When we glance back at the religious customs of antiquity – and even some that linger today – the sight often triggers a raised eyebrow, a shiver, or outright revulsion. The fact is, the drive to secure status or simply survive could push societies to the most extreme acts. In this roundup we unveil the ten cultures that practiced the grim tradition of child sacrifice, a dark chapter that underscores how the phrase 10 civilizations sacrificed has been etched into history.

10 Civilizations Sacrificed: A Grim Overview

10 Babylon

Nestled in the cradle of early civilization, Babylon rose as a colossal, fortified metropolis and a dominant power of its era. Its rulers offered human beings – especially children – to their chief god Marduk and other deities like Anu of Uruk, especially during the empire’s later phases. Annual fire festivals featured child offerings to Anu, underscoring the ritual’s regularity.

Human sacrifice was woven into Babylon’s fabric from its earliest recorded mention in the 23rd century BC through its zenith, persisting until Alexander the Great seized the city in 331 BC. After that conquest, Babylon never fully reclaimed its former splendor.

9 Aztec

The Aztecs have become synonymous with human sacrifice, especially when linked to religious rites. In October 2017, archaeologists uncovered a rare cylindrical pit, lined with volcanic rocks, that had been excavated centuries earlier specifically for a child offering.

This pit lay at the foot of Templo Mayor in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan – the heart of modern Mexico City. The remains, dubbed Offering 176, belong to a child who likely met his fate in the 1400s.

During the empire’s expansionist phase, numerous children were offered to the gods, most probably to appease Huitzilopochtli, the war deity, thereby seeking favor for the city’s inhabitants.

8 Canaan

Canaan, a region encompassing modern‑day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel, is steeped in biblical references to the deity Molech (or Moloch), famed as a “god of child sacrifice.” Ancient texts suggest that burning living children in fire was a common offering to this god.

The Book of Leviticus even condemns the practice, declaring in Leviticus 18:21, “Neither shall you give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.”

These scriptural warnings underscore how widespread and notorious child offerings were in Canaanite worship, prompting later religious reforms.

7 Israelites

Before the Levitical injunctions took hold, the Israelites occasionally engaged in child sacrifice, sometimes directing these grim rites toward foreign deities such as Baal. Biblical passages, particularly in Kings, allege that Israelite kings turned to false gods and performed such rituals.

The scriptures portray children being treated like animals, burned as offerings, and even presented to the singular God Jehovah in desperate moments. While some scholars dispute these claims, the textual evidence remains explicit.

Nonetheless, the broader Judeo‑Christian tradition eventually branded human sacrifice as taboo, reinforcing prohibitions against the practice.

6 Olmec

The Olmec civilization, one of the earliest major societies in prehistoric Mesoamerica, spanned territories that today include Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Their cultural reach was vast, and they are credited as the first Mesoamerican group known to practice human sacrifice.

Archaeological evidence paints a grim picture: thousands of bones, many belonging to children, have been recovered from sites like Midnight Terror Cave in Belize and the sacred shrine of El Manatí. These findings confirm that the Olmecs routinely offered children to their gods.

Around 300 BC, the Olmec civilization mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only relics and the haunting remnants of their sacrificial practices.

The sheer volume of child remains underscores a systematic, large‑scale ritual that defined much of Olmec religious life.

5 Maya

Emerging roughly 1,500 years after the Olmecs, the Maya continued the tradition of child sacrifice. Excavations at the Guatemalan site of Ceibal uncovered obsidian stones deliberately buried alongside the remains of sacrificed children.

Obsidian, a volcanic glass prized for its jet‑black sheen, was considered a divine material by the Maya. They believed that the blood of children empowered the gods, and they often interred the youngsters face‑to‑face with obsidian offerings.

These burial practices highlight the Maya’s belief that child blood could channel divine power, reinforcing the ritual’s central role in their spiritual worldview.

