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14
ChapterI
murders”intheBible,withbothstrangersandkinsmenasvictims.YettheIsra-
elitereligionalwaysunmistakablystressedtheprincipleofrespectingeachhu-
manlife:“Fromthebeginningitwasnotso”(Matt.19,8);thisisevidentinthe
veryancientstoryofCainandAbel:“Thevoiceofthybrother’sbloodcrieth
untomefromtheground”(Gen.4,10).Apartfromstatingthemotivesofthe
crime,thestorycontainsaclearreservationthatvengeancebelongstoGod:
“AndtheLordsaiduntohim:ThereforewhosoeverslayethCain,vengeance
shallbetakenonhimsevenfold.AndtheLordsetamarkuponCain,lestany
findinghimshouldkillhim”(Gen.4,15).
IntheIsraelitelegalsystem,punishmentfordealingsomeoneablowwas
metedaccordingtothelawofretribution,“eyeforeye”,whereasforhomicide
andblasphemyagainsttheLord“aswellthestranger,ashethatisborninthe
land[...]shallbeputtodeath”(Lev.24,10-23).Therewasadifferentiation
betweenpremeditatedandaccidentalhomicide,andtherewasawayinwhich
punishmentforaccidentalhomicidecouldbeavoided:thekillercouldnd
sanctuaryinoneofthreedesignated“citiesofrefuge”(cf.Deut.4,41-43).The
BookofDeuteronomyclearlydescribesthekiller’smotivation,emotionalstate
andintention,aswellastheemotionalstateofthevictimandtheavenger,to-
getherwithconditionstohisrighttorevenge(Deut.19,1-13).Theseprinci-
ples,comparedtothetraditionalrightsofthe“revengerofblood”familiarin
theentireNearEast(cf.Num.35,9-34),obviouslypointtoprogressinthelegal
system.AlsotheverbrasahusedintheDecalogueprohibition“Thoushaltnot
kill”(Ex.20,13)signiesakillingthatis“unlawfulandcontrarytosocial
resolution”,inwhichavictimisdefenceless;accordingtoKudasiewicz,“this
commandmentwasacurbontherighttobloodrevenge”(Kudasiewicz