>[!abstract] >The Biblical term Moloch has traditionally been understood as a Canaanite god to whom child sacrifice was offered. In post-classical rabbinical tradition, this supposed deity was associated with Greco-Roman reports of Carthaginian child sacrifice to the god Baal Hammon. In later Christian tradition, Moloch was often described as a demon. Moloch is depicted in John Milton's epic poem *Paradise Lost* as one of the greatest warriors of the rebel angels, vengeful and militant. > >In the 19th century, "Moloch" came to be used allegorically for any idol or cause requiring excessive sacrifice. Bertrand Russell in 1903 used Moloch to describe oppressive religion, and Winston Churchill in his 1948 history *The Gathering Storm* used "Moloch" as a metaphor for Adolf Hitler's cult of personality. ("Moloch in literature and popular culture", 2025). ## References - Moloch in literature and popular culture. (2025, February 08). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moloch_in_literature_and_popular_culture&oldid=1258501087 ## Related - [[Moloch trap]]