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Tophet is a location near Jerusalem where according to the Bible the Canaanites sacrificed children to the god Moloch by burning them alive. It is thought to be a specific geographic location within the valley of Gehenna.
The name is possibly derived from the Hebrew toph = drum, because drums were used to drown the cries of children; or from the Hebrew taph or toph = to burn.
The practice of child sacrifice was outlawed by King Josiah. The valley became a refuse site where animal carcasses, waste and the bodies of criminals were dumped, with fires permanently burning to keep disease at bay.
Tophet became a synonym for hell.
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