The Molech that we know and love...
Devourer of children, worshipers of this deity would heat this idol up with fire and place their newborn babies in its arms, watch them burn to death. Rabbinic tradition says that the idol was made of brass, and that the child was placed in one of seven compartments along with animal and meal offerings. More details here and here.The Moloch Machine from Metropolis
Fritz Lang, a Jew by birth but whose parents embraced Christianity, fled Nazi Germany in 1933 after being offered the head position of the German film industry by Goebbels. For an interesting essay that discusses the numerous Christological references in Metropolis, see this essay by David Michael Wharton. (Note: the video linked to here was due to its high quality, but it is a pretty good re-score as well.)
Fritz Lang, a Jew by birth but whose parents embraced Christianity, fled Nazi Germany in 1933 after being offered the head position of the German film industry by Goebbels. For an interesting essay that discusses the numerous Christological references in Metropolis, see this essay by David Michael Wharton. (Note: the video linked to here was due to its high quality, but it is a pretty good re-score as well.)
Moloch horridus
An Australian lizard that is only about 19 centimeters long. Named by John Gray in 1841, he had in mind Milton's Moloch, a lieutenant angel of Satan "besmeared with blood, of human sacrifice, and parents' tears." David Attenborough says that it is "as inoffensive and enchanting a reptile as you are likely to find" (Life in Cold Blood, p 150). Instead of a devourer of children, this moloch sits beside a trail of ants and gulps them down one at a time, up to 2000 or so in a single session. More info here.
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1 comment:
That Lang was offered to lead the German film industry is disputed according to Wikipedia. He claimed it himself but there is no corroborating evidence.
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