Sanctuary of Tophet

The small Sanctuary of Tophet is a burial ground that lies in Hannibal Street, to the east of Carthage Salammb6 TGM station. Discovered by a group of French archaeologists in 1921, the area, which has the foundation of an old villa overgrown with trees and shrubs, is thought to be a sacrificial site where the Carthaginian children were given as sacrifics to the deities Baal Hammon and Tanit. The area was originally a Carthaginian ceremonial site that dated to the period between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC and was dedicated to the worship of the two Phoenician gods. In Hebrew, the name 'Tophet' means the "place of burning" and it comes from Bible references to child sacrifice, such as in Jeremiah: '[people of Judah] have built the altar called Tophet. .. and there they burn to death their ...Read More