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Famine and human sacrifice: Seven sons of Saul are hung up before the Lord

It all started with one of God's famous three-year famines. David asked God why he sent the famine.

Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. 2 Samuel 21:1a

God said it was because Saul killed some Gibeonites. (The Bible doesn't say when or where Saul supposedly did this.)

The LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. 21:1b

So David asked the Gibeonites what he could do to make atonement.

Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement? 21:3

The Gibeonites said that David should give them Saul's seven sons so they could hang them up before the Lord.

They answered the king ... Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD. 21:5-6

David agreed, giving them two of Saul's sons and five of his grandsons. "And they hanged them in the hill before the Lord."

The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul ... And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD. 21:8-9

And that satisfied God so that he quit starving the Israelites.

And after that God was intreated for the land. 21:14

The Bible doesn't say how many Israelites died in God's three year famine. I'll guess 3000, 1000 for each year for the famine.