The role of human sacrifice in the ancient Mediterranean world and its implications continue to be topics that fire the popular imagination and engender scholarly discussion and controversy. This volume provides balanced and judicious treatments of the various facets of these topics from a cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural perspective. It provides nuanced examinations of ancient ritual, exploring the various meanings that human sacrifice held for antiquity, and examines its varied repercussions up into the modern world. The book explores evidence to shed new light on the origins of the rite, to whom these sacrifices were offered, and by whom they were performed. It presents fresh insights into the social and religious meanings of this practice in its varied biblical landscape and ancient contexts, and demonstrates how human sacrifice has captured the imagination of later writers who have employed it in diverse cultural and theological discourses to convey their own views and ideologies. It provides valuable perspectives for understanding key cultural, theological and ideological dimensions, such as the sacrifice of Christ, scapegoating,self-sacrifice and martyrdom in post-biblical and modern times.

Table of ContentsIntroductionV. Daphna Arbel, University of British Columbia, CanadaPaul C. Burns, University of British Columbia, CanadaJ.R.C. Cousland, University of British Columbia, CanadaRichard Menkis, University of British Columbia, CanadaDietmar Neufeld, University of British Columbia, Canada Part I. History, Ritual, Archeology01. Child Sacrifice as the Extreme Case and Calculation Mark Smith, New York University, USA02. Human Sacrifice in Pre-and Early Dynastic Egypt - What Do You Want to Find?Thomas Hikade, Hikade previously at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver and Jane Roy, previously at the University of British Columbia, Canada 03. God's Infanticide in the Night of Passover: Exodus 12 in the Light of Ancient Egyptian RitualsThomas Schneider, University of British Columbia, Canada04. A Late Punic Narrative About Disrupted Sacrifice? Hr. Medeine N 2Philip C. Schmitz, Eastern Michigan University, USAPart II. Textual, Cultural & Social Aspects 05. Is the Language of Child Sacrifice Used Figuratively in Ezekiel 16?Peggy Day, University of Winnipeg, Canada06. Mocking Boys, Baldness, and Bears: Elisha's Deadly Honor (2 Kings 2:23-24)Dietmar Neufeld, University of British Columbia, Canada07. Death and the Maiden: human sacrifice in Euripides' AndromedaC.W. Marshall, University of British Columbia, CanadaPart III. Theology & Reception 08. Child Sacrifice: A Polyvalent Story in Early Eucharistic PietyPaul C. Burns, University of British Columbia, Canada09. Deus Necans: Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of ThomasJ.R.C. Cousland, University of British Columbia, Canada10. Living Sacrifice: Rethinking Abrahamic Religious Sacrifice using Field Narratives of Eid ul-AdhaMichel Desjardins, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, and Aldea Mulhern, University of Toronto, Canada11. John Milton's Poetics for Christ Versus MolochLee Johnson, University of British Columbia, CanadaIndex