The young girl lay bound on the altar. It was she who was chosen to be a sacrifice made to the gods on behalf of the people this year. She was terrified. She watched every movement that the priest made. At the climax of the ceremony he moved toward her with knife held high. Terror flooded her consciousness. And the knife came down. It plunged into her heart. She died in a moment. Her blood flowed over the altar. The major sacrifice of the year was now complete. The people breathed a great sigh of relief. Perhaps now, perhaps with this sacrifice, the gods would smile upon them at last.

This is a strange story to say the least. Strange, but true. Many different peoples in many different cultures in the course of human history have made use of a human sacrifice in order to please the gods. H…