A rumor spread online in August 2026 that Massachusetts Democrats had installed a demonic statue in front of the state Capitol building. According to the claim, the statue was of Molech (also spelled Moloch, which is how we'll refer to the figure from here on), an ancient god who, according to multiple passages in the Old Testament, was related to child sacrifice.
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The story spread after Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, signed a bill into law that makes it possible for all women to receive an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, based on a physician's "professional medical judgment." (Anti-abortion advocates online suggested the state had legalized "abortion until birth," a claim Snopes separately fact-checked.)
Readers wrote in looking for more information on the supposed statue.
To investigate the rumor's legitimacy, we first used search engines such as DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo. If the statue were real, journalists with reputable news outlets, such as The Associated Press or The Boston Globe, would have widely reported on it, and those search inquiries would have uncovered such evidence.
That was not the case. We didn't find any credible reporting about the Moloch statue. The story originated with The Babylon Bee, a satirical news site that describes itself as a "Trusted Source for Christian News Satire." The Babylon Bee originally posted the story on Aug. 13, 2026.
Snopes has alerted readers to several instances of rumors originating from satirical articles published by The Babylon Bee, including a fictitious story suggesting that new government-run grocery stores in New York City would require shoppers to have a "special mark" on their hand or forehead — the number 666, often associated with Satan or the Antichrist.
Because the effectiveness of satire is subjective, we use "originated as satire" or "labeled satire" ratings based on creators' description of their work. It's your call on whether you agree.