The testimony of Theophrastus, in the essay _On Piety_ c. 315 BCE, that
"Syrians, of whom the Jews constitute a part" offered live sacrifices,
including human sacrifices, is perhaps relevant. This is also echoed in Is.
57:5; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35; Ezek. 16:20-21; 23:37-39, suggesting that the
practice continued in Syria and Judea far later than commonly believed.
Among what segments of society the practice persisted is obscure. But the
Biblical traditions of sacrifices in the patriarchal and judges ages may
demonstrate that it was still a live issue in later period when the Biblical
texts were composed.