The Early Religion of Palestine

Abstract

In previous article' on this subject we saw that the worship of the earliest period consisted of the slaughtering of sacrificial animal upon rock-altar from which the blood of the victim ran down into cave underneath, to be received by the deities, originally the dead, who dwelt therein. The principal feature of the service at the Canaanitish high-place was the sacrificial meal of which both deity and worshipers partook. We may be sure that the Israelites practiced different kinds of sacrifice before they entered Palestine, but we are equally certain that they soon took over the characteristically agricultural feasts and sacrifices connected with them, which they found in Canaan. We have no certain traces of worship by means of the burnt-offering among the Canaanites; on the other hand it is probable that the burnt-offering was always looked upon as the most fitting sacrifice to Yahweh. The excavations in Palestine have revealed many traces of another kindof sacrifice common among primitive and fairly advanced peoples, namely, human sacrifice. We have already alluded to the traces of the sacrifice of the first-born at Gezer.2 In II Kings 3:27 we read of the sacrifice of his first-born by Mesha, king of Moab, to Chemosh. Ahaz, Manasseh, and other kings of Judah were accused of the same practice. In cistern at Gezer there was found, together with number of skeletons, the upper half of the body of a young girl who had evidently been sawn asunder. The skulls of two other girls, who had been decapitated, were found at the mouth of the same cistern.3 Other evidences of human sacrifice have been found. We naturally think of the offering of captives after victory. S. A. Cook reminds us that every war was 'holy war.' The horrid rites in honor of the gods who fought for their followers are to be traced in Egypt, Assyria, I Biblical World, May, 191o. 2 Ibid., 300 f. 3 Macalister, Bible Side-Lights, 75 f. 368