Religion in Carthage

The religion of Carthage in North Africa was a direct continuation of the Phoenician variety of the polytheistic ancient Canaanite religion with significant local modifications. Controversy prevails regarding the possible existence and practice of propitiatory child sacrifice in the religion of Carthage. However, a recent study of archeological evidence confirms child sacrifice in ancient Carthage.

Carthage derived the original core of its religion from Phoenicia. The Phoenician pantheon was presided over by the father of the gods, but a goddess was the principal figure in the Phoenician pantheon. The system of gods and goddesses in Phoenician religion also influenced many other cultures.

The supreme divine couple was that of Tanit and Baal Hammon. The goddess Astarte seems to have been popular in early times. At the height of its cosmopolitan era, Carthage seems to have hosted a large array of divinities from the neighbouring civilizations of ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and the Etruscan civilization.

Surviving Punic texts portray an organized caste of temple priests and acolytes performing different types of functions for a variety of prices. Priests were cleanshaven, unlike most other people. In the first centuries of the city, ritual celebrations included rhythmic dancing, derived from Phoenician traditions.

Cippi and steles of limestone are characteristic monuments of the art and religion of the Punics and are found throughout the western Phoenician colonial world in unbroken continuity, both historically and geographically. The majority were set up over urns containing the ashes of sacrifices which had been placed within open-air sanctuaries. Some Carthaginian votive steles (several in Egyptian style) display a priest carrying a child; at least one has been interpreted as a living child for sacrifice. The identification of this child as living has been questioned.

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