The word “scapegoat” is an expression that we commonly use to refer to someone or something that takes the blame for someone else.
Although this word might not sound particularly special, it has a fascinating history. The origin of the concept of a scapegoat goes back to an ancient Hebrew custom.
The scapegoat in the ancient Hebrew Bible
In the Bible, the Mosaic Law is found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. According to tradition, these books were written by Moses. It is for that reason that the Law code given to the Israelites in these books is known as the Mosaic Law.
In the Book of Leviticus, we find a very interesting part of the Law. There is a description of a custom which took place once a year. It is found in chapter 16, and it reads:
“He will then take the two goats and make them stand before God at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Aaron will draw lots over the two goats, the one lot for God and the other lot for Azazel. Aaron will present the goat that was designated by lot for God and make it a sin offering. But the goat designated by lot for Azazel should be brought alive to stand before God in order to perform the atonement upon it, so that it may be sent away for Azazel into the wilderness.”
At first glance, this might seem complicated. What does it really mean?
The two goats in this ceremony
Put simply, this was a ceremony in which the High Priest would take two goats. One of them would be sacrificed to the God of the Israelites, while the other would be sent away into the wilderness.
The one that the High Priest would sacrifice to the God (Jehovah, or Yahweh) was to be presented as “a sin offering,” This means that the sacrifice of that goat was to atone, or pay, for the sins of the nation. Essentially, this was so that the nation could receive God’s forgiveness.
However, what about the goat that was spared? Later on in the same chapter, there is additional information:
“Aaron will lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the errors of the Israelites and all their transgressions and all their sins, and he will put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man designated to do this. The goat will carry upon itself all their errors into a desert land, and he will send the goat away into the wilderness.”
What does this description reveal about the use of this second goat in this ancient Hebrew custom?
The goat for Azazel
As we can see from this description, the High Priest would confess the sins of the nation over the live goat. He would then send the goat into the wilderness. In doing so, the goat would symbolically “carry upon itself all their errors.”
Hence, as the goat went away into the wilderness, it was as if the sins of the nation were being washed away. Thus, this ceremony represented God’s forgiveness of the sins of the nation in two different ways. The first way was through the sacrifice of the first goat. The second way was through the sending away of the second goat.
The one that was sent away into the wilderness was said to be designated “for Azazel.” There is some debate about the true meaning of this word. However, going by the Hebrew spelling, it would appear that it means “the goat that disappears.”
Another interpretation found in Jewish legends is that Azazel represents a demon or evil spirit. Furthermore, in the First Book of Enoch, Azazel (or Azael) is one of the leaders of the fallen angels who desired the daughters of men (6:4), and it was he who taught humanity how to craft weapons and ornaments
How “scapegoat” in English comes from this ancient Hebrew custom
The English word “scapegoat” comes from two distinct words. Both of them are fairly clear. The first is “escape,” while the second is obviously “goat.” In other words, it refers to the goat that escapes.
This is essentially the same as the apparent meaning of the Hebrew word “Azazel.” As we saw, that word apparently means “the goat that disappears.” Referring to a goat that escapes is just another way of expressing this same idea.
The writers of the ancient Greek Septuagint rendered this Hebrew word as apodiopompaios tragos, meaning scapegoat. Nevertheless, in ancient Greek, the word ‘scape’ would translate as ‘to be cast out’ rather than ‘escape.
The Latin Vulgate rendered it as “capro emissario.” This literally means “the sent-out goat.” After this, the translators of the Bible into English used the term “scapegoat,” thus coming up with the word that we still use today.
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