4 Toltec

The Toltec civilization, flourishing from the 10th to the 12th centuries AD in what is now central Mexico, amplified child sacrifice on a massive scale. Near the ancient city of Tula, a mass grave unearthed during construction contained the remains of at least 24 children.

Analysis indicates these youngsters were deliberately killed and interred between AD 950 and AD 1150, suggesting a coordinated ritual rather than isolated incidents.

The Toltecs’ extensive use of child offerings underscores a cultural paradigm where such sacrifices were integral to appeasing their deities.

3 Inca

The Inca Empire set itself apart by focusing its sacrificial practices almost exclusively on children, never extending the rite to adults. These youthful victims were selected for their vigor and health, believed to be most pleasing to the gods.

Being chosen as a sacrificial child was regarded as an honor, and families of the chosen often received reverence. The Inca realm, at its height, stretched over 4,000 km, yet the tradition of child sacrifice persisted throughout its expanse.

European colonists attempted to suppress these rites upon arrival, but evidence suggests that some rituals continued clandestinely well into the colonial period.

2 Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan, home to the monumental Pyramid of the Moon, was a hub for child sacrifice. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of numerous children whose hearts were torn out in ritual offerings to the city’s deities.

The pyramid, dating back roughly 2,000 years, holds a trove of child remains, yet the civilization left no written records, leaving modern scholars to piece together its practices from the archaeological record.

Like many early Mesoamerican societies, Teotihuacan eventually vanished, its reasons still debated, but its legacy of child sacrifice remains starkly evident.

1 Celts

When the Romans expanded, they condemned human sacrifice as barbaric, yet the Gauls – what Romans called the Celts – continued the practice of child sacrifice across ancient Europe. These tribes, known for fierce warfare and head‑taking trophies, also performed ritual child offerings to appease their gods.

Roman authors, including Julius Caesar, documented the Celts’ brutal customs, describing their willingness to sacrifice children as a testament to their devotion.

Modern excavations have uncovered mummified child remains and even “fountains of blood” structures where blood drinking and cannibalism were performed, underscoring the extreme rituals of Celtic societies.

These findings illuminate a grim facet of Celtic culture, reminding us how humanity’s darkest impulses have echoed across continents and ages.

From the bustling streets of ancient Babylon to the misty highlands of Celtic Europe, the thread that ties these ten societies together is a chilling willingness to offer their youngest members to the divine. Understanding these practices offers a stark reminder of how far cultural norms can shift, and why it’s vital to study history with both curiosity and compassion.

There’s an old adage that says, “Adversity does not build character; it reveals it.” That rings especially true when catastrophe looms, and when 10 people who step forward become legends. In moments of profound misfortune, only a handful of individuals summon the courage to rise above and ensure others make it through.

Countless tragedies have birthed tales of extraordinary self‑sacrifice, where people display remarkable bravery to protect strangers. To keep their deeds alive, we present ten unforgettable stories of individuals who gave their lives for others.

10 People Who Sacrificed Their Lives to Save Others

10 Frank Foley

Frank Foley was far from the textbook image of a dashing British spy. He was short, a touch rotund, and sported round spectacles that made him look nothing like James Bond. Still, Sir Alex Younger, the present chief of MI6, praised Foley as “a consummately effective intelligence officer.”

In the wake of Kristallnacht and prior to the flare‑up of World II, Foley assumed the cover of a passport‑control clerk at the British embassy in Berlin. Confronted with the Nazis’ brutal persecution of Jews, he began falsifying passports and tweaking visas to smuggle Jewish families out of Hitler’s grasp.

Even without diplomatic protection, Foley slipped into several Nazi concentration camps to hand out travel papers and visas. Thanks to these daring deeds, historians estimate he saved over ten thousand men, women and children from the clutches of the Third Reich.

9 Titanic Engineers

Regrettably, most cinematic retellings of the RMS Titanic tragedy overlook the valiant sacrifice of the ship’s 35 engineers, all of whom perished when the liner went down. Because none of them survived the 15 April 1912 disaster, the official inquiry received no direct testimony of their deeds.

