Ritual Sacrifice : An Illustrated History

by Lewis, Brenda Ralph

• ISBN13: 9780750927079
• ISBN10: 0750927070
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-02-01
• Publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd

Summary

Sacrifice -- whether human, animal, or object -- has been practiced for thousands of years. Brenda Ralph Lewis examines the reasons behind these rituals and attempts to convey the mentality of the often-willing victims.

Author Biography

Brenda Ralph Lewis is an author and journalist, specialising in the history of great civilisations. She has written over eighty books, including The Aztecs, and contributed to numerous magazines including History Today, Royalty Magazine and History for All in the UK, and American History Illustrated, British Heritage and Military History in the US

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	iv
Introduction	vii
The Nature of Sacrifice: An Overview	1	(12)
The Birth of Belief Sacrifice in Prehistory	13	(12)
The Wrath of Yahweh: The Bible Lands	25	(12)
In Search of the Sun: Ancient Egypt	37	(12)
A Classic Approach: Greece and Rome	49	(16)
Twilight of the Gods: Northern Europe	65	(14)
Heart of the Matter: Central and South America	79	(20)
A Darker Continent: Africa	99	(14)
A Sacred Profusion: The Indian Subcontinent	113	(14)
Steppes to Salvation: Central Asia and China	127	(18)
Invite to a Cook-Out: The Pacific Islands	145	(16)
New Age, New Fears: A Modern Perspective	161	(14)
Sources	175	(2)
Bibliography	177	(2)
Index	179