As fire is considered to be an agent of purity and as a symbol of righteousness and truth, a sacred fire is often a place for the offering of sacrifices and prayers. Therefore, those entrusted with tending this flame often held a sacred, important and very demanding role in the culture.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2021/04/24/keepers-of-the-eternal-flame/