The Sacrifice of Jephthah’s Daughter

There is another biblical parallel to the tale of the sacrifice of Iphigenia—the story of Jephthah and his unfortunate daughter, as told in the Book of Judges. Prior to entering into battle with the Ammonites, Jephthah vows to the Lord that in return for victory, he will sacrifice “whatever comes out of the door of [his] house to meet [him]” when he reaches his home (Judges 11:30–31).

This resembles the equally rash vow made by Agamemnon in promising the goddess Artemis to sacrifice the fairest thing brought forth in the year of his daughter’s birth, never suspecting that this “fairest thing” would prove to be his daughter, Iphigenia.¹

Jephthah’s vow has similar heartbreaking consequences: The first thing that comes out of his door upon his safe return is his own beloved daughter, an only child whom the Bible does not name.