Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)]

On Wed 19 Jan 2000 (22:55:59), navillusbpi AT primus.com.au wrote:
> Not a bite. Sorry.
> 
> So, in the spirit of  seek and ye shall find  I once again ask: Alan Lloyd 
> in his book 'Destroy Carthage - the death throes of an ancient culture 
> claims that the term Molech/Moloch refers not to a god (the Carthaginian 
> god Baal Hammon) but a sacrifice. Is this correct. What is the derivation 
> of this phrase?

 Dear Brian

 The Biblical Molech or Moloch is the consonants of MeLeK (=king) with 
 the vowels of Bo$eT (=shame). Another variant is Milcom.

 Solomon introduced this Ammonite cult to please one of his wives (1 Kings
 11:5-8). This cult demanded the sacrifice of a couple's firstborn as an
 atonement for their souls (Micah 6:7). The doomed baby was dropped into a
 red-hot pot over a fire, and so "passed through the fire" to Molech. Chemosh
 the abomination of Moab made a similar demand (2 Kings 3:27). The abomination
 is that all that opens the womb belongs to the LORD (Exodus 13:2, etc).

 I have not come across Alan Lloyd's /Destroy Carthage/, so I cannot guess
 what relevance Molech has to Carthage, if any. Baal Hammon could be
 construed as Ba`aL Ha`aMMoWN, the lord (or god) of (the tribe of) Ammon.

 Josiah defiled Topheth (=Fireplace) where these abominations were offered
 (2 Kings 23:10), and turned the place into the municipal "tip" or trash
 heap for Jerusalem (the Valley of Hinnom). This was where the maggots
 never stopped breeding, and the smudge-fires never stopped burning
 (Isaiah 66:24): a ready metaphor for the eternal torments of the damned.

 Shalom
 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
 <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
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