January 03, 2010 journal, Moloch sacrifice and Beltrain of Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia II Kings 16:1-4 King Ahaz of Judah. Moloch Sacrifice and the Beltain of Britain, Ireland, & Scandinavi[2-Kings 16:1] In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. The name Ahaz, pronounced in modern Hebrew like "Achaz", is said to be a shortened form of "Yehoachaz" connoting "God Will Stengthen". Ahaz was the son of Jotham who was a righteous man. He begat Hezekiah who also became a righteous monarch. Ahaz himself was a bad man. We may have children who do not seem as good as think ourselves to be. Perhaps they will have children who will be better. Alternately we ourselves may not be as good as our forebears were but perhaps our descendants will do better than we have done? [2-Kings 16:2] Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done. [2-Kings 16:3] But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel. Passing through the fire is associated with the rites of Molech but it was also practised by adherents of baal. The Celts [more correctly "Iberi" i.e. Hebrews as they named themselves.] of Britain and Ireland also continued these practices: # At Beltain two "needfires" were lighted among the Gael [Scottish Highlanders] , between which they drove their cattle for purification and luck; ## This was one of the forms of Moloch worship which the Hebrews were commanded not to do but which they did anyway after adopting the practice from the Canaanites. The term "bel" could also be applied to Moloch and "moloch" forms of worship used for baal. The Beltain was still practiced until recently in Britain and Scandinavia and elsewhere: People and animals would be led between or over small fires on certain days of the year. It was called "Beltain" in Britain which is Celtic for "Fire of baal". see Ezekiel 16:21 # ..you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire #The consort of "Bel" in Gaul was named "Belisama". This name is in effect a Syriac form of the title "Baal Shamayim" or "Baal of the Heavens" who was worshipped in the Phoenician cities and in Northern Syria. The Phoenician worship of baal was known in southern France and that the term "Bel" in Mesopotamia (Assyria, Babylonia, etc) "Bel" was the equivalent of "baal". In Scandinavia the god "Baldar" was also based on the figure of "baal". Hysslop said the name "Baldar" derives from the Hebrew "baal adir" i.e. great baal. Nowadays modern scholars dismiss much of what Hysslop claimed but in this case he could well have been correct. Other Northern deities also derive from Middle Eastern prototypes associated with baal worship. [2-Kings 16:4] And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Ahaz worshipped idols. We may find this strange to understand but the situation was different then. People believed that idol worship brought benefits, otherwise they would not have done it. We too under pressure, emotional strain, or exceptional circumstances may be tempted at times to do things we would not normally agree with". Written by Yair Davidy, a rabbi in Jerusalem.