Any force or power that demands terrible sacrifices from its followers, often referring to a tyrannical or destructive system.
From a biblical and ancient Middle Eastern deity whose name appears in the Old Testament. In ancient times, Moloch was allegedly worshipped with human sacrifice, and the name became a metaphor for any evil power.
The biblical Moloch was so scary to ancient writers that John Milton used him in 'Paradise Lost' and Allen Ginsberg named his most famous poem 'Howl' partly to describe modern Moloch—writers have been using this word as the ultimate metaphor for destructive power for centuries!
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