{"id":6847,"date":"2020-03-08T07:26:01","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T06:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monodes.com\/predaelli\/?p=6847"},"modified":"2020-03-08T07:26:01","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T06:26:01","slug":"at-the-altar-of-moloch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monodes.com\/predaelli\/2020\/03\/08\/at-the-altar-of-moloch\/","title":{"rendered":"At the Altar of Moloch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At the Altar of Moloch<\/a><\/em><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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There is nothing \u201cprogressive\u201d about a society which legalizes the murder of the unborn<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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At the Altar of Moloch<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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There is nothing \u201cprogressive\u201d about a society which legalizes the murder of the unborn<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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\"John<\/a><\/div>\n
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John Monaco<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
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Jan 28, 2019<\/a> \u00b7 16 min read<\/div>\n
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Offering to Moloch (illustration from the 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us<\/em><\/strong> by Charles Foster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

O<\/span>utside the walls of Jerusalem, southwest of the ancient city, lies a small valley. Since the 7th-century B.C., this valley was called Gei Ben-Hinnom; <\/em>in Hebrew, meaning \u201cValley of the Son of Hinnom,\u201d and, by the 1st-century A.D., was commonly known in the Aramaic language as G\u0113hann\u0101<\/em>. Today, the valley looks insignificant, unworthy of a second glance. After all, like most valleys, it too is filled with grass and vegetation. In ancient times, however, this specific valley took on a different meaning, as Gehenna was the place of child-sacrifice<\/strong>. In this valley, parents willingly offered their children to suffer a brutal killing, so that they would be a pleasing sacrifice to the Canaanite god, Moloch<\/a>, who in turn would grant the people prosperity & favor.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
(1) Gehenna (2) The ancient city of Jerusalem<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Old Testament makes several references to this valley (Josh 15:8; 2 Chr 28:3; 2 Kgs 28:10), and none of them are positive, glowing reviews (for obvious reasons). The child-sacrifices occurred at a particular place in the valley, called Tophet<\/em>. The Hebrew word, toph<\/em>, translates to \u2018drum\u2019 or tambourine. According to several medieval Jewish commentators<\/a>, the place of child-sacrifice was called Tophet because of the Canaanite priests, who banged their drums loudly so that the parents did not hear the screams of their dying children. One Jewish commentator, Rashi (A.D. 1040\u20131105), describes the sacrifice in detail in his commentary<\/a> on Jeremiah 31:7:<\/p>\n

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That is Molech, which was of copper, and they would heat it up from underneath it with its hands spread out and heated. And they would place the child on his hands, and he would be burnt and moan, and the priests would beat drums so that the father should not hear his son\u2019s voice and take pity. It is called Topheth because of the drum (\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05e3), Hinnom because of the child\u2019s moaning (\u05e0\u05d4\u05de\u05ea).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Another Jewish commentator, familiar with the ancient Canaanite cultic practices, describes<\/a> the altar of Moloch in detail:<\/p>\n

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[it] was a hollow statue, which contained seven apartments: in one there was offered to the god, flour; turtle-doves were sacrificed in the second; sheep in the third; rams in the fourth; cakes in the fifth, and bulls in the sixth; as to the seventh cell, it was opened when they were going to sacrifice children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lest one think this is anti-pagan mythology, recent historical and archaeological evidence <\/a>from ancient Carthage proves otherwise. Carthage provides a helpful example to the practices of Moloch-worshipers, as it was a city founded by the Canaanites themselves (who were called \u2018Phoenicians\u2019 by Greek merchants). Modern evidence affirms that child-sacrifice truly happened<\/a>, and in very violent, tortuous ways. As the 1st-century Greek biographer, Plutarch, writes<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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[W]ith full knowledge and understanding they [the Carthaginians] 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, which took the cries of wailing, so that they did not reach the ears of the people.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

During the reforms by King Josiah (7th-century B.C.), these practices were outlawed in the land of Judah. Josiah, under the command of God, ordered \u201cthat no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Moloch.\u201d (2 Kgs 23:10). That term, \u201cpass through the fire\u201d, was certainly not a euphemism<\/a> \u2014 the Canaanites literally burnt their children alive. It was because of these atrocities that the LORD, through the prophet Jeremiah, warned that Gehenna would be forever known as the \u201cValley of Slaughter\u201d, a place where corpses would pile up \u201cuntil there is no room\u201d. Gone would be joyful and happy voices, \u201cfor the land shall be desolate.\u201d (Jer 7:32\u201334)<\/p>\n

The word \u2018Gehenna\u2019 is mentioned twelve times<\/a> in the New Testament, with 11 of its occurrences coming from mouth of Jesus. Gehenna is described as a place of \u201cunquenchable fire\u201d (Mk 9:43), where \u201cboth soul and body\u201d are destroyed (Mt 10:28). While some contemporary Christians try and sanitize this hellish reality by suggesting<\/a> Gehenna was simply a \u201cgarbage dump\u201d where the people of Jerusalem burned their trash, there is no archaeological or historical evidence<\/a> proving so. Gehenna is a place of death, utterly opposed to the gift of life. And Gehenna \u2014 the \u201cvalley of slaughter\u201d \u2014 is where we find ourselves today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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L<\/span>ast Tuesday, on the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade<\/em>, the New York State Senate passed the Reproductive Health Act<\/a>, which extend the allowances for abortions even further. Now, a woman may abort her fetus if \u201cthe patient is within twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy, or there is an absence of fetal viability, or the abortion is necessary to protect the patient\u2019s life or health.\u201d The bill also allows for abortion to be procured by non-doctors. The ambiguous language of the bill \u2014 as well as the words of Governor Andrew Cuomo \u2014 indicate that \u201cabortion will be available to women essentially on demand up to the point of birth.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Later that Tuesday night, the New York City sky shone in celebration, as the One World Trade Center Tower\u2019s spire was lit pink to celebrate the passing of the law.<\/p>\n

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