Some of our oldest and most powerful myths focus on sacrifice as a means of gaining power, strengthening relationships, and binding a community together. The oldest of these myths emphasizes blood sacrifices as the most powerful for this purpose. Our current American myths emphasize nearly the opposite: that success can be obtained without sacrifice. This article examines the implications of this fundamental shift on civil society. The author takes the Akedah—the Old Testament story of the binding of Isaac—as a central point in the evolution of the sacrifice myth. In particular, the author explores the evolution of "sacrifice" from ritual blood offering in a religious context to that of labor undertaken in a social context.