Bible Passages About Ritual Human Sacrifice

Thread: Bible: Absalom's Hair Weighed How Many Pounds?

Please Clarify
Thank you :)

clar·i·fy (klr-f)
v. clar·i·fied, clar·i·fy·ing, clar·i·fies
v.tr.
1. To make clear or easier to understand; elucidate:
2. To clear of confusion or uncertainty:

Good thread, as there are a few accounts of human sacrifice in the Old Testament. Clearly Satan has been responsible for tricking people into believing that he is God himself.

What's with your username though? You do need to clarify your belief(s) here. You're not Luciferian, are you?

I agree, a lot of the bible is BS.

1.) The Wisdom of Solomon is not an inspired book of the Bible. But, nice try anyway.

2.) 1 Kings 13:1-2 is not human sacrifice because it was merely a symbolic prophecy, which meant the idolatry would be destroyed as would their priesthood. Refer to the following:
[link to www.gregboyd.org]

3.) There is NO Ezekiel 21:33-37. What you were referring to was actually Ezekiel 21:28-32. First of all, concerning these passages, to believe a burnt sacrifice is spoken of here is pretty far-fetched to say the least, as you would have to use your imagination in order to try and prove that it is.

a.) This passage could quite possibly be symbolic. But let's get one thing straight: this passage does refer to the judgment of wicked men. But, again, to say this is human sacrifice without a doubt is simply shaky to say the least.

4.) The Deuteronomy 13:13-19 you quote is a mistranslation, thanks to evil men who wish to distort the Bible and make it read what they want it to read. Nowhere in the true translation of the Bible does it say "burnt sacrifice," or "burnt offering." Again, although these passages do imply judgment, they do not imply human sacrifice.

Let me show you what it really says:

Deuteronomy 13:13-19

13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;

18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

[link to www.biblegateway.com]


[link to www.youtube.com]

The Christian Road Warrior administers the "Doomsday Device" to the idea that Jephthah in Judges 11:29-40 offered his daughter to the God of the Bible as a burnt human sacrifice.

While this issue is controversial, it is not beyond reconciliation from the text and the overall context of the consistent message of the Bible about the character of God.

Sincere Christians do differ on the interpretation both on the layman and scholarly levels. However, when there are two contradictory claims, logic dictates that someone is wrong, or BOTH are wrong. The warrior offers three key ways to determine the truth.

While some try argue over a language (Biblical Hebrew) they do not know (and don't bother to even research), let's be clear about certain facts.

Besides the Young's Literal Translation used in the actual video, there are other English versions where the translators recognize the validity of the "or" translation of the Hebrew conjunction in Judges 11:31 so that we have an alternative or option in the vow separated by the conjunction. These translations are: the the Modern King James Version and certain versions of the New American Standard Bible.

In addition, Clarke's Commentary also points out regarding the translation of Judges 11:31:

"...the translation of which, according to the most accurate Hebrew scholars, is this: I will consecrate it to the Lord, or I will offer it for a burnt-offering."
(Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 2-Joshua to Esther, Phillips & Hunt, p. 152).

Another resource confirming that there was no necessary human burnt offering in this passage comes from renowned scholar Gleason L. Archer, who stated:

"But, as Keil and Delitzsch show, this interpretation as a literal human sacrifice cannot stand in the light of the context...His daughter was allowed two months of mourning, not to bewail her approaching loss of life, but only to bewail her virginity...It is stated in verse 39 that after Jephthah had performed his vow and offered her as a 'burnt offering,' 'she knew not man.' This would be a very pointless and inane remark if she had been put to death. But it has perfect relevance if she was devoted to the service of Jehovah at the door of the tabernacle the rest of her life (For references to the devoted women who performed service in connection with the national cultus, cf. Exod. 38:8 and 1 Sam. 2:22; also Anna in the days of Jesus - Luke 2:36,37). The pathos of the situation in this instance did not lie in Jephthah's daughter devoting herself to divine service, but rather in the sure extinction of Jephthah's line, since she was his only child...There was no human sacrifice here." (A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 266-67).

