where is the term scapegoat from?

Answer 1

In Christian theology, the story of the scapegoat in Leviticus is interpreted as a symbolic prefiguration of the self-sacrifice of Jesus, who takes the sins of humanity on his own head, having been driven into the 'wilderness' outside the city by order of the high priests.

Biggest reason we have so many different religions and denominations based on the same God is simply how scripture is interpreted.

Answer 2

The term scapegoat has ancient and Biblical origins. "The scapegoat sacrifice runs all through the Old Testament, then it reaches its height in the New Testament with the notion of the Martyred Redeemer", writes Robert A. Heinlein.

Q. From what Jewish holiday does the term scapegoat come and why?

A. The holiday is Yom Kippur. As described in the passage below, as an act of atonement, the sins of the people were symbolically placed on a goat and then the goat was sent off into the wilderness. Scapegoat today has come to mean unfairly blaming others for problems. Ironically, the Jews have been scapegoats over the centuries for a multitude of problems. i.e. the Nazis blamed the Jews for much of Germany and Europe's problems.

Answer 3

Scapegoat comes from the old pagan tradition of sacrificing an animal to apease a god. In the old days people had the notion that some gods demanded blood. If you did not offer them the blood of animals of their own accord, the god will exact a penalty in blood and life from humans through fires, wars, floods etc. It was and is a superstition.

When Israel was surrounded by pagan nations, and scape goats were being killed all around, many of the Jewish folks thought well of some of the gods and activities around them. The GOOD LORD in all kindness knew their hearts and allowed to have animals to be sacrificed for various sins to their God also, but there was a twist to these sacrifices.

People were dependent on the animals for food, when they were unsettled nomads. Value of a person was determined by the amount of healthy cattle and sheep one had. The Lord MOst HIgh wanted to elevate the standards, so he required that animals be killed and burnt so that people would relate their bad actions with the death of an animal. If you think about it the animal was really a part of your own earnings, thus life!!

If I steal from someone, what I am really doing is taking some of their earnings which they got from spending part of their lives. In a way when I steal, I have taken that person's life to that extent. If you put that part of the life that I took from that person and put it at the very end of his life, I denied him some moments, hours or days and "killed him or her" before their due time. So, even though it may seem trivial, even stealing is a form of murder. Thus the Lord ordered the killing of the animal, so you can see the very consequences in reality for your actions........ a poor animal will pay for your sins.

This is much different if you notice from sacrificing out of fear and superstition. I hope I am making sense.

Answer 4

The scapegoat was a goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in Judaism during the times of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Answer 5

The scapegoat was a goat that was driven off the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, in Judaism.

Answer 6

from the two men who were stealing a sheep. One guy got caught and the other got away. He blamed the other guy. the goat thief escaped. scapegoat

Answer 7

a scapegoat is a person who takes the blame for someone's else mis behaviour...
i would put it on myself, if i behave differently such as if i went to some night clubs or bars and I bring with me my sister, then i will took the blame for her behaviour if someday she would be found in bars, nightclubs....

Answer 8

Susan G u r right