0000002165 00000 n Mesha's sacrifice of his firstborn, seen in this new light, was virtually guaranteed to save the lives of the entire populationmen, women and childrenof the city under siege" (Baruch Margalit, "Why King Mesha of Moab Sacrificed His Oldest Son,"Biblical Archaeology Review,Nov.-Dec. 1986, p. 63). 0000010078 00000 n PREVIOUS 2 Kings 3:26. What was the Lord's share in all the wars of the Hebrews, if it was not blood? For example, Martin S. Bergmann states "The Aggadah rabbis asserted that "father Isaac was bound on the altar and reduced to ashes, and his sacrificial dust was cast on Mount Moriah. [2], Archaeologists have found the remains of more than 140 children who were sacrificed in Peru's northern coastal region. We have a principle that a positive prophecy will not be revoked. [27] According to Irving Greenberg the story of the binding of Isaac, symbolizes the prohibition to worship God by human sacrifices, at a time when human sacrifices were the norm worldwide. 6 Valuable Lessons from the Life of Samuel, 10 Verses from James to Deepen Your Faith. Parshat Vayikra Chapter 8: : ? Rav and Shmuel engage in a dispute concerning this. Muti murders occur throughout South Africa, especially in rural areas. For example, Carl Falck-Lebahn (1854) compared the incident with the near-sacrifice of Iphigenia in Greek mythology, claiming: "According to Levit. Mesha, when his sally failed, took, as a last resource, his first born son, and offered him as a burnt-offering to appease the manifest anger of his god Chemosh, and obtain his aid against his enemies. He felt that if he could somehow break through to the king of Edom, he would be rescued, and the attack would be broken. Edom's heir, Edom's wrath | TruthOnlyBible The dearer any thing was to them, the more acceptable those idolaters thought the sacrifice, and therefore burnt their children in the fire to their honour. [8] It is also believed that parents in Maya culture would offer their children for sacrifice and depictions of this show that this was a very emotional time for the parents, but they would carry through because they thought the child would continue existing. What became of them? If not, what are counter-examples? Apology 9.2-3, "Among ancient peoples in critically dangerous situations it was customary for the rulers of a city or nation, rather than lose everyone, to provide the dearest of their children as a propitiatory sacrifice to the avenging deities. and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall; that it might be seen by the camp of Israel, and move their compassion; or rather this was done as a religious action, to appease the deity by an human sacrifice so dear and precious, to give success, and cause the enemy to break up the siege; and was either offered to the true God, the God of Israel, in imitation of Abraham, as some Jewish writers fancy, or to his idol Chemosh, the sun; and Jarchi observes, out of an exposition of theirs, that "vau" is wanting in the word for wall, and so may be interpreted of the sun, towards which this burnt offering was offered; and it is observed, from various Heathen authors, that it was usual with the Heathens, when in calamity and distress, to offer up to their gods what was most dear and valuable to them; and particularly the Phoenicians, and from them the Carthaginians had this custom, who at one time offered up two hundred sons of their nobility, to appease their gods: and there was great indignation against Israel; not of the king of Edom against them, for not rescuing his son, or because they were the means of this disaster which befell him; but of the king of Moab, who was quite desperate, and determined to hold out the siege to the utmost extremity: and they departed, and returned to their own land; the three kings, the one to Edom, the other to Israel, and the third to Judah; when they saw the Moabites would sell their lives so dear, and hold out to the last man, they thought fit to break up the siege; and perhaps were greatly affected with the barbarous shocking sight they had seen, and might fear, should they stay, something else of the like kind would be done. Child sacrifice is the ritualistic killing of children in order to please or appease a deity, supernatural beings, or sacred social order, tribal, group or national loyalties in order to achieve a desired result. Genesis 19:30-38 accounts for the origins of the nation of Moab. 0000002738 00000 n [Quran 6:137][non-primary source needed], Archaeologist Peter Warren was involved in the British School at Athens excavation of Palekastro for one season and the excavation at Lefkandi for two seasons. This sacrifice expressed Mesha's great wrath against Israel. Jehoshaphat insisted, however, on first consulting Elisha, whom, for the sake of Jehoshaphat, God inspired to prophesy victory. 