What remains clear is that each engineer stayed below decks to keep the Titanic’s electrical systems humming as the ship sank. Their efforts illuminated the hull, soothing passenger terror and allowing the wireless crew to broadcast SOS calls to any vessels in the vicinity.

8 The Chernobyl Three

When the Chernobyl plant’s reactor 4 detonated on 26 April 1986, it unleashed radiation roughly 400 times the force of the 1945 Hiroshima bomb. Yet the catastrophe could have spiraled far worse without the courageous actions of three intrepid volunteers.

Within days, experts realized the molten core would breach the concrete floor, flooding the water basins below. Such a breach threatened a radioactive steam blast capable of obliterating the entire plant and the remaining three reactors, potentially wreaking irreversible global havoc.

Stopping the looming fallout demanded draining the 20 million litres—about five million gallons—of water, a task that required manually closing specific valves. Senior engineer Valeri Bespalov, mechanical engineer Alexei Ananenko, and shift supervisor Boris Baranov volunteered for this near‑suicidal dive, a move that ultimately safeguarded millions.

Because a portion of the water had already been pumped out, the trio slipped into the pool in wetsuits, water up to their knees, and managed to close the valves. Miraculously, all three survived; two remain active in the nuclear field today, while Boris Baranov succumbed to a heart attack in 2005.

7 Benjamin Clark

Benjamin Keefe Clark was no police officer or firefighter on 11 September 2001; he was a chef preparing meals for the Fiduciary Trust Company’s 96th‑floor offices in the South Tower. When the aircraft slammed into the building, he didn’t flee for his own safety—instead, he sprang into action to shepherd colleagues toward escape.

According to eyewitnesses, the ex‑Marine made certain that every member of his department and all occupants of the 96th floor evacuated without delay. A Fiduciary executive later attributed the rescue of hundreds of lives to Benjamin, noting that when they reached the 78th floor he even helped a woman in a wheelchair. Sadly, despite his selfless bravery, he perished in the catastrophe.

6 John Robert Fox

World War II teemed with courageous soldiers willing to risk everything for their comrades. Though many deeds remain anonymous, the tale of Lieutenant John Robert Fox stands out. At 29, this GI fought in Sommocolonia, a mountainous Italian hamlet caught in ferocious clashes between American and German troops.

On Christmas Day, U.S. troops secured the charming village, even distributing cheese and chocolates to locals. By the following morning, German forces launched a counter‑offensive at dawn. As the unit’s artillery spotter, Fox’s duty was to transmit precise coordinates for bombardment.

When the German onslaught intensified, the American squad had to fall back. Concealed on the second floor of a house, Fox radioed his command, pleading for artillery to strike the very village they occupied, buying crucial minutes for his comrades to withdraw.

When the artillery officer warned, “Fox, that will be on you,” Fox allegedly answered, “Fire it. They outnumber us.” His self‑sacrificial request delivered the covering fire needed for the retreat, enabling the U.S. forces to regroup and retake Sommocolonia days later.

5 Jack Phillips

Jack Phillips, a 25‑year‑old senior wireless operator, emerged as a hero during the RMS Titanic’s disaster. On the night of 14 April 1912, he was sorting a mountain of personal telegrams from passengers and crew. Together with junior operator Harold Bride, Phillips relayed several iceberg warnings to Captain Edward Smith.

When the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m., Phillips kept at his post in the wireless room. As Bride prepared to relieve him, Captain Smith entered and instructed Phillips to broadcast a distress call, summoning aid from nearby vessels and transmitting the ship’s coordinates.

The duo transmitted SOS messages nonstop until 2:00 a.m. At that point, Captain Smith told them they’d fulfilled their duty and ordered evacuation. While Bride seized the chance to toss lifebuoys into the sea, Phillips stayed put, continuing to fire distress signals right up to the ship’s final plunge.

Phillips eventually scrambled onto the overturned Lifeboat B, but tragically fell into the icy water and perished. Fortunately, Harold Bride survived the ordeal, living until his death in 1956.

