a sorrow which remains above all others."
Such ambivalence was charac-
teristic of the ancients, observes
Barbara Kaye Greenleaf in her popu-
lar survey, Children Through the
Ages (McGraw-Hill, 1978). The Egyp-
tians worshipped two gods who pro-
tected children: Maskonit, who
appeared at the moment of birth,
and Rainit, who insured that the in-
fant was properly nursed.
Yet, infanticide was common in such cultures. The Phoenicians, Moabites, and Ammonites engaged in child sacrifice....