What is the significance of Topheth in the Bible?

Response

The term Topheth, also spelled as Tophet, is believed by some to have its roots in the Aramaic word taphya, which meant “hearth, fireplace, or roaster.” Others associate it with the word toph (“drum”), suggesting that drums were utilized in the pagan worship ceremonies connected to Tophet. What is certain is that Topheth was not a cozy fireplace where Israelites gathered to keep warm. Its initial mention is found in 2 Kings 23:10 when King Josiah “defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech” (ESV). Topheth was a site where the Israelites engaged in the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice, a custom that God strongly condemned (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31). King Josiah’s reforms involved “defiling” Topheth, rendering it unsuitable as a meeting place.

Regrettably, the Israelites had disobeyed God’s command and offered their children to the god Molech at Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom, located at the southern tip of Jerusalem. Monarchs like Ahaz and Manasseh serve as examples of rulers who partook in this detestable practice (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 21:6). Prophets such as Jeremiah and Isaiah confronted the Israelites regarding their child sacrifices, indicating that the practice persisted even after Josiah’s efforts to halt such atrocities.

Jeremiah 7:31–32 documents the prophet’s proclamation, “They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer refer to it as Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but as the Valley of Sl

Daughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.”

The prophet Isaiah also had things to say about child sacrifice: “You who burn with lust among the oaks and under every green tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things?” (Isaiah 57:5-6). And in Isaiah 30:33, the prophet makes a metaphorical reference to Topheth in pronouncing judgment on the king of Assyria: “Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.”

There is evidence of child sacrifice being practiced in many cultures around the world. Some cases were documented in Greco-Roman sources like Plutarch and Tertullian, and archaeologists continue to uncover sites of ritualistic mass murder of children (source, accessed 8/9/23). But child sacrifice is not just an outrage of ancient times. The practice is still alive in places like Uganda (source, accessed 8/9/23) and India (source, accessed 8/9/23). One can also see the connection between abortion and child sacrifice as many unborn babies around the world are killed daily.

Topheth symbolizes the extent of the Israelites’ rebellion, which ultimately led to their exile. God dealt with the Canaanites for engaging in similar practices (Leviticus 18:24-25), and He did not spare the Israelites. God mJust judge such a horrendous action as child sacrifice.

After Josiah’s reforms, Topheth transformed into a landfill—a repugnant site of burning refuse, untreated sewage, and the decaying remains of executed criminals. The Valley of Hinnom, also known as Gehenna, had a notorious reputation and was thoroughly impure. It thus served as a fitting representation of the terrors of hell. Jesus referenced the fiery valley in His caution about divine judgment in Mark 9:47: “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell [lit., Gehenna].”

Topheth serves as a reminder of human depravity and the righteousness of God’s judgment. Let us praise the Lord for the beauty of the gospel, which delivers us from Topheth.