The Origins of Animal Sacrifice

Animal sacrifice. It is one of humanity's oldest rituals. But how old? When did this ritual originate? Uploaded 05-01-18 Part 2: Ancient Greek Sacrifice: Why did they do it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuzOezP5ifI&lc=Ugx66NXtqNP2ZSZLWhx4AaABAg Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry Facebook: www.facebook.com/religionforbreakfast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast Andrew's religious studies book recommendations: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast RIP Dr. Jonathan Z. Smith. This episode was filmed before I was made aware of his death on Dec. 30th, 2017. His death is a loss to the entire discipline of religious studies, and we are indebted to his scholarship. The video that almost made me faint. Don't watch if you can't handle it. Watch it if you want to experience one of the most widespread rituals in human history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwwKnkpB0rU&t=28s Photograph attributions: Homolovi II ruins: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HOMOLOVI_II.jpg Machu Picchu: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:80_-_Machu_Picchu_-_Juin_2009_-_edit.2.jpg Reindeer herd: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reindeer_Herd_on_Ikpek_Beach_(7726663570).jpg Reconstruction of auroch hunt cave painting: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_reconstruction_of_the_aurochs_hunting_scene_in_the_mural..jpg Four horned altar: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Tel_Be%27er_Sheva%2C_Altar_01.jpg Greco Roman sacrifice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_ancient_Rome#/media/File:Stockholm_-_Antikengalerie_Opferszene.jpg Bibliography Walter Burkert, Homo Necans: The Anthropology of Ancient Greek Sacrificial Ritual and Myth. See especially p. 14 for the discussion of the mammoth skulls. https://books.google.com/books?id=pNGOeAh1780C&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=27+mammoth+skulls+circle&source=bl&ots=e7qOlg-aJY&sig=LonvXzvdDt0x_GCEe6c-k3ZIsKg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWwL3ysprRAhXCWCYKHQDrBZcQ6AEIPDAF#v=onepage&q=27%20mammoth%20skulls%20circle&f=false Jonathan Z. Smith, "The Domesticated Sacrifice," in Relation Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion. For an extensive discussion of the lamb burial at Catalhoyuk, see N. Russell and B.S. During, "Worthy is the Lamb: A Double Burial at Neolithic Catalhoyuk," Paleorient, vol. 32/1, p. 73-84. The reconstruction of the burial that I show comes from page 79 and is by John Gordon Swogger. I claim that my use of the image falls under Fair Use. https://www.academia.edu/151744/Worthy_is_the_lamb_A_double_burial_at_Neolithic_%C3%87atalh%C3%B6y%C3%BCk_Turkey_ Nerissa Russell, Social Zooar