Paper 89 - Square Circles Publishing

SOURCE OR PARALLEL URANTIA PAPER 89“The exposed and later famous men, likeSargon, Cyrus, Moses, Romulus andRemus, play a great rôle.... Withoutsacrificing the child, it is offered to thegod who expresses his satisfaction bypreserving the child...” (S&K 1262).Another modified form of humansacrifice is the Roman ver sacrum, or“sacred springtime.” Though all the firstbornof a year were vowed to Mars, thatis, to death, they might save their lives, ifthey could, outside the tribe (S&K 1262).“According to the account of Festus,accepted by modern scholars, the versacrum took the following shape: In timesof severe distress the Governmentdedicated to the gods, for the purpose ofmoving them to compassion for thepeople, the entire offspring of both manand beast during the forth-coming year.The children were allowed to live untilthey had grown up; then the marriageableyouth of both sexes had to leave the townand seek their fortunes abroad, and makea new home for themselves elsewhere...”(S&K 1262).[contd from two rows up] This amounted tomass-exposure and led to colonization(S&K 1262).If the child survived, it was thought thatthe gods had intervened to preserve him,as in the traditions of Sargon, Moses,Cyrus, and Romulus.Then came the practice of dedicating thefirst-born sons as sacred or sacrificial,allowing them to grow up and thenexiling them in lieu of death;this was the origin of colonization.The Romans adhered to this custom intheir scheme of colonization.§296*. Sacral or Sacrificial “Prostitution.”(Sumner & Keller 1272)[contd] This practice, termed alsotemple-harlotry, has its relation to humansacrifice, obligation, and ransom (S&K1272).89:7.4 Many of the peculiarassociations of sex laxity with primitiveworship had their origin in connectionwith human sacrifice.42