Moloch

This is commonly considered to be a pagan God from the Old Testament. (Note: the spelling is quite variant.)

Leviticus 18:21

Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

1 Kings 11:7

On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.

However, some scholars have argued that Moloch is something else – a set of practices, a title, a style of worship, etc.

Regardless, it’s clear that Moloch and the practices associated with him (it?) are considered evil.

The word is often used as an idiom to represent something which requires a sacrifice. From Wikipedia:

In modern times, a metaphorical meaning of Moloch as a destructive force or system that demands sacrifice, particularly of children, becomes common. […]

Conservative Christians often rhetorically equate abortion with the sacrifice of children to Moloch.

Why I Looked It Up

In Team of Rivals, Kate Chase talks about the “insatiable Moloch – money”.

I tried and failed to find the larger quote, but in searching for the phrase “insatiable Moloch,” I found that gets used quite often, reinforcing the idea that Moloch is something to which things must be sacrificed or given.