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Homicideandaggressioninthehistoryofmankind
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1.2Aggressivebehaviourinthelegalsystem
oftheOldTestament
OverthecenturiestheBiblewas,andisstillis,thefundamentalsourcefor
qualifyinghumanactionsatleastintheEuropeanculturalsphere.Perusalof
theBibleyieldsmanyinstancesofbothacceptanceofaggressionandviolence,
andtheirprohibition.Amongthefirstareviolentimprecations;genocidewars;
variousactsofverbalandphysicalaggressiondirectedagainstpeopleofdiffer-
entfaith,tribeornationality;thelatterarefoundinafairlycomprehensivecata-
logueofprohibitedactscarryingapunishmentofdeath.Aggressivebehaviour
appearsinarichvarietyofforms,todaydescribedasverbal,physicalorinstru-
mentalviolence.Hurlingimprecationsandwishingillluck,misfortuneordeath
onsomeone,forinstance,whichbelongtoverbalviolence,oftenappearinthe
Psalms;e.g.Psalm109containsparticularlydrasticcurses:
Lettherebenonetoextendmercyuntohim;
neitherlettherebeanytofavourhisfatherlesschildren.
Lethisposteritybecutoff;
andinthegenerationfollowinglettheirnamebeblottedout.
(Ps.109,12-13)1
ThelawoftheOldTestament,similarlytothelegislativesystemsofthean-
cientEast,wasalawofretribution:“lifeforlife,eyeforeye,toothfortooth”
(Ex.23,24).Injudgingimprecationsfromthemoralpointofview,theirpsycho-
logicalcontextwastakenintoconsideration:theywereviewedaswordsofaman
taxedbysufferingandlivingunderconstantthreat.Inasituationofutmostfear,
itishardtocontrolone’swordsandimpulses;theBibleoffersaveryrealistic
imageofhumanbeingsinsuchborderlinesituations.Itoughttoberecalledthat
inaborderlinesituation,itisverydifficulttodifferentiatetheinjurythatneeds
tobecondemnedfromtheperpetratorofthatinjury;adifficultyexperienced
universallyandinallperiodsoftime(Kudasiewicz1986,pp.74-77).
1.2.1Thefirstkiller
ThefirstactofhomicidedescribedintheBibleisCain’smurderofhisbroth-
erAbel(Gen.4,8-16).Itsmotivesareclear:envyandjealousy,andtiesofkin-
shipdonotprecludetakingalife.Therearealsootherinstancesofsuch“manly
1Thisandtheotherbiblicalquotationsinthischapter:TheHolyBible,TheGideonsInternational,
Nashville1961,withtheexceptionofthosefromtheBooksofEcclesiastesandJudith,foundat-
www.biblicalproportions.com/modules/ol_bible/King_James_Bible,accessedon10thJuly2010
(translator’snote).