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Crime and punishment in the Torah

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452:(c.f. Numbers 35:31). "It must be noted that the death penalty might also indicate the seriousness of the crime without calling for the actual implementation of it in every case. In fact, there is little evidence that many of these sanctions were ever actually carried out in ancient Israel. Only in the case of premeditated murder was there the added stricture of 'Do not accept a ransom for the life of the murderer who deserves to die' (Num 35:31). . . . Traditional wisdom, both in the Jewish and Christian communities, interpreted this verse in Numbers 35:31 to mean that out of the almost twenty cases calling for capital punishment in the Old Testament, every one of them could have the sanction commuted by an appropriate substitute of money or anything that showed the seriousness of the crime, but in the case of what we today call first-degree murder, there was never to be offered or accepted any substitute or bargaining of any kind: the offender had to pay with his or her life". 208:, the Egyptians appointed conscription officers over the Israelites to crush their spirits with hard labor. The Israelites were to build up the cities of Pithom and Ra'amses as supply centers for Pharaoh. They made the lives of the Israelites miserable with harsh labor involving mortar and bricks, as well as all kinds of work in the field. Then he issued decrees to kill all the Israelite males. God hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not allow the Hebrews to leave, and then God sent various disasters onto the whole of Egypt. Exodus includes the story of the killing of every firstborn child in Egypt as the final punishment for having enslaved the Israelites. 935: 273: 22: 230:
began to interact with the people of Israel, who were staying in Shittim. At this time, Israelite men began to have sexual relations with Moabite women. After being invited by Moabite women, some Israelite men participated in eating sacrificial meals and worshipping Moabite deities. The
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After an army of 12,000 (1000 from each tribe) was sent against the Midianites, Moses was angry when the army returned with captive women and other spoils, because the women had played vital roles in the previous trespasses and consequent plague.
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under Eleazar the priest (Numbers 31:28) as "heave offerings", thanksgiving for success. Out of the booty that belonged to Israelites, one of every fifty was set apart to the Levites who cared for the Tabernacle. (Numbers 31:30)
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While the Israelites were still assembled in mourning after the execution, an Israelite man, Zimri the son of Salu, publicly brought a Midianite woman, Cozbi daughter of Zur, into his tent. Phinehas, a grandson of
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The man and woman when a man meets a betrothed woman in town and sleeps with her. But if it is a case of rape where out in the country she called for help and no one heard, the death penalty only applies to the
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Moses then ordered all males and non-virgin females killed, and all female virgins preserved. One of every five hundred remaining captives of the soldiers' plunder was to be put in service as tribute to the
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for depriving his sister-in-law of child by having sex with her with no intention of impregnating her as agreed. After Onan's brother Er died, his father Judah told him to fulfill his duty as a
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There is some question as to whether the death penalty was invariably or even usually implemented in ancient Israel, or whether this was even the intention of the
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before climax and spilled his semen on the ground, since any child born would not legally be considered his heir. (
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then ordered Moses to attack the Midianites for plotting against the Israelites in the matters of Peor and Cozbi.
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then ordered a daylight execution of all those that had fornicated and worshipped with the Moabites.
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told Moses that the man in custody must be killed. This particular crime and punishment is isolated
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to be a servant to his brother's servants and a servant to his fathers brothers. (see
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The Bible prescribes the death penalty for the following activities, among others:
