In ancient folklore and folk tales, many revered deities worshiped and even sacrificed people. One such is Moloch, the mythology of which says that it was a kind of copper idol with a bullish head and human outstretched hands.
Who is Moloch?
This name was also called Baal or Baal. This is the God of the ancient western Semites - the patron of sunlight, fertilization, and later the war. He was portrayed in the guise of a mighty bull or warrior in a helmet with horns. It is believed that the Moloch demon is a supernatural incarnation of Baal. The cult center was located in Tire, from where the tradition of service and offering of human victims spread throughout the ancient kingdom of Israel.
Who is the Moloch in the Bible?
In the sacred scripture, it is referred to as a deity worshiped by the Moabites and the Ammonites. Biblical Moloch was worshiped by the Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Palestinians. Some scholars identify him with Yahweh - Jehovah, relying on the words of the prophet Jeremiah, uttered in the name of God Yahweh. In the Old Testament there are many references to the practice of sacrifice among the Semitic peoples. Moloch was coaxed by King Solomon, Ahaz, Manasseh and others, and only with the reign of Josiah this tradition began to be eradicated.
Moloch - demonology
In the Middle Ages, with the advent of the famous grimoires, describing the inhabitants of the Underworld, this God was considered a demon. To a common opinion according to whether he is a certain person or whether Moloch is some kind of demons, archeologists, demonologists and historians can not come. According to legend, the victim was brought to him by burning and called it "carrying through fire." There is an opinion that Moloch was the God of luck and after Carthage was saved from the Greeks, the belief in it only strengthened, because the day before he was sacrificed to about 500 children, 200 of which were noble families.
Moloch - sacrifice
Such a deity as Moloch, mythology connects with the gay fire and this is by no means an accident. The very name "Gehenna" came from the name of the valley of Hennom, near Jerusalem. Here, a bloody sacrifice was offered to Moloch. The ritual was planned for December, as it was believed that for a year the soul and the aura manage to accumulate dirt of cosmic light, and through fire they are purified. Initially, the leader of the ritual lit an improvised candle, drew a pentagram with a dagger, and the culmination of the rite was the sacrifice itself.
At the same time, children, and in this capacity used toddlers up to 7 years old, and the first-borns were placed in a brazier located inside a metal idol. According to another version they were put on the red-hot hands of an idol. In the aftermath, when the Babylonians captured the Jews and began to struggle with the terrible ritual, the garbage and animal bodies were simply burned in the valley, and the metal structure was destroyed.
Moloch - interesting facts
It is noteworthy that the mothers of children intended for sacrifice were obliged to attend the ritual, but in no case to cry, not to sob and not to grieve, but to be proud of the honor given. It is believed that Moloch, devouring his children, is the "ruler of the country of tears" and the greatest pleasure was given to him by the torments of the babies burning alive.
It is noteworthy that in his honor called a lizard, living in Australia and having an outstanding appearance. It is entirely covered with multi-colored spines and spines and even has two towering outgrowths resembling horns. Depending on the ambient temperature, the lizard can change the shades of the skin. Zoologists say that this walking cactus and nature has an appropriate cortex, so it justifies its name.