah.(TheTorah, Wikipedia)
Conclusion
In summary, critical biblical scholarship supports the view that child sacrifice in Judah was practiced during certain periods, particularly under kings like Ahaz and Manasseh, and was effectively abolished during King Josiah’s religious reforms in the late 7th century BCE. These reforms aimed to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eliminate practices deemed abhorrent, including child sacrifice.
Was it only Ba’al worshipers or were Jews also sacrificing infants? A: Also Jews.
Extracts from TheTorah.com here.
King Ahaz of Judah is said to have passed his son through the fire:
2 Kgs 16:1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jothan became king, king of Judah… 16:3 And he went the way of the kings of Israel, and even his son he passed through the fire like the abominations of the nations that YHWH had dispossessed before the Israelites.
The same is true of King Manasseh:
2 Kgs 21:1 Twelve years old was Manasseh when he became king… 21:2 And he did what was evil in the eyes of YHWH, like the abominations of the nations that YHWH had dispossessed before the Israelites… 21:6 And he passed his son through the fire…[4]
Ezekiel chastises the people of Judah for sacrificing their children, which he describes as a symbolic feeding of “the foul things,” a pejorative term for idols or foreign gods:
Ezek 23:37 For they committed adultery, and there is blood on their hands, and they committed adultery with their foul things, and also their sons whom they before for Me they gave over to be consumed… 23:39 And they slaughtered their children to their foul things and came into My sanctuary on that day to profane it and look, so did they do within my house.[5]
