9. He who offers his Children to Moloch

Tractate Sanhedrin, Herbert Danby tr. [1919], at sacred-texts.com

9. He who offers his Children to Moloch.

M.VII. 7a. He who offers one of his children to Moloch ¹ is not guilty until he both delivers him over to Moloch and passes him through the fire. If he deliver him over to Moloch and do not pass him through the fire, or if he pass him through the fire but do not deliver him over to Moloch, he is not guilty. (He is not guilty) until he both delivers him over to Moloch and passes him through the fire.

T. X. 4. He who offers one of his children to Moloch is not guilty until he delivers him over to Moloch and also passes him through the fire. If he deliver him over to Moloch, and do not pass him through the fire; or pass him through the fire, but do not deliver him over to Moloch: he is not guilty. (He is not guilty) until he both delivers him over to Moloch and passes him through the fire, in the way peculiar to the Moloch worship. ² If he pass him through on his feet he is innocent, and he can only be guilty in the case of his own offspring. 5. If he cause his father or mother or sister to pass through, he is innocent. If he cause himself to pass through, he is innocent; but R. Shimeon would condemn him. There is the same guilt if the passing through be in the name of Moloch or of any other idol; but R. Shimeon, the son of Eleazar, holds that it must be in the name of Moloch only,

Footnotes

100:1 Lev. 20. 2; 18. 21; Deut. 18. 10.

100:2 Sanh. 64 a: "What was that? Said Abayi: A row of bricks was arranged for the passage, and on both sides fire was kindled. Rabba maintains that it was by jumping, as children used to jump on Purim."