Tophet

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See also: tophet

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Biblical Hebrew תוֹפֶת (tôp̄eṯ).

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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Tophet

  1. (biblical) A location near Jerusalem in the valley of Gehenna where children were burned alive as sacrifice.
  2. Hell, Gehenna.
    • 1638, Thomas Herbert, Some Yeares Travels, section II:
      In this Tophet, they commonly immolated their little children, and sometimes men of more yeers than discretion [...].
    • 1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner:
      But already is the day of their avengement begun; the hero is at length arisen who shall send all such as bear enmity to the true Church, or trust in works of their own, to Tophet!
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      “Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.