CaliforniaKid wrote:Nevo,
Passing all the firstborn through the fire is a well-known phrase from the Pentateuch (Numbers, I think) referring to the firstfruits Yahweh demanded from all the flocks and herds (as well as firstborn sons, who could be redeemed by substituting an animal). It therefore does not necessarily refer to human sacrifice.
Actually the Pentateuch does not require the firstfruits to be passed through the fire. It forbids children to be passed through the fire as the heathen do (Leviticus 18:21, Deuteronomy 18:10), and requires imperishable battle spoil to be passed through the fire as part of a ritual (and literal), cleansing process (Numbers 31:23, the passage you're thinking of). That's it for 'passing through the fire' in the Pentateuch.
A number of period texts seem to look down their noses at the practice of animal sacrifice; indeed, Jeremiah even goes so far as to say that YHWH did not command Israel's fathers concerning sacrifices and burnt offerings, and shortly thereafter implies that the scribes have altered the law (I think that's 7:22 and 8:8).
Yep, true.
Other prophets assert that sacrifice takes second place to a heart-orientation (Isaiah, the Psalms, Joel). Ezekiel 20 seems to resolve the problem by making sacrifice a divinely-instituted law, but explaining that it is designed as retribution for Israel's hardheartedness. Deuteronomy, of course, limits sacrifice to the cult-center.
Actually Deuteronomy recognised the legitimacy of non-cult center worship in the exilic context (Deuteronomy 30:1-6), a passage repeatedly appealed to in the exilic and post-exilic prophets to validate their teaching that non-cult center worship was legitimate.
To have human sacrifice mandated by the official YHWHistic cult in this era is extremely problematic, in my opinion.
It's certainly problematic trying to prove such a proposition.