For more study on the subject from the Web, have a look at these resources:

[link to www.apologeticspress.org]

[link to www.chabad.org]

[link to www.blueletterbible.org]

[link to www.biblegateway.com]

[link to www.christiancourier.com]

Last Edited by Aenon on 05/06/2010 04:29 PM

You blame Lucifer but how do you know that the god you serve isn't really the evil one?
Also why are you scared of the op if he is Luciferian?
I'd wager that christian followers have done more evil than the followers of Lucifer any day!

Sorry, the Roman Catholic Church is not Christian.

[link to www.jesus-is-lord.com]

Let me rephrase this then for you!
"All followers of the god Yahweh"

Right, I forgot. Because God is not allowed to judge sin. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

What most folks even Christians fail to consider when reading the Scriptures is that they have been tampered with by the hands of Satan from the beginning.

The Children of Israel had two sojourns in the kingdom of Babylon and their priesthood was contaminated with that influence, as was/is the Roman Catholic Church.

IF you want to know the nature of the ONE TRUE ALMIGHTY GOD, pay attention to what Yahushua says and does.

Human and ritual sacrifice is from the Babylonian gods, which is portrayed in the Old Testatment as "lord of hosts" and "elohim." It is this "god" that calls for ritual worship, sacrafice, and blood lust. The ONE TRUE GOD ALMIGHTY IS THE ONLY GOD, AND HAS ONLY ONE AGENDA, A PEACE FILLED ABUNDANT LIFE.

Here is my problem with god.
He supposedly knows all, so of course then he would be able to see into the future before he created the world.
He sees what his creation will become, the many evils they will do(especially in his name) yet knowing all along who would go to heaven and who would go to hell, he still goes ahead with his creation.
Basically condemning those so called "sinners" to hell.
How rightious is that?
Also in the bible god says he makes everything-would that not include sin and hell?
What a horrible place to send your sinful children!
Would you do that to your own kids if they disobeyed time and time again?
So he basically makes sin to entice man to see if they would worship him or not, don't call b.s on that statement either because he clearly implies this with Job.
How fair is that?
How fair is it to judge a human for human behaviour when god isn't human and never has been?
I also tend to believe that perhaps there is much more to the story than we have been led to believe.
Perhaps god and satan are brothers and TPTB have led people to worship the evil one?
I cannot worship a god with human qualities.
Think Yahweh doesn't have human qualities?
Hmm let's see...there's hate, anger, love, wrath, etc.
Wouldn't those be classified as human emotions?
If you're going to place your soul in the hands of a god and only one god as his law commands-wouldn't you want to follow a perfect being?
In my eyes a perfect god would transcend ALL human emotions.
There would be nothing but divine ultimate love for his creation and perfect understanding of all our faults/failures/sins.
I don't know and frankly I choose to not worship either.
I personaly believe that god is an energy in all of us and that god is the one who has been overlooked and misunderstood.
Believe what you will and I'll do the same.

The following should have your answers:

[link to www.rationalchristianity.net]

Yeshua HaMashiach bless you.

lol no

Crime and punishment:

God speaking: 'If a man takes a stick and beats his slave, whether male or female, and the slave
dies on the spot, the man is to be punished. But if the slave does not die for a day or two, the
master is not to be punished. The loss of his property is punishment enough' (Exodus 21:20-21).

God speaking: 'If a man commits adultery with the wife of a fellow-Israelite, both he and the
woman shall be put to death' (Leviticus 20:10).

God speaking: 'If a man has sexual relations with another man, they have done a disgusting
thing, and both shall be put to death. They are responsible for their own death' (Leviticus
20:13).

God speaking: 'If a man marries a woman and her mother, all three shall be burnt to death
because of the disgraceful thing they have done' (Leviticus 20:14).

