Symbolic Studies@symbolstudies
Have you noticed some depictions of Moloch show them with seven chambers? The lore associated with these chambers is that the seventh and innermost chamber receives the "greatest sacrifice”: children.
According to later Jewish texts about Moloch the first chamber is for birds, the second for goats, the third for sheep, the fourth for calves, the fifth for cows, the sixth for oxen and the seventh for children. These chambers appear to be a later addition to Moloch imagery and aren’t described anywhere in the Bible. In fact, Moloch being described as a bull-headed god isn't mentioned until much later as well. What you'll find is that the line between what’s fact and folklore with Moloch can be incredibly blurry. Child sacrifice related to this deity, however, is mentioned Biblically on a few occasions and is directed at the Israelites:
"And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord." - Leviticus 18:21
What I find interesting with the later addition of these chambers are the ways in which the number seven esoterically relates to bull symbolism. As an example, Taurus contains the Pleiades cluster which is well known for its seven stars and is often referred to as the Seven Sisters. The Big Dipper was referred to as the Thigh of the Bull in ancient Egypt and famously contains seven stars as well. Related to this, we more than likely get the actual symbol for the number seven (7) from the shape of the Big Dipper, which has several other bull associations.
Many classic labyrinths associated with the Minotaur, infamous for devouring youths, are structured around seven concentric layers leading toward the center. Moloch is commonly associated with Saturn, who's lore is linked to the eating of children. Traditionally, Saturn was considered the seventh planet, not unlike Saturday (the day of Saturn) being the seventh and final day of the week. Interestingly, Saturday also serves as the Jewish Sabbath, the holiest day of the week in Judaism.
