Scapegoat

Scapegoat, in the Old Testament (Leviticus 16:8), goat designated by the Jewish high priest on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) to bear the sins of the people and to be sent out into the wilderness. Similar practices existed in ancient Greece and Rome. By extension, the term also refers to a person or group unfairly blamed for the ills of others.

See also: Old Testament.