4 Maximilian Kolbe

Numerous accounts highlight extraordinarily brave souls who risked everything to rescue others during the Holocaust. Among the most unforgettable is that of Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest deported to Auschwitz in 1941.

The Nazis kept inmates on a meager diet—each morning a cup of ersatz coffee, thin soup, and half a loaf of bread after labor—insufficient even for a child. As prisoners vied for their scant portions, Father Kolbe would often step aside, letting others eat first, leaving himself with even less nourishment.

A brutal Auschwitz regulation decreed that ten men would be executed if a single inmate attempted escape. When a prisoner from Kolbe’s bunkhouse fled in July 1941, the Nazis selected ten men for death by starvation.

When Franciszek Gajowniczek, one of the condemned, wailed in despair, Kolbe approached the commandant and declared, “I am a Catholic priest; allow me to take his place. I am old, and he has a wife and children.” The officer consented, and Kolbe assumed Gajowniczek’s spot.

After two weeks of starvation and dehydration, Kolbe remained the sole conscious inmate. He raised his left arm toward Bock, the executioner, who then administered a lethal injection of carbolic acid on 14 August 1941.

3 Godwin Ajala

Upon arriving in the United States, Nigerian‑born Godwin Ajala took on a series of low‑wage jobs before landing a steady gig as an access‑control officer at the World Trade Center. His duties involved patrolling multiple floors and riding the towers’ elevators to safeguard the premises and address minor emergencies.

When not on duty, Ajala was studying for the New York State bar examination.

When the aircraft struck the Twin Towers, the 33‑year‑old Ajala heroically assisted thousands in their escape, reportedly keeping doors ajar for fleeing occupants and directing people to safety. Tragically, he later collapsed from exhaustion, slipped into a coma, and died the following Sunday.

2 The Village Of Eyam

While countless accounts celebrate individuals who gave their lives for others, few chronicles record entire communities making the ultimate sacrifice. Such was the case for Eyam, a Derbyshire village in England, which fell victim to the bubonic plague. The infection arrived on a damp cloth, ferrying fleas from London, then already wrestling with the Black Death.

Between September and December 1665, forty‑two residents succumbed to the disease as it swept through the tight‑knit settlement. Predictably, by the spring of 1666, many residents were eager to abandon the village.

Yet, to stop the plague from spilling into neighboring towns like Bakewell and Sheffield, new rector William Mompesson urged the populace to stay put and quarantine the infection. The villagers heeded his appeal, choosing to remain in Eyam.

Within just over a year, the village recorded 260 deaths, a tragic toll that ultimately shielded surrounding communities from the same fate.

1 Rick Rescorla

Rick Rescorla, a former British army officer, acted as chief security officer for Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center’s South Tower. The 1993 terrorist strike on the complex left a deep impression on Rescorla, who had already warned about security flaws before that bombing.

Convinced that the towers might face a similar threat, Rescorla routinely organized evacuation drills for bank staff, drills that later proved lifesaving during the September 11 2001 attacks.

On 9/11, Rescorla guided occupants down stairwells to safety, humming Cornish tunes to lift spirits. Moreover, he is said to have returned to the South Tower’s 10th floor to assist additional evacuees.

Although Rescorla became one of the over 2,600 victims when the towers collapsed, his gallant actions are credited with rescuing more than 2,500 employees.

Human beings are designed to be empathetic; they love each other to death, for some, almost literally. However, how much do you love and care for those around you? Are you willing to die for them? For most people, if anyone needs saving, they would find ways to do it without necessarily involving death. The crazy part is that some humans are selfless enough to use their final acts to save others. Don’t believe me? Here are ten times people sacrificed themselves to save others.

10 Sergeant Travis Atkins

The date is the first of June 2007, and the location is war-torn Iraq. The early morning of this fateful day saw Sergeant Travis Atkins call his family, saying he was about to take his men out on a mission. He also notified his mother that he had sent something in the mail for her. What Sergeant Atkins and his family did not know is that they were communicating for the last time. Several hours later, some soldiers came home to inform the Sergeant’s mother that her son had passed away.

