Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Ancient China, The Border Sacrifice and Genesis

For thousands of years the Chinese offered a young unblemished bull to Shang Ti (Shang Di) in the Border Sacrifice which ended in 1911 AD.[1]

The Chinese term for God is Shang Ti (上帝) or Sovereign Above or Supreme God.  “Heaven” is often used as a way to refer to God.  Some Chinese scholars explain that, “It is not lawful to use the name of Shang Ti lightly, and therefore we name Him by His residence, which is Tien (), or heaven - on the principle that 'the Court' stands for 'the Emperor.'”  An ancient History of China states that, “The Yellow Emperor (2698-2598 BC) sacrificed to Shang Ti, gathered the whole populace together, and diffused among them (the principles of) government and religion.”  The Border Sacrifice was also led by Emperor Kù (K’u) aka Dì Kù or Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì or Qūn (), who was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and lived from 2435-2366 BC.  K’u was the father of the much-quoted Emperor Yao.

(Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics – Hastings, Vol. 6, p. 272)

https://archive.org/details/EncyclopaediaOfReligionAndEthics.Hastings-selbie-gray.13Vols/06.EncycReligEthics.v6.Fic-Hyk.Hastings.Selbie.Gray.1914..pdf

 

The Border Sacrifice is referenced by Confucius in his Shu Jing (Book of History) where he mentions that Emperor Shun (~2230 BC) sacrificed to Shang Ti.[2]

Mencius (孟子, Mèngzǐ), born Meng Ke (孟軻), was a Chinese Confucian philosopher and lived around 371 to 289 BC.  He said, “Though a man may be wicked, yet if he adjust his thoughts, fast, and bathe, he may sacrifice to Shang-Ti” (Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics – Hastings, Vol. 8, p. 549).

https://archive.org/details/EncyclopaediaOfReligionAndEthics.Hastings-selbie-gray.13Vols/06.EncycReligEthics.v6.Fic-Hyk.Hastings.Selbie.Gray.1914..pdf

 

During the Border Sacrifice songs are recited:

 

[First Song] Of old in the beginning. there was the great chaos, without form and dark. The five elements [planets] had not begun to revolve, nor the sun and the moon to shine.  In the midst thereof three existed neither form nor sound. Thou, O Spiritual Sovereign, camest forth in Thy  presidency, and first didst divide the grosser parts from the purer.  Thou madest heaven; Thou madest earth; Thou madest man.  All things with their reproducing power, got their being.

 

[Second Song] O Te [Shang Ti] when Thou hadst separated the Yin and the Yang (the heavens and the earth).  Thy creating work proceeded.  Thou didst produce, O Spirit, the sun and the moon and the five planets, and pure and beautiful was their light.  The vault of heaven was spread out like a curtain, and the square earth supported all on it, and all things were happy.  I, Thy servant, venture reverently to thank Thee, and while I worship, present the notice to Thee, O Te, calling Thee Sovereign.

(Notions of the Chinese Concerning God and Spirits by James Legge, p. 28)

https://jathonthompsoneas.wordpress.com/2019/07/01/rituals-in-the-east-the-border-sacrifice-in-ming-dynasty-folk-religion/

 


[Sixth Song] When Te, the Lord, had so decreed, He called into existence heaven, earth, and man.  Between (heaven and earth) He separately disposed men and things, all overspread by the heavens.  I, His unworthy servant, beg His (favoring) decree, to enlighten me His minister - so may I forever appear before Him in the empyrean [the 9th or Highest Heaven].

 

[Seventh Song] All the numerous tribes of animated beings are indebted to Thy favor for their beginning.  Men and things are all emparadised in Thy love, O Te.  All living things an indebted to Thy goodness, but who knows from whom his blessings come to him.  It is thou alone, O Lord, who art the true parent of all things.

 

[Eighth Song] The precious feat is wide displayed; the gemmeous benches an arranged; the pearly wine is presented - with music and dances.  The spirit of harmony is collected; men and creatures are happy.  The breast of His servant is troubled, that he is unable to express his obligations.

 

[Ninth Song] The service of song is completed, but our poor sincerity cannot be expressed.  Thy sovereign goodness is infinite.  As a potter hast Thou made all living things.  Great and small are sheltered (by Thy love). As engraven on the heart of Thy poor servant, is the sense of Thy goodness …

(Notions of the Chinese Concerning God and Spirits by James Legge, p. 29)

https://jathonthompsoneas.wordpress.com/2019/07/01/rituals-in-the-east-the-border-sacrifice-in-ming-dynasty-folk-religion/

 


Note the parallels to Genesis and other Scriptures:

Before Christ came, animal sacrifices were required (Gen. 3:21, 4:4, 8:20,21, Leviticus, Is. 53).

In the beginning, darkness before light (Gen. 1:1-5).

The Sun, Moon and Planets were made after the beginning (Gen. 1:14-19).

Man was made after the Heavens and the Earth (Gen. 1:26-31).

The Holy Spirit’s work in creation (Gen. 1:2, Job 33:4).

“All things were happy” before the Fall and Curse (Gen. 1:31, 3:8-24; Eccl. 7:29).

God has a decree (Is. 46:10, Eph. 1:11).

The afterlife is real (Ps. 23:6, Dan. 12:1-3).

There is only one true God (Dt. 6:4,13-15; Is. 45:5)

Worship with music and dancing (Ps. 150).

God’s goodness is infinite (Ps. 147:5, Is. 40:28).

Creation Ex Nihilo (Gen. 1:1, Heb. 11:3, Ps. 33:6-9).

The Lord is the potter (Is. 64:8, Jer. 18:1-6, Rom. 9:21, Job 10:9).

What about Noah’s Flood?  Nelson & Broadberry explain,

 

… the story of the Flood appeared as early as 1000 BC in the Book of Odes (Shih Ching) and the Book of Documents (Shu Ching).  This latter contains the earliest writings in China, predating the oracle bone inscriptions.  The Flood story was also the most pervasive of all other legends in ancient China.  The Shu Ching records: “The flood waters were everywhere, destroying everything as they rose above the hills and swelled up to Heaven.”[3] 


Ancient Chinese Border Sacrifice:

https://tasc-creationscience.org/article/beginning-shang-di

 

The Original “Unknown” God of China by Dr. Ethel Nelson:

https://answersingenesis.org/genesis/the-original-unknown-god-of-china/

Planning a visit to Beijing?

https://www.trip.com/guide/attraction/temple-of-heaven.html

 

Our Creation Study (via Midwest Christian Outreach) – 9 episodes so far!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdelscNsYMszOH6dhLx4-CRMqGKfU6-z

 

My books challenge Darwin & Deep Time (vids & podcasts 2): 

https://totalyouth.us/

 

That The World May Know:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jay-hall-m-s-b64526a_nestorianism-activity-7488470082730340352-CEDh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAHbbPwBBTN3-5NHy1Ow3Aqgq-KCW2E14ew

 

Notes:

1) God’s Promise to the Chinese by Ethel Nelson & Richard Broadberry (Read Books, 2014), p. 1.

2) Ibid., p. 2.

3) Ibid., p. 113.

 

** kudos – graphic sources:

https://chatgpt.com/c/6a71e500-2330-83ea-b2cb-fdba950fbc29

https://www.hantrainerpro.com/hanzi/shangdi_god-chinese-character.jpg

https://jathonthompsoneas.wordpress.com/2019/07/01/rituals-in-the-east-the-border-sacrifice-in-ming-dynasty-folk-religion/

https://dimg04.tripcdn.com/images/0M70b12000lyxf5pjF167_Q60.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ae/80/fe/ae80fe13baea5868425421b66e61778b.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ce/06/4f/ce064fcc70fd2c24a3bde2852718389b.jpg

 

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