On a man who cursed God during a quarrel: 'The LORD said to Moses, "Take that man out of the
camp. Everyone who heard him curse shall put his hands on the man's head to testify that he is
guilty, and then the whole community shall stone him to death. Then tell the people of Israel
that anyone who curses God must suffer the consequences and be put to death. Any Israelite or
any foreigner living in Israel who curses the LORD shall be stoned to death by the whole
community"' (Leviticus 24:13-26).

'Once, while the Israelites were still in the wilderness, a man was found gathering firewood on
the Sabbath. He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and whole community, and was put under guard, because
it was not clear what should be done with him. Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must be put
to death; the whole community is to stone him to death outside the camp." So the whole community
took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD had commanded' (Numbers
15:32-36).

God speaking: 'Suppose a man has a son who is stubborn and rebellious, a son who will not obey
his parents, even though they punish him ... Then the men of the city are to stone him to death,
and so you will get rid of this evil' (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).

God speaking: 'But if the charge is true and there is no proof that the girl was a virgin, then
they are to take her out to the entrance of her father's house, where the men of her city are to
stone her to death. She has done a shameful thing among our people by having intercourse before
she was married, and while she was still living in her father's house. In this way you will get
rid of this evil' (Deuteronomy 22:20-21).

God speaking: 'Suppose a man is caught raping a girl who is not engaged. He is to pay the girl's
father the bride price of fifty pieces of silver, and she is to become his wife, because he
forced her to have intercourse with him' (Deuteronomy 22:28-29).

God speaking: 'If two men are having a fight and the wife of one tries to help her husband by
grabbing hold of the other man's genitals, show her no mercy; cut off her hand' (Deuteronomy
25:11-12).

Religious intolerance:

God speaking: 'Do not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going
... Instead, tear down their altars, destroy their sacred pillars, and cut down the symbols of
their goddess Asherah' (Exodus 34:12-13).

God speaking: 'In the land that you are taking, destroy all the places where the people worship
their gods on high mountains, on hills, and under green trees. Tear down their altars and smash
their sacred stone pillars to pieces. Burn their symbols of the goddess Asherah and chop down
their idols, so that they will never again be worshipped at those places' (Deuteronomy 12:2-3).

Death for apostasy:

God speaking: 'Even your brother or your son or your daughter or the wife you love or your
closest friend may secretly encourage you to worship other gods, gods that you and your
ancestors have never worshipped. One of them may encourage you to worship the gods of the people
who live near you or the gods of those who live far away. But do not let him persuade you; do
not even listen to him. Show him no mercy or pity, and do not protect him. Kill him! Be the
first to stone him, and then let everyone else stone him too. Stone him to death!' (Deuteronomy
13:6-10).

God speaking: 'When you are living in the towns that the LORD your God gives you, you may hear
that some worthless men of your nation have misled the people of their town to worship gods that
you have never worshipped before. If you hear such a rumour, investigate it thoroughly; and if
it is true that this evil thing did happen, then kill all the people in that town and all their
cattle too. Destroy that town completely. Bring together all the possessions of the people who
live there and pile them up in the town square. Then burn the town and everything in it as an
offering to the LORD your God. It must be left in ruins for ever and never again be rebuilt'
(Deuteronomy 13:12-16).

God speaking: 'Suppose you hear that in one of your towns some man or woman has sinned against
the LORD and broken his covenant by worshipping and serving other gods or the sun or the moon or
the stars, contrary to the LORD's command ... If it is true that this evil thing has happened in
Israel, then take that person outside the town and stone him to death' (Deuteronomy 17:2-5).

War crimes and genocide:

On the towns of King Sihon of Heshbon: '[W]e captured and destroyed every town, and put everyone
to death, men, women, and children. We took the cattle and plundered the towns' (Deuteronomy
2:34-35).

On the towns of King Og of Bashan: 'We destroyed all the towns and put to death all the men,
women, and children, just as we did in the towns that belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. We took
the cattle and plundered the towns' (Deuteronomy 3:6-7).