2 Kings 3:27 - Compare Bible Verse Translations - Bible Study Tools "[50], "When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. There are then several different methods of explaining the verse. Did Balak know Gd told Jewish people he wouldn't destroy Moav. There were 16,000 girls for the soldiers, 16,000 for the priests; and on the soldiers' share there was levied a tribute of 32 virgins for the Lord. [51] Recent archaeology, however, has produced a detailed breakdown of the ages of the buried children and, based on this and especially on the presence of prenatal individuals that is, still births it is also argued that this site is consistent with burials of children who had died of natural causes in a society that had a high infant mortality rate, as Carthage is assumed to have had. It was a test of faith (Genesis 22:12). When he did so, "there was a great indignation against [or upon] Israel. Some art includes pottery and steles as well as references to infant sacrifice in mythology and art depictions of the mythology. 140 0 obj The children thus given up were slaughtered according to a secret ritual. [1] This relationship probably went all the way back to Davids annihilation of Edom in 1 Chronicles 18:12-13. Indeed, the translation of as an outburst of divine anger by the NET Bible seems to accommodate this interpretation (the NKJV great indignation is better). Such an interpretation is entirely foreign to biblical theology, which always presents pagan gods as false gods, i.e., as fictions. Israel and Judah's War Against Moab (2 Kings 3:4-27) January 30 In Jehoram's invasion of Moab it alone withstood his attack; and on the city wall the king of Moab sacrificed his son (2 Kings 3:25). The king of Edom plays a pivotal role in the events which follow. One says: The king sacrificed his son for the sake of Heaven, and one says: The king sacrificed his son for the sake of idol worship. King Mesha offered the crown prince as a burnt offering on top of the city wall in full view of the enemy forces ( 2 Kings 3:26-27 ). Then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead Not the eldest son of the king of Edom, whom the king of Moab had in his hands before, which made the king of Edom the more willing to join in this expedition for the recovery of his son, as Joseph Kimchi thinks; or whom he took now in his sally out upon him, as Moses Kimchi and Ben Gersom, proceeding upon a mistaken sense of ( Amos 2:1 ) for the king of Edom could have no son that had a right, or was designed to succeed him, since he was but a deputy king himself; and besides, the sacrificing of him was not the way to cause the kings to raise the siege, but rather to provoke them to press it the more closely: it was the king of Moab that took his son and heir to the crown. '[17] The Tanakh also implies that the Ammonites offered child sacrifices to Moloch. Took his eldest son - The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way: -. But necessity, more inventive than any art, introduced not only the usual means of defence, but also some novel ones." To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Num 32:34). Furthermore the navi already said there would be victory. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and, To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall, and there was great indignation against Israel, And there was great indignation against Israel -. Thus, based on the grammar, it is not unlikely or implausible that the king of Edoms son is referenced here. What Bible Debates Inspired Martin Luther's 95 Theses? Can wires be bundled for neatness in a service panel? 0000016225 00000 n rev2023.6.27.43513. It is significant for naming Yahweh as the God of Israel, and for noting how the Gadites had lived in Ataroth since ancient times (cf. "[48], "And Kleitarchos says the Phoenicians, and above all the Carthaginians, venerating Kronos, whenever they were eager for a great thing to succeed, made a vow by one of their children. Front Cover. However at the end of the chapter Mesha sacrifices his son (or perhaps the son of the king of Edom) which somehow causes a reversal of fortune with Mesha and Moav remaining undefeated. [62], The continued murder of Black children of all ages, for body parts with which to make muti, for purposes of witchcraft, still occurs in South Africa. Why else would biblical law specifically forbid such things and with such vehemence?" Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Mi Yodeya offers tons of great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. [5] A majority (66%) of the excavated subadults were under 3 years old, and 32 subadults as well as 6 subadults were identified as male. [5] In 2008, Archaeologists found and excavated 43 victims of Aztec sacrifice, 37 of which were subadults. 110 31 Perhaps in this situation we can apply the concept of that even though there was a positive prophecy it need not come true in the most positive possible way. 16 Tuesday May 2017 Posted by Steven Anderson in Bible 2 Comments Tags 2 Kgs 3:27, 2 Kings 3:27 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. Israel pulled back and returned home. Exodus 22:28b29 states "The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me" potentially a demand by Yahweh that the firstborn children of the Israelites must be sacrificed to him. