Sacrifice File

Scholars generally categorize the long-standing motivations for sacrifice into several key theories:

: Proposed by Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, this suggests sacrifice began as a gift to deities to secure favor or minimize hostility. Sacrifice

: It was often seen as a way to transfer guilt or "sin" to a victim, thereby purifying the community and keeping deities "vigorous". Historical Development of the Practice Sacrifice

: William Robertson Smith argued that the original motive was to foster communion among group members and their god through a shared sacrificial meal. Sacrifice