The idol Molech, aka Molek, aka Milcom

Synopsis generated by the Logos Bible library system: Molech, also known as Molek or Milcom, was a deity associated with child sacrifice in ancient Near Eastern religions. The name is believed to derive from the Hebrew word "melek," meaning "king," with altered vowels to incorporate "boshet," meaning "shame"1. Molech was particularly associated with the Ammonites, whose territory bordered Israel east of the Jordan2. The worship of Molech involved the sacrifice of children by fire, a practice that was strictly forbidden in Israel and carried the death penalty according to Levitical law12. Despite these prohibitions, there were instances throughout Israel's history when people engaged in child sacrifices, though this practice appears to have ceased after the Babylonian captivity2. Some scholars debate whether "passing over" children to Molech always meant actual sacrifice or could sometimes indicate dedication to the god's service, but many conclude that it often involved literal human sacrifice based on biblical descriptions1. Solomon built a shrine for Molech when he married an Ammonite wife, which remained until it was destroyed by King Josiah centuries later2.

^1David P. Wright, “Molech,” in The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated), ed. Mark Allan Powell (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 646. [Me: examples of Biblical descriptions that can only mean immolation are those that use “slaughter” such as Ezek 16.21 and 23.39; and those that use “burn” such as Jer 7.31.]

^2Don Fleming, “Molech,” in AMG Concise Bible Dictionary (AMG Publishers, 1990), 300.