Canaan is the old denomination of a region of Asia Western, in which many gods were worshiped, among which Moloch . This fearsome deity was celebrated by several ancient civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians or Syrians. It was associated with the purifying fire and in Greek and Roman cities it was called Cronos Y Saturn . His followers offered human sacrifices to the god Moloch , believing that babies were the favorites of this one. To know more about the rites and tributes that were given to this cruel god, we recommend that you continue reading this fantastic article.
This god, was generally represented with a human figure with calf head sitting on a luxurious throne with a crown on his head or any other symbol of distinction. With just looking at the way it appears throughout its history, we can be aware of the importance that this god had for the ancient peoples or Asian civilizations. The mythological legends are exciting, and without a doubt, all those referred to Moloch they are even more so. Uncover them all!
The terrible god Moloch | He demanded children in sacrifice
1. Bloody sacrifices
Through the molk rite , which is a typical ceremony of the ancient Canaanite religion, sacrifices were offered to the god Moloch . Most of these consisted of newborn babies who were in good health. These rites, which now seem wild and brutal, were celebrated outdoors. The temple was presided over by a huge hollow statue of Moloch , a fire was kindled inside that statue by which the babies were introduced through an opening in the upper part that served as a mouth. The relatives of the unfortunate children, were forbidden to mourn or wail to avoid displeasing the god. The ashes of the sacrificed children were stored in vases and deposited in the temples that worshiped this terrible deity. It is believed that these ceremonies have their origin in Phoenician and that later spread to several regions of Asia. Several experts on the subject agree that the sacrifices of newborn babies do not correspond to no issue related to infanticide . Obviously, and like many other religious practices of antiquity, any rite with similarities to the one described above would seem an abomination to us today.
2. Debacle of this religion
The cult of the god Moloch became widespread in antiquity , since the Phoenicians promoted them throughout the Mediterranean coast. Cities like Carthage in the Iberian Peninsula or some of the Italic peninsula had this deity as the main figure to pay tribute. However, due to the expansion of Roman empire , the cult of God Moloch It gradually diminished until it disappeared. The rites a Moloch they did not disappear at a stroke, since the ancient Romans were in the habit of maintaining or respecting the religions of the peoples they conquered. The memory of this cruel deity reached medieval Europe, transmitted from generation to generation through stories and legends associating the name of Moloch with that of a demon who was dedicated to stealing babies .
3. Moloch in popular culture
This ancient god, is still well known in our days due to his bloodthirsty fame. In one of the most famous books in history such as the Bible , has many appearances and references to its rites. Authors as celebrated as Arthur Conan Doyle , Nietzsche or Aldous Huxley they have reflected it in some of their works, in addition to appearing in several series or recent films, although not in a very faithful way.
As you may have seen after reading this article about the god Moloch , rites and cults that the inhabitants of ancient civilizations became cruel, bloody and wild in the extreme. Thinking about killing a newborn child simply for wanting to satisfy a statue does not enter into our logic, but we have to think that the Phoenicians were children of their time . After reading this article, we invite you to read this other about human sacrifices in the Aztec civilization on our website. As you have already become an expert on the wild rites that existed in ancient times, we are eager to read your opinions.
We can only feel grateful that human civilization has been advancing and today there are practically no, at least not officially, this kind of absurd sacrifices that only inflicted pain among our kind. Despite this, there are still ideas that are impossible to understand, which are reflected in events such as the existence of contraband pills made with the remains of human babies to increase one's health, in a "magical" and totally delirious way.
Did you know the savage rituals that were performed in Canaan ? Do you think the god Moloch one of the most fearsome deities? Do you know any other information about this civilization? We will be happy to read your comments!