phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Scape Goat

Posted by Kelley on September 17, 2002

It was Yom Kippur, a jewish fesitval yesterday and a jewish friend told me that the phrase 'scapegoat' comes from when ancient jews used to have a goat in the temple on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, and each individual would place their hands on goat, transfering their sins to it. The community would then let the goat loose into the wildeness taking their sins with it.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.