While on the mission, Sergeant Atkins and his team set out to frisk two men suspected of setting up roadside bombs. To Sergeant Atkins’s surprise, one of the men had pulled the pin on a grenade to detonate a suicide vest. He bear-hugged the man, lifted him, and slammed him down. As the other officers recount, Sergeant Atkins shielded them from the blast while sacrificing his own life.

When the Sergeant’s parents opened the mail from Sergeant Atkins, they found a letter thanking them for everything they had done for him. Some would say that Sergeant Atkins had foreseen his death. Others would say that everybody sends a simple, ordinary Mother’s Day message. Either way, Sergeant Atkins was a brave, selfless soldier who sacrificed everything for the team. His family was presented with a medal of honor from former President Donald Trump, celebrating Sergeant Atkins’s actions.

9 Casey Jones

If you love ancient history, this is for you! The year 1900 marked the end of a great American locomotive engineer and a true hero. Jones died with one hand on the train’s whistle and the other on its brake. While on a train to Mississippi, he noticed another freight train was on the same track. Jones quickly ordered his partner to leap out of the train to safety as he struggled to bring the train to a halt.

After a lot of effort, Jones managed to slow the train down to the point that everybody in the train survived but him at the time of impact. This was seen as a remarkable effort, and he remains in the history books. Interestingly, Jones wasn’t supposed to be on this train. After driving the train from Canton, Mississippi, another engineer was supposed to take over from Memphis. Unfortunately, the engineer was sick, so Jones had to fill in.

8 Aitzaz Hassan

Fiftenn-year-old Aitzaz Hassan was on his way to school one morning with his friends when they noticed a man wearing a suicide vest. Even though the bomber was dressed in an attire similar to their school uniform, they could tell that he wasn’t a student. When the man approached them asking for directions, Hassan could tell that something was off. Upon realizing that his cover was almost blown, the bomber started to walk hurriedly toward the school gate, but Hassan took it upon himself to ensure he didn’t.

Hassan started pelting stones at the bomber in a bid to stop him. Hassan tackled the bomber as they approached the gate, prompting him to detonate the bomb. With students gathered inside the school for their morning assembly, Hassan sacrificed himself so his schoolmates could live.

7 Lieutenant John Robert Fox

We have all heard of the phrase “shoot yourself in the foot,” and we can all agree we cannot fathom the idea. Now, imagine calling on someone to bomb your location with a missile! Impossible, right? Not for one John Robert Fox, though. The American soldier dared to call on a missile to his location to stop an advancing enemy attack.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in May 1915, John Robert Fox was a young, diligent, and intelligent man ready to conquer the world. When he joined the military at the age of 26, he had his whole career ahead of him. After graduating with the rank of Second Lieutenant, war broke out, and he was commissioned to join the 92nd Infantry Division.

In 1944, Fox found himself in a war against the Nazis in Italy. He was tasked with staying behind in a tiny village of Sommocolonia, Tuscany, to watch over the enemies as his team retreated. Watching from the second floor of the building, he could see the Nazis approaching. Fox used his radio to contact his colleagues, asking them to aim their missiles in his direction. When enough soldiers had moved closer to his location, Fox asked his colleagues to aim and fire the missiles. When asked if he was sure, Fox simply replied, “Fire it,” the missile was fired, killing him on the spot, along with hundreds of other Nazi soldiers.

Through this selfless act, the American soldiers could retreat successfully and eventually took charge of the town from the German soldiers. Fox’s story stood out when countless soldiers fought for their lives and country. He was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his sacrifices.

6 Kiera Larsen

When American singer Bruno Mars belted out, “I’ll jump in front of the train for ya,” people thought he was just lyrical and a poet. After all, that is what musicians do. Kiera Larsen probably didn’t know about Bruno Mars’s song, but she was more than willing to jump in front of a moving car to save two toddlers.

