Patreon subscribers get early access to this episode!
This time, I'm talking about one of the most taboo and horrifying topics in the Bible: child sacrifice. This first of two episodes on the subject covers some of the biblical laws and rhetoric and folktales about child sacrifice, while the next will go over the practice in archaeology and history. Today I answer a few questions: was Isaac actually killed in his famous binding? Did Yahweh give a law commanding the sacrifice of the first born? And what does Ishtar's descent into the underworld have to do with the tragic tale of Jephthah's daughter?
Join the Patreon for early access to episodes, along with bonus content:
https://patreon.com/biblelorepodcast
Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/haydentank/
Bibliography:
Francesca Stavrakopoulou - ‘King Manasseh and Child Sacrifice’;
Heath Dewrell - ‘Child Sacrifice in Ancient Israel’;
Coogan & Smith - ‘Stories from Ancient Canaan’;
Coogan & Metzger - ‘The Oxford Companion to the Bible’;
Christian Frevel - ‘History of Ancient Israel’;
Hallo & Younger - ‘The Context of Scripture, vol. 1-3’;
Robert Alter - ‘The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary’;
Berlin, Brettler, et al - ‘The Jewish Study Bible’;
Other Bible quotations taken from the NRSVue and NJPS with adaptations
https://www.thetorah.com/article/giving-your-firstborn-son-to-god
https://www.thetorah.com/article/how-exodus-revises-the-laws-of-hammurabi
https://www.thetorah.com/article/isaac-before-he-was-abrahams-son
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.