God speaking: 'When you go to attack a city, first give its people a chance to surrender. If
they open the gates and surrender, they are all to become your slaves and do forced labour for
you. But if the people in that city will not surrender, but choose to fight, surround it with
your army. Then, when the LORD your God lets you capture the city, kill every man in it. You
may, however, take for yourselves the women, the children, the livestock, and everything else in
the city. You may use everything that belongs to your enemies. The LORD has given it to you.
That is how you are to deal with those cities that are far away from the land you will settle
in. But when you capture cities in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, kill everyone.
Completely destroy all the people: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD ordered you to do' (Deuteronomy 20:10-17).

God speaking: 'When the LORD you God gives you victory in battle and you take prisoners, you may
see among them a beautiful woman that you like and want to marry. Take her to your home ...
Later, if you no longer want her, you are to let her go free. Since you forced her to have
intercourse with you, you cannot treat her as a slave and sell her' (Deuteronomy 21:10-14).

On the city of Jericho: 'With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women,
young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys' (Joshua 6:21).

'Then they set fire to the city and burnt it to the ground, along with everything in it, except
the things made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, which they took and put in the LORD's
treasury' (Joshua 6:24).

On the city of Ai: 'The Israelites killed every one of the enemy in the barren country where
they had chased them. They then went back to Ai and killed everyone there. Joshua kept his spear
pointed at Ai and did not put it down until every person there had been killed. The whole
population of Ai was killed that day - twelve thousand men and women. The Israelites kept for
themselves the cattle and goods captured in the city, as the LORD had told Joshua. Joshua burnt
Ai and left it in ruins. It is still like that today. He hanged the king of Ai from a tree and
left his body there until evening. At sunset Joshua gave orders for the body to be removed, and
it was thrown down at the entrance to the city gate. They covered it with a huge pile of stones,
which is still there today' (Joshua 8:24-29).

'Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him, and he asked them, "Why did you
deceive us and tell us that you were from far away, when you live right here? Because you did
this, God has condemned you. Your people will always be slaves, cutting wood and carrying water
for the sanctuary of my God"' (Joshua 9:22-23).

Joshua attacked the cities of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, and surrounding
towns (Joshua 10:28-39). In each case, 'He spared no one; everyone was put to death. This was
what the LORD God of Israel had commanded' (Joshua 10:40). 'Joshua conquered all these kings and
their territory in one campaign because the LORD, Israel's God, was fighting for Israel' (Joshua
10:42).

'But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived
among the Ephraimites to this day, but they have been forced to work as slaves' (Joshua 16:10).

'The Israelites had the army trapped, and without stopping they pursued them as far as a point
East of Gibeah, killing them as they went. Eighteen thousand of the best Benjaminite soldiers
were killed. The others turned and ran towards the open country to the Rock of Rimmon. Five
thousand of them were killed along the road. The Israelites continued to pursue the rest to
Gidom, killing two thousand. In all, twenty-five thousand Benjaminites were killed that day -
all of them brave soldiers. But six hundred men were able to escape to the open country to the
Rock of Rimmon, and they stayed there four months. The Israelites turned back against the rest
of the Benjaminites and killed them all - men, women, and children, and animals as well. They
burnt every town in the area' (Judges 20:43-46).

'So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders, "Go and kill
everyone in Jabesh, including the women and children. Kill all the males, and also any woman who
is not a virgin"' (Judges 21:10-11).

'Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the man who pays you back for what you have done to us
- who takes your babies and smashes them against a rock' (Psalm 137:8-9).

God's punishments against his own people, the Israelites:

'Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control and make fools of themselves in
front of their enemies. So he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, "Everyone who is on the
LORD's side come over here!" So all the Levites gathered round him, and he said to them, "The
LORD God of Israel commands every one of you to put on his sword and go through the camp from
this gate to the other and kill his brothers, his friends, and his neighbours." The Levites
obeyed, and killed about three thousand men that day. Moses said to the Levites, "Today you have
consecrated yourselves as priests in the service of the LORD by killing your sons and brothers,
so the LORD has given you his blessing' (Exodus 32:25-29).

