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  • From: RGmyrken AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Sacrifice
  • Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 23:40:56 EST


Dear Liz Fried,

> The only archaeological evidence for human
> sacrifice that I know of is among the Phoenicians,
> and that in Carthage.
> I can't imagine what his evidence would have been,
> unless he referred to the Phoenicians.
>
> Liz Fried

Theophrastus' sources are indeed unknown, though direct Greek contacts in
that period were mainly restricted to the Levantine coast. It is tempting to
view Theophrastus as presenting a confused account of the Chaldeans (who,
like the Syrian Jews of Theophrastus, observed the stars at night) and the
Indian Kalanoi / gymnosophists (of whom Calanus immolated himself at Babylon,
which duly impressed Alexander and his associates). The problem as I see it
is that neither of these two "philosophical" groups -- who are indeed
occasionally equated/correlated with the Jews in other sources around this
time (see conveniently M. Stern, GLAJJ) -- offered holocausts or burnt animal
offerings as Theophrastus describes. If -- from my admittedly not quite
exhaustive reading -- the holocaust offerings are unlikely to be other than a
Syrian Jewish custom, then doesn't this add credibility to the other details
Theophrastus reports of the Jews, such as human sacrifice?

Best regards,
Russell Gmirkin



  • Re: Sacrifice, RGmyrken, 01/28/2002

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