Molech and Jehovah

by cameo-d 22 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    The definitive work on Molech is John Day's Molech: A God of Human Sacrifice in the Old Testament (Cambridge U. Press). Molech (Ugaritic Mlk) was probably a Canaanite god of the underworld, whose cult was situated in locales associated with the rephaim (the spirits of the dead). In the case of Syria and the northern Transjordan, Bashan was such a place associated with the underworld and the city of Athtart (= the biblical Ashteroth-Karnaim) was the seat of Mlk (KTU 1.100 R 41, 1.107 V 42), and Mlk ("king", possibly vocalized as Milku) was likely the same as "Rapiu the king of eternity" who is the "god who dwells in Athtart and the god who judges in Edrei" (KTU 1.108 R 1-2). Rapiu (rp'u) and rephaim (rp'um) are the same basic word, the latter occuring in the plural. In the OT, Og was the "king (mlk) of Bashan, one of the remnant of the rephaim, who dwelt in Ashteroth and Edrei" (Joshua 12:4; cf. 13:12), a striking parallel to KTU 1.108 R 1-2. Ashteroth was also associated with rephaim in Genesis 14:5. Within Judah, the Mlk cult was localized in the valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 32:35), which is the northern end of the "valley of the rephaim" (Joshua 18:16; cf. 15:8, 2 Samuel 5:18, 23:13, Isaiah 17:5). Amos 5:25 LXX (quoted in Acts 7:43) also associates Molech with "your god Rephan" (= Rapiu of the rephaim?). The idea probably was that Hinnom and its adjoining valley are representations of Sheol, descending at a depth from the heights of Mount Zion, the habitation of Yahweh; in a similar way Bashan could represent the depths across from the heights of Mount Hermon, El's divine habitation. So in Isaiah 57:9 we are told that "with oil you made yourself look your best for Molech, lavishing your scents, you sent your envoys far afield, down to Sheol itself", and in Proverbs 9:18 we are told that the rephaim are gathered in the "valleys of Sheol" (cf. 2:18), valleys that may well have their analogues in Hinnom and its adjoining valleys. This concept is the obvious precursor of the post-exilic notion of Gehenna as the locale where the dead are punished with eternal fire. The idea of Molech as a god of the underworld may even have a late vestige in the Quran which names Maalik as the angel of Jahannam (= Gehenna, i.e. Ge Hinnom) who intercedes with Allah on behalf of the damned (sura 43, 77). The Islamic idea is surely derivative of an older Jewish belief of Molech as the king of Gehenna, or Sheol itself. The notion may have an analogue in Revelation in the personages of Death (the rider of the pale horse) and/or Abaddon, with Death (? = Mot, "Death", the god of the Ugaritic underworld) himself being cast into the lake of fire (20:14).

    Whether there is a connection with Yahweh or El is an interesting question. We can see that the chthonic Rapiu is called the "king of eternity" at Ugarit, whereas El in the pre-exilic Transjordanian Book of Balaam son of Beor (eighth century BC) builds an eternal house in Sheol (cf. Mot's seat of enthronement in his city Muddy in the underworld in KTU 1.5 ii 13-16). There is a disputed link with the mlk-sacrifice in Phoenician religion, which is associated with Baal-Hammon (= El) and Kronos (= El) in Punic and classical Greek texts respectively. I know of no clear link with Yahweh per se (although of course El and Yahweh were identified in pre-exilic henotheistic Yahwism).

  • ProdigalSon
    ProdigalSon

    Wow, seems like EVERY ancient civilization had a narcissistic arsehole god!

    And we thought Jehoover was special.....

  • cameo-d
    cameo-d

    Prodigal: Wow, seems like EVERY ancient civilization had a narcissistic arsehole god!

    Actually, Prodigal, it seems like the same death god in all of these cultures. He gets renamed occassionally, but can still be identified by the same attributes and the same cruel demands placed on his slaves.

    Even with the JWs the religion centers around death. Sometimes I think more emphasis is placed on death and judgement and fear of those things than the importance placed on "paradise". With JWs the judgement is both in the here and now AND at Armageddon AND judgment continues into the promised land "paradise".

    There is no true freedom of the human spirit in any of this.

    Do all the dead go to Molech? If he is in charge of the underworld in all these cultures, apparently he claims these lives in death. Will those who belong to Molech be resurrected?

    Is Molech still being served today?

  • cameo-d
    cameo-d

    Leolaia: whereas El in the pre-exilic Transjordanian Book of Balaam son of Beor (eighth century BC) builds an eternal house in Sheol (cf. Mot's seat of enthronement in his city Muddy in the underworld in KTU 1.5 ii 13-16).

    So El presides over the dead? And why does this El build an "eternal house of death"? Does this indicate death as an absolute finality among the worshippers of El and his Elohim appointees, i.e. Molech, Baal, etc.

    Leolaia: There is a disputed link with the mlk-sacrifice in Phoenician religion, which is associated with Baal-Hammon (= El) and Kronos (= El) in Punic and classical Greek texts respectively. I know of no clear link with Yahweh per se (although of course El and Yahweh were identified in pre-exilic henotheistic Yahwism).

    Hadad (aka Baal) and Melqart (aka Baal of Tyre) were the same god, but had different names due to cultures

    Hadad was Canaanite and Melqart was Phoenician.

    Both were described as sons of El.

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    Wow!

    Just saw this.

    I think you answered your own question, Cameo. The people were confused. YHWH did not want human sacrifice, and did consider it abhorrent.
    Tammy

    So true, Tammy. YHWH did not require human sacrifice. However, I don't believe the children of Israel were confused; to the contrary, I believe they were simply rebellious. Syl

  • peacefulpete
    peacefulpete

    Actually the Yawahists did claim their god required human sacrifice per the OT. Jews practiced human sacrifice

  • tec
    tec

    Yes, it seems that many of them thought so, Pete. Which would explain why prophets were sent to preach that God did NOT require this.

    Tammy

  • peacefulpete
    peacefulpete

    Since you posted a response seconds after me you apparently didn't read the thread.

    Lev.27:28,29 says ..."But any devoted thing which a man devotes to Jehovah from all which belongs to him, of MAN or of animal, or of the field of his possession, it shall not be sold nor redeemed. Everyone devoted to destruction(sacrificed) is most holy No devoted thing which is dedicated by man shall be ransomed; it shall surely be put to death."

  • tec
    tec

    I was just responding to your comment here, sorry, not your link. And I was thinking more along the lines of things such as this:

    Hosea 6:6

    "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

    I don't know enough about the things you spoke of in the other thread to try and make a comment on that, yet.

    Tammy

  • finallysomepride
    finallysomepride

    bookmarking

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit