Moloch
Moloch
AKA Molokh, Molech, Mollok, Milcom, Malkam
Titles:
Immolator of Infant Souls, Imposer of Human Sacrifice
Culture:
Canaanite / Jewish / Christian / Islamic
Kin:
Kronos, Baal Hammon (kindred spirits)
Appearance:
Moloch is generally depicted as an enormous quasi-human entity with a bull's head. He is sometimes described as consisting purely of bronze or iron and/or with three black stones for eyes.
Purpose/Role:
- In English, the term Moloch has come to define any tyrannical object or being that requires extremely costly sacrifice
- This is because Moloch, whose name is derived from words for "lord" or "king" in several ancient languages, demands routine human offerings in order to be kept at bay
- Associated primarily with fire and secondarily with war
- Sources refer to human sacrifical victims as passing through the fires of Moloch
- In the Rabbinical tradition, for example, Moloch is depicted as residing in an immense bronze statue into which human offerings were thrown and subsequently immolated
