How far back do Human Sacrifices date?

What does the Passover Cedar festival instructions tell us about human sacrifices?  (This festival supposedly dates from circa 1300 BC or about 3400 years.

Let's look over the Passover instructions (Exodus 12:14 to 13:16).

               This well read story and list of instructions on a Holy day ritual very important in Jewish and Christian traditions (Go ahead, ask me where I get the Christian part) recounts how the Hebrew deity has just taken every first born of camels, sheep, Pharaoh, the lowest "captive who is in the dungeon" (Exodus 12:29)  at the stroke of midnight.  In the story the deity claims they are His and He has every right to do that. (Exodus 13:1)

               (Exodus 13:1) And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying, "Consecrate unto me each firstborn, breach of each womb among the Israelites in Man and in beast--it is mine." Then the same deity goes on to say that each first born son of Israel will always be redeemed (excused from sacrifice by payment to the priesthood) always.  One will never be sacrificed.  But here's the kicker.  Apparently sacrifice of first born sons was such an accepted practice in the fertile crescent area, say 500 years after the attested "testing of Abraham" (Genesis 22, already discussed) that this must be taken to testify how commonly accepted a practice sacrificing firstborns was in the entire area.

               Passover is named, as you'll read, about the fact that although the deity is said to have killed all firstborns of Egypt, the deity passed over (Exodus 12:13) houses whose front doors had been very tediously prepared ritually as outlined in specific instructions.  Yes a blood sacrifice was involved.

               But with all this business about sacrifices in the Passover instructions, the Passover celebration was about being freed from slavery in Egypt, not sacrifices.  But these sacrificial practices were apparently so prevalent and accepted that they had to be dealt with as the main instructions progressed.

               How far back do sacrifices and human sacrifices go?  Obviously a lot farther back than these stories which are hard to date, but which predate the written versions, apparently, by a wide margin.  Testing of Abraham would have to approximate 4,000 years ago.  The exodus story, mentioned here, would almost have to stem from about 3300 years ago.

             This is not how long ago human sacrifice started.  By this time some where trying stop it.  Human sacrifice was apparently a very, very old custom already.

 

Next:

               On the subject of "Just what is a sacrifice?" so we can hopefully see "why?" I have several publications (including some great books) which should at least be here by the end of the week.  An example is:          

Human sacrifice in ancient Greece / Dennis D. Hughes.

IN TRANSIT

SEMO-Cape Gir. Kent Library

              

The looming tower : Al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 / Lawrence Wright.

31955902609757

DUE 09-30-13

973.931 W9338l

and

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost)  with 11,750 results (under "sacrifice") to browse here at Kent Library (Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO.

In the meantime: 

          In the meantime, let's hear from all of you.  Do you agree, disagree?  I can't wait to hear what are you finding out.  Show me where I'm off.