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. [52], Greek, Roman and Israelite writers refer to Phoenician child sacrifice. Balak tried to engage Balaam for the purpose of cursing the migrating Israelite community. How to skip a value in a \foreach in TikZ? Where in the Andean Road System was this picture taken? For one, why would God prophesy through Elisha that Israel should attack Moabonly to cause wrath upon them? Sunday 06/25/2023 :: Pastor Harley Doneburg :: 1 Samuel 22 2nd Chazal tell us why Mesha slaughtered his crown prince. When he did so, "there was a great indignation against [or upon] Israel. Modern scholars unanimously identify this city with Kir of Moab. Then he offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. [Note: Baruch Margalit, "Why King Mesha of Moab Sacrificed His Oldest Son," Biblical Archaeology Review 12:6 (November-December 1986):62-63. Then he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his. [8] It is also known that infant sacrifices occurred at certain times. Modern his-torical analysis has fallen short in providing a coherent explanation for the events of this verse. Can I have all three? However, the text of 1 Kings 22:47 gives the answer: a deputy was king. There was a king in Edom, but since he was subservient to Judah, he was not a true sovereign. Rogers, Chris 2011. When Jehoshaphat brought his forces to go to battle against Moab, the king of Edom came with him, with an Edomite army (v. 9). [7] It was thought that supernatural beings would consume the souls of more powerful humans and infants were substituted in order to prevent that. ", "Some even proposed renewing a sacrifice which had been discontinued for many years, and which I for my part should believe to be by no means pleasing to the gods, of offering a freeborn boy to Saturn this sacrilege rather than sacrifice, handed down from their founders, the Carthaginians are said to have performed until the destruction of their cityand unless the elders, in accordance with whose counsel everything was done, had opposed it, the awful superstition would have prevailed over mercy. Of course, there never was such a god as Chemosh, who was a mere figment of the Moabite imagination, but there were demonic forces behind the Moabite religion (1 Cor 10:19-20). Answer Moab, a small kingdom in the central Transjordan, was a familiar setting in the Bible. Now Kronos, whom the Phoenicians call El, who was in their land and who was later divinized after his death as the star of Kronos, had an only son by a local bride named Anobret, and therefore they called him Ieoud. %%EOF 0000016835 00000 n History of Alexander IV.III.23, "In Africa infants used to be sacrificed to Saturn, and quite openly, down to the proconsulate of Tiberius, who took the priests themselves and on the very trees of their temple, under whose shadow their crimes had been committed, hung them alive like votive offerings on crosses; and the soldiers of my own country are witnesses to it, who served that proconsul in that very task. The best translation of 2 Kings 3:27 is as follows: Then he took his oldest son who should have reigned in his place, and burned him as a sacrificial victim on the wall. ", This page was last edited on 21 May 2023, at 14:50. The name is generally taken to mean "city of the sun." Cheyne, however, points out (EB, under the word): In the aftermath of the War against the Midianites narrated in Numbers 31, the Israelites appear to be dedicating 32 captive Midianite virgin girls to be sacrificed to Yahweh as his share in the spoils of war. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country. One place in Scripture records Chemosh demanding human sacrifice: in the days of Judah's King Jehoram, the king of Moab faced military defeat, and the Moabite ruler "took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall" (2 Kings 3:27). Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. [3], The Aztecs are well-known for their ritualistic human sacrifice as offerings to gods with the goal of restoring cosmological balance. The flame of the burning child reached its body until, the limbs having shriveled up and the smiling mouth appearing to be almost laughing, it would slip into the oven. Took his eldest son The rabbins account for this horrible sacrifice in the following way:-. So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice on the wall. As such, it is a form of human sacrifice . Qir-Hareseth; Kir-Heres - Meaning and Verses in Bible Encyclopedia Abstract King Mesha's sacrifice of his son and the subsequent retreat of the Israelite army from Moab in 2 Kgs 3:27 has proven to be a puzzling text for interpreters from rabbinic Judaism to the present. The Tanakh denounces human sacrifice as barbaric customs of Baal worshippers (e.g. : , . When the alliance besieged the Moabite capital of Kir-Hareseth, the Moabite king Mesha, in desperation, sacrificed his eldest son to the god Chemosh. How do we understand these turn of events? Three kings gather against the Moabites. 0000015639 00000 n Cf. It was customary to resort to it at times of particular danger or strife for the community. declval<_Xp(&)()>()() - what does this mean in the below context? "[49], "The Phoenicians too, in great disasters whether of wars or droughts, or plagues, used to sacrifice one of their dearest, dedicating him to Kronos. Mesha Stele - Wikipedia Sergio Ribichini, "Beliefs and Religious Life" in Moscati, Sabatino (ed). GEORGE M. HARTON Jehoshaphat had a difficult time grasping the lessons that God wanted to teach him in the area of political allegiances with unbelieving nations, especially with "sister-nation" Israel to the north. I wouldnt call him successful. Other scholars have concluded that the virgins and animals were kept alive and used by the Levites as their share of the spoils. [26], Rabbi A.I. [40]:406. xxvii, 29, sacrifices of human victims were clearly established among the Jews." His advisers told him that it came as a result of their ancestor Abraham being prepared to slaughter his son to H'. After allowing her two months preparation, Judges 11:39 states that Jephthah kept his vow. [41], The most extensive accounts of child sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible refer to those carried out in Gehenna by two kings of Judah, Ahaz and Manasseh of Judah. Author: Bryant G. Wood PhD Category: The Divided Monarchy of Israel & Judah 932-587 BC Created: 27 September 2006 This article was first published in the Spring 1996 issue of Bible and Spade. [1] It may be asked why this passage (2 Kgs 3:9) places a king in Edom, when 1 Kings 22:47 and 2 Kings 8:20 say there was no king in Edom in those days. Library 20.1.4, "Again, would it not have been far better for the Carthaginians to have taken Critias or Diagoras to draw up their law-code at the very beginning, and so not to believe in any divine power or god, rather than to offer such sacrifices as they used to offer to Cronos? United Church of Godis a501(c)3organization. (2 Kings 3:26-27), At Carthage, a large cemetery exists that combines the bodies of both very young children and small animals, and those who assert child sacrifice have argued that if the animals were sacrificed, then so too were the children. The last stronghold in the land was Kir-hareseth, which is where the king of Moab and his army gathered for their last stand. How to exactly find shift beween two functions? Israel, losing the heart to press the battle further, decided to depart. To fight against Moab, the new king of Israel, Jehoram, formed an alliance with the king of Edom and with King Jehoshaphat of Judah (who should have learned from his earlier experience with King Ahaziah to not participate in such an alliance). No, but with full knowledge and understanding they themselves offered up their own children, and those who had no children would buy little ones from poor people and cut their throats as if they were so many lambs or young birds; meanwhile the mother stood by without a tear or moan; but should she utter a single moan or let fall a single tear, she had to forfeit the money, and her child was sacrificed nevertheless; and the whole area before the statue was filled with a loud noise of flutes and drums so that the cries of wailing should not reach the ears of the people." The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays. "[24] A similar interpretation was made in the Epistle to the Hebrews. [1], The practice of child sacrifice in Europe and the Near East appears to have ended as a part of the religious transformations of late antiquity. Once Mesha performed this sacrifice it either provided him with more merit, even though it was perhaps not what God 'wanted' the intention behind it was noble. Later interpretations of the text have contradicted this version. 0000001697 00000 n , : ( ). In 2 Kings 3, the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom unite to fight the Moabites. It is significant that in v. 26, when the king of Moab was in serious trouble, he tried to break through the Israelite army to reach the king of Edomapparently not caring about the possibility of his avenue of retreat being cut off. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. It was not just among Israel's neighbours that child sacrifice was countenanced, but apparently within Israel itself. PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. The Gemara answers: This can be understood in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. In the Books of Samuel account, Moab is said to have been conquered by David (traditional floruit c. 1000-970 BC) and retained in the territories of his son Solomon (d. c. 931 BC).
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