“10-year-old girl sacrifices life to save others” is the headline that residents of Lakeside, California, woke up to one morning. Larsen was playing outside their house when she noticed that a car parked not far away was moving at about 10 miles per hour but increasing its speed.

Noticing that the vehicle was headed toward two other children playing in a nearby yard, she rushed and shoved them away from its path. Unfortunately, Larsen did not have time to rescue herself, and she was crushed by the car. Most adults would think twice in such a situation, but it was a no-brainer for Larsen. She is an undoubted heroine.

5 Muelmar Magallanes

In 2009, the Philippines was hit by Typhoon Ketsana, which killed more than 700 people and caused losses worth more than $1 billion. Among the people that died is Muelmar Magallanes, but he was special. Usually, a typhoon starts with heavy rains and overflowing banks. When Magallanes noticed this, he started evacuating his family using a rope tied to his waist. He pulled them from the flooded streets and led them to higher and safer ground.

After evacuating his family, Magallanes noticed his neighbors needed help too. After ferrying over 30 people to safety, Magallanes’s last act of kindness saw him rescue a woman and her six-month-old baby. After towing them to safety, he was so exhausted that he “let go” and drifted away to his death. If this were a movie, you would rage in anger, shouting how the hero deserved a “happy ending.” Unfortunately, life doesn’t have any special effects; it is cruel.

4 Scott Beigel

Scott Beigel, a geography teacher and cross-country coach, died while saving his students from a shooter. According to an interview conducted by ABC, student Kelsey Friend narrated how Beigel unlocked a door and ushered the students in but didn’t make it himself.

Kelsey explained that Beigel insisted on the students getting in first rather than going first. As the last student entered the room, Beigel was shot dead. With the students in the room panicking, the gunman walked away, probably thinking that the teacher was alone. Kelsey and the other students are forever indebted to this selfless act by their teacher. Talk about leading by example!

3 Rebecca Townsend

Most 15-year-old girls have dreams of what they want to achieve in life, but most are usually just fantasies. However, Rebecca Townsend was not an ordinary teenager. She knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish in life before dying, which she did. Before her death, Townsend lived in Danbury, Connecticut, where she was born.

Apart from being an amazing actor, the teenager was also academically gifted and set to go to college. Interestingly, Townsend had written a note describing all she wanted to achieve. At the time of her death, she had already achieved two. When Townsend pushed her friend out of the path of an oncoming car before being hit, she completed the third item on her bucket list with that heroic act, even though it left her dead. Even though many were hurt, those who knew Townsend were not surprised by her selfless act; they knew her for that.

2 Tyler Doohan

One morning, an eight-year-old Tyler Doohan woke up to find the trailer he was in was on fire. Instinctively, the first thing to do, especially for a child, is to rush out yelling. For one, Doohan, the story was different; he started running toward the fire, waking up everyone who was asleep.

Doohan managed to wake up six people, including two younger children. However, when he went in to rescue his grandfather, he succumbed to the raging fire. It is said he died trying to lift his grandpa. Were it not for Doohan’s bravery, the number of casualties would have been higher.

1Neerja Bhanot

In 1986, New York-bound Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by terrorists. During a stopover in Karachi, a group of uniformed airport security forces approached the plane, claiming that there were terrorists on board who had masqueraded as passengers, forcing the aircraft to a halt. With the terrorists’ plan A now quashed, they resorted to killing everyone they identified. They ordered the flight attendants to collect everyone’s passports for identification.

Because the flight attendants hid passports belonging to American citizens, there was a 17-hour standoff. Some passengers started leaving through the exit doors, so the terrorists decided to kill everyone on board. Neerja Bhanot played a massive role in these evacuations, but unfortunately, she died. Bhanot saved many lives because of her selfless deeds, and for that, she is still celebrated today. Bhanot was awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest award for bravery in the face of an enemy—she was the first woman to do so.