Moloch

Lore & Background

The word Moloch occurs eight times in the Masoretic Text, five in Leviticus, with one each in 1 Kings, 2 Kings, and Jeremiah. Seven instances include the Hebrew definite article. The Bible strongly condemns practices associated with Moloch, which are heavily implied to include child sacrifice. In 1 Kings, Solomon is portrayed as introducing the cult of Moloch to Jerusalem; in 2 Kings, Moloch is associated with the tophet in the valley of Gehenna, destroyed by King Josiah. The prophet Jeremiah condemns practices associated with Moloch as showing infidelity to Yahweh.

The Greek Septuagint translates many instances as 'their king' but maintains the name Moloch in others, including one additional time in the Book of Amos where the Hebrew text does not attest the name. The Septuagint also uses the name Moloch in Amos 5:26, quoted in the New Testament at Acts 7:43. Some Greek manuscripts of Zephaniah 1:5 contain the name Moloch or Milcom; the Masoretic text's word מלכם is the same consonants as Milcom, so the Hebrew is ambiguous.

Since the medieval period, Moloch has often been portrayed as a bull-headed idol with outstretched hands over a fire, combining biblical mentions with ancient accounts of Carthaginian child sacrifice and the legend of the Minotaur. Beginning in the modern era, 'Moloch' has been figuratively used in reference to a power which demands a dire sacrifice, appearing in works such as John Milton's Paradise Lost, Gustave Flaubert's Salammbô, Giovanni Pastrone's Cabiria, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl.'

Reader's Guide

Moloch's significance lies in its contested nature: it may represent a Canaanite deity or a type of sacrifice, a debate unresolved since 1935. The etymology is uncertain, with proposed derivations from the root mlk ('to rule') or from a Punic term for sacrifice. The spelling 'Moloch' follows the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate; 'Molech' or 'Molek' follows Tiberian vocalization. The biblical texts condemn practices associated with Moloch, but scholars dispute whether the sacrifices were offered to Yahweh or another deity, and whether they were native Israelite or Phoenician. The medieval depiction as a bull-headed idol over fire has shaped later cultural references, while modern figurative usage extends the term to any power demanding dire sacrifice. The entry preserves all uncertainties and disputes noted in the source article.

Did You Know?

• Since 1935, scholars have speculated that Moloch refers to the sacrifice itself, based on the Punic word mlk meaning 'sacrifice.'
• The Greek Septuagint adds the name Moloch in Amos 5:26 where the Hebrew text does not have it.
• The medieval depiction of Moloch as a bull-headed idol combines biblical mentions with accounts of Carthaginian child sacrifice and the Minotaur legend.