Was Jephthah’s daughter sacrificed?
Its been a long time since I have browsed the bible blogs, but these long summer days allow for this indulgence. Thanks so much, Brian, for your list of recommendations! I would very much like to think that Jephthah’s daughter was not sacrificed, but I have been persuaded that the Hebrew implies that she was. The same language is used for Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11:31 as was used for Isaac in Gen. 22: 2.
וְהַעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה
veha’alihu leolah
And offer him for a burnt offering
וְהַעֲלִיתִיהוּ, עֹלָה
veha’alitahu olah
I will offer it up for a burnt offering
This commentator convincingly argues that the notion that Jephthah’s daughter lived out her life as a virgin is a Medieval construct, one which reflected a common Christian practice of that era. However, in Judges there was no practice of dedicating a girl to celibacy. (Hebrew text thanks to Mechon Mamre.)
BLT 
I think the only reason anyone interprets this passage in a way other than that Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter is only doing so because they cannot accept that 1. Jephthah, the “godly” man would not do such a thing and 2. such a story should not have been recorded in the Canon as a generally positive story of Jephthah’s devotion.
It is clear that Shakespeare thought that Jephthah did actually sacrifice his daughter. In ‘Hamlet’ he has Hamlet call Polonius Jephthah (‘Am I not i’th right, old Jephthah’ 2.2.405) because his behaviour towards Ophelia suggests that he is sacrificing her well-being and turning her into a spy in order to ingratiate himself further with Claudius.