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apply to humanity in general. Most Christian denominations have also adopted
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Mount Sodom, Israel, showing a pillar referred to as "Lot's Wife", made of
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Lot's wife "became a pillar of salt" when she "looked back" when fleeing
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A woman who is found not to have been a virgin on the night of her
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Brauch, 267: 42:Please improve this article by adding 841: 15: 342:List of capital crimes in the Torah 55:"Crime and punishment in the Torah" 13: 14: 1184: 1005:Internal consistency of the Bible 443: 211: 607:Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible 377:One man picked up sticks on the 20: 800: 791: 782: 773: 764: 755: 746: 737: 728: 719: 710: 701: 687: 678: 669: 628: 599: 558: 547: 538: 529: 520: 511: 502: 493: 479: 1: 867: 472: 439:Having a spirit of divination 336:Examples of the death penalty 222:In Numbers 25, the people of 44:secondary or tertiary sources 605:Freedman, Myers & Beck. 170:, while a minority believes 7: 960:The Bible and homosexuality 467:The Bible and death penalty 455: 425:in vain or cursing his name 10: 1189: 339: 215: 204:When Pharaoh enslaved the 146:, many of which deal with 1129: 1098: 1090:Witchcraft and divination 1030: 942: 931: 892: 875: 813:Hard Sayings of the Bible 436:Rebellion against parents 915:Historicity of the Bible 160:some of these directives 1168:Punishments in religion 920:Chronology of the Bible 788:Deuteronomy 21:18-21:21 1000:Criticism of the Bible 995:Muhammad and the Bible 965:The Bible and violence 834:, Age of Reason, 1795. 716:Deuteronomy 13:6-13:10 636:The Genesis of Justice 391:Numbers 15:32–36 281: 31:relies excessively on 1010:Biblical hermeneutics 970:The Bible and slavery 275: 178:In the Book of Exodus 1048:Crime and punishment 980:Alcohol in the Bible 955:The Bible and ethics 707:Deuteronomy 22:13-22 684:Deuteronomy 22:22-27 1163:Hebrew Bible topics 985:Ethics in the Bible 975:The Bible and humor 806:Walter Kaiser Jr., 752:Exodus 21:15, 21:17 462:Ethics in the Bible 268:Special punishments 128:Abrahamic religions 990:Women in the Bible 925:Biblical authority 900:Biblical criticism 298:Sodom and Gomorrah 282: 206:Children of Israel 1150: 1149: 652:978-0-446-52479-7 623:978-0-8028-2400-4 594:978-0-7188-2987-2 321:Levirate marriage 168:Great Commandment 138:teaches that the 132:the God of Israel 116: 115: 108: 90: 1180: 1015:African American 937: 905:Biblical studies 862: 855: 848: 839: 838: 824: 804: 798: 795: 789: 786: 780: 777: 771: 768: 762: 759: 753: 750: 744: 741: 735: 732: 726: 723: 717: 714: 708: 705: 699: 698: 691: 685: 682: 676: 673: 667: 664: 655: 632: 626: 603: 597: 574: 568: 562: 556: 551: 545: 542: 536: 533: 527: 524: 518: 515: 509: 506: 500: 497: 491: 483: 428:Cursing a parent 422: 384: 262: 250: 246: 234: 164:Ten Commandments 144:613 commandments 122:is considered a 111: 104: 100: 97: 91: 89: 48: 24: 16: 1188: 1187: 1183: 1182: 1181: 1179: 1178: 1177: 1153: 1152: 1151: 1146: 1125: 1099:Christian Bible 1094: 1026: 938: 929: 888: 871: 866: 828: 827: 808:Peter H. Davids 805: 801: 797:Leviticus 20:27 796: 792: 787: 783: 778: 774: 769: 765: 760: 756: 751: 747: 743:Leviticus 24:16 742: 738: 733: 729: 724: 720: 715: 711: 706: 702: 693: 692: 688: 683: 679: 674: 670: 665: 658: 633: 629: 625:), 2000, p.1273 604: 600: 575: 571: 565:Genesis 25:5–10 563: 559: 552: 548: 543: 539: 534: 530: 525: 521: 517:Numbers 25:1-18 516: 512: 507: 503: 498: 494: 484: 480: 475: 458: 446: 420: 382: 344: 338: 329:Genesis 38:3–10 300:'s destruction. 270: 260: 248: 244: 232: 220: 214: 197:leading to the 185:negotiated the 180: 154:, but only the 112: 101: 95: 92: 49: 47: 41: 37:primary sources 25: 12: 11: 5: 1186: 1176: 1175: 1170: 1165: 1148: 1147: 1130: 1127: 1126: 1124: 1123: 1118: 1113: 1108: 1102: 1100: 1096: 1095: 1093: 1092: 1087: 1082: 1077: 1072: 1067: 1062: 1057: 1056: 1055: 1053:Capital crimes 1045: 1040: 1034: 1032: 1028: 1027: 1025: 1024: 1023: 1022: 1020:Asian American 1017: 1007: 1002: 997: 992: 987: 982: 977: 972: 967: 962: 957: 952: 946: 944: 940: 939: 932: 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references
primary sources
secondary or tertiary sources
"Crime and punishment in the Torah"
news
newspapers
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scholar
JSTOR
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Hebrew Bible
holy text
Abrahamic religions
the God of Israel
Judaism
Torah
613 commandments
crime
punishment
Noahide Laws
some of these directives
Ten Commandments
Great Commandment
all Old Covenant laws have been abrogated
Moses
Exodus
Egypt
Pharaoh
Ten plagues

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