SACRIFICE, the offering of anything to God or to any deity. Also that which is sacrificed, offered, or consecrated to God or to any deity or divinity; an im molated victim, or an offering of any kind, laid on an altar or otherwise re ligiously presented by way of thanks giving, atonement, or conciliation.
Sacrifices form an important part of all early forms of religion. Tylor traces three stages in the development of the rite: (1) The gift theory, in which the deity takes and values the offering for himself. (2) The homage theory, in which the submission or gratitude of the offerer is expressed by a gift. (3) The abnegation theory, in which the worshiper deprives himself of something prized. With regard to their nature, sacrifices are divided into (1) Bloody [ (a) human; (b) of the lower animals], and (2) Un bloody. The terrible custom of offering human sacrifices was very widely spread. It was known among the Greeks and the Romans; and is frequently mentioned in Scripture.
As civilization advanced, human victims were replaced by symbols, or oxen or sheep were offered in their stead. Un bloody sacrifices consisted of libations, incense, fruit, and cakes (often in the form of, and as substitutes for, real ani mals). It is noteworthy that though the first sacrifice mentioned in the Old Testa ment (Gen. iv. 3) belonged to this cate gory, the first sacrifice accepted (Gen. iv. 4) was a bloody one.
In the Old Testament sacrifices were of two kinds, bloody and unbloody. Those designed to atone for sin were of the former kind (Lev. i. 7; Heb. ix. 22). The idea of sacrifice first appears in Gen. iv. 3-5, and viii. 20, but the English word
sacrifice does not occur in the Authorized Version till xxxi. 54. The paschal lamb is called a sacrifice (Exod. xxxiv. 25; Deut. xvi. 2). Even from patriarchal times sacrifices were limited to clean beasts and birds, and were offered on an altar (Gen. viii. 20). Many of these sacrifices were made by fire. A certain portion of the slain animal was reserved for the priest (Deut. xviii. 3). Under the law there were morning and even ing sacrifices (I Kings xviii. 29; Ezra ix. 4, 5, Dan. viii. 11, 12, 13; xii. 11), besides weekly sacrifices on the Sabbath, sacrifices at new moons, annual ones, etc. Not merely were there stated sacrifices for the people at large, arrangements were at times made that private families also should possess the boon (I Sam. xx. 6, 29). Under the monarchy sacrifices were confined to the temple at Jerusalem (II Chron. vii. 12). Thanksgiving was called a sacrifice (Lev. vii. 12, 13; Psalm cvii. 22; cxvi. 17; Jonah ii. 9), so was praise (Jer. xxxiii. 11).
In the New Testament, Abel's offering is now called a sacrifice, and its excel lence is made to arise from the faith with which it was offered (Heb. xi. 4).
In theology, the evangelical doctrine is that the sacrifices of the older economy were types and shadows of the atoning sacrifice made by Christ. It is held that when Jesus died, His sacrifice once for all satisfied Divine justice, and no other was requisite, or would, if offered, be accepted (Heb. ix. 12, 25-28, x. 10, 12, 14).