taurobolium

[ tawr-uh-boh-lee-uhm ]

noun,plural tau·ro·bo·li·a

[tawr-uh-boh-lee-uh]. /ˌtɔr əˈboʊ li ə/.

the sacrifice of a bull, followed by the baptism of neophytes in the blood, as practiced in the ancient rites of Mithras or Cybele.
Fine Arts. a representation of the killing of a bull, as in Mithraic art.

Origin of taurobolium

1690–1700; <Late Latin <Greek taurobólion, equivalent to tauroból(os) bull sacrifice (taûro(s) bull + bólos a cast, throw, akin to bolḗ a wound, bállein to throw) + -ion diminutive suffix

Words Nearby taurobolium

How to use taurobolium in a sentence

taurobolium, a sacrifice of expiation, very common in the third and fourth centuries.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Sextilius Agefilaus Ædesius says, that he was born a-new, to life eternal, by means of the taurobolium and Criobolium.
A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, Volume II (of 2) | Philip Thicknesse
For instance, you all know they had a custom of having their sins expiated by means of what they called taurobolium.
Christianity and Modern Thought | Various
The details and effect of the ceremony were no doubt similar to those of the taurobolium.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 | Various
The taurobolium is thought to have signified a death to the old life and a new birth into a higher, divine existence.
The Origin of Paul's Religion | J. Gresham Machen

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