'Because the LORD Almighty is angry, his punishment burns like a fire throughout the land and
destroys the people ... Everywhere in the country people snatch and eat any bit of food they can
find, but their hunger is never satisfied. They even eat their own children!' (Isaiah 9:19-20).

Isaiah reporting God's message: 'Anyone who is caught will be stabbed to death. While they look
on helplessly, their babies will be battered to death, their houses will be looted, and their
wives will be raped. The LORD says, "I am stirring up the Medes to attack Babylon ... With their
bows and arrows they will kill the young men. They will show no mercy to babies and take no pity
on children"' (Isaiah 13:15-18).

God speaking: 'I destroyed you, my people, I killed your children because you did not stop your
evil ways ... I killed your young men in their prime and made their mothers suffer ... The
mother who lost her seven children has fainted, gasping for breath. Her daylight has turned to
darkness; she is disgraced and sick at heart' (Jeremiah 15:7-9).

God speaking: 'Moab has been destroyed; listen to the children crying. Hear the sound of their
sobs ... the cries of distress' (Jeremiah 48:4-5).

'Look, O LORD! Look at those you are torturing! Women are eating the bodies of the children they
loved! ... Young and old alike lie dead in the streets ... You slaughtered them without mercy on
the day of your anger' (Lamentations 2:20-21).

God speaking: 'parents in Jerusalem will eat their children, and children will eat their
parents' (Ezekiel 5:10).

God speaking: 'I will send hunger and wild animals to kill your children, and will send
sickness, violence, and war to kill you. I, the LORD, have spoken' (Ezekiel 5:17).

God speaking: 'They are going to die in war, by famine, and by disease. Those far away will fall
ill and die; those near by will be killed in war; those who survive will starve to death'
(Ezekiel 6:12).

God speaking: 'Spare no one; have mercy on no one. Kill the old men, young men, young women,
mothers, and children ... Defile the Temple. Fill its courtyards with corpses. Get to work!'
(Ezekiel 9:5-7).

God speaking: 'Samaria must be punished for rebelling against me. Her people will die in war;
babies will be dashed to the ground, and pregnant women will be ripped open' (Hosea 13:16).

God's punishments against other nations:

'The LORD is angry with all the nations and their armies. He has condemned them to destruction.
Their corpses will not be buried, but will lie there rotting and stinking; and the mountains
will be red with blood' (Isaiah 34:2-3).

'The LORD Almighty says that disaster is coming on one nation after another, and a great storm
is gathering at the far ends of the earth. On that day the bodies of those whom the LORD has
killed will lie scattered from one end of the earth to the other. No one will mourn for them,
and they will not be taken away and buried. They will lie on the ground like piles of manure'
(Jeremiah 25:32-33).

Note: All biblical quotes are taken from the 'Good News' version of the Bible, which comes with
illustrations, and is a popular gift, especially for children.

Thanks for all the great bible quotes. I find it interesting that some literalists of the bible are quick to refute things like human sacrifice but remain staunch about things like homosexuality being a sin.

We have to remember that the bible was written in a very brutal era in human history. Of course this shit happened. It still happens in some cultures that have failed to modernize. The writers of the bible were trying to curtail this brutal behaviour, making it a book full of contradiction and compromise, just like the koran. Change can only be expected incrementally. To be excepted by the brutal tribal peoples of the time, the Koran couldn't go all out on the murder thing either.

Both testaments and the koran document the evolution of morality and spirituality in human history. And now when the average comfortable person within countries with clear human rights laws picks up the bible, they pull the good out of it and call the evidence of brutality symbolic. Or just become selectively literal.

People should feel freer to pick and choose the peaceful messages from among the fray of recorded history. Wouldn't it be great if some fundamentalist Muslims were encouraged to do the same?