Origins of Animal Sacrifice

Where did the idea of animal sacrifice come from? What are the origins of animal sacrifice? And what was the rationale behind it? We go to the Ancient Near East for some answers!Resources used in the making of this podcast:Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies by Jared DiamondStrange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling by Nijay K. GuptaBiblical Archaeology Review Article, The Origins of Israelite Sacrifice, by William W. Hallohttps://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/the-origin-of-israelite-sacrifice/Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H PodanyLamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus’ Death by Andrew Remington Rillera