human sacrifice

Ritual slaughter of human beings in the belief that through the offering of such sacrifices to a deity, powers and forces will be given to those making the sacrifice, or that the anger of the deity will be assuaged or placated.

Human sacrifice is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as being practised in the area of Palestine. Hinduism records such practices at a similar time and in a few extreme cases, for example the worship of the goddess Kali, such practices continued in India until the 19th century. The Aztecs practised human sacrifice on a considerable scale.