Chapter 10: The Lamb of Mercy

In this chapter Harris assures readers that the Aztecs are not the only group to sacrifice humans and cannibalize: groups in Oceana, Indonesia, and the Sahara also were cannibals. The roots of Christianity have cannibalistic thoughts, like Abraham thinking God tells him to kill his son. Nevertheless, with so many mentions of animal sacrifices Harris suggest that since there was ample animal protein there was no need to cannibalize. He measures the cost/benefits of “state-sponsored cannibalism” and uses that to show that cannibalism was not as prevalent in states like Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, Europe, or India. For example, the Incas had ample llama and guinea pig protein for citizens which was better than the turkey and dog options that Aztecs had.