Human Sacrifice and Easter/Dr Pat Holliday/Dr Sabrina Sessions/Marshall Perot

Human Sacrifice and Easter

An angel interrupts the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, with the animal replacement in the background (The Offering of Abraham, Genesis 22:1-13, workshop of Rembrandt, 1636)

Judaism explicitly forbids human sacrifice, regarding it as murder. Jews view the Akedah as central to the abolishment of human sacrifice. Some Talmudic scholars assert that its replacement is sacrifice of animals at the Temple —using Exodus 13:2–12f; 22:28f; 34:19f; Numeri 3:1ff; 18:15; Deuteronomy 15:19 subsequently denounces human sacrifice as barbaric customs of Moloch worshippers (e.g. Psalms 106:37ff). 

Acts 12: 1 “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread -- (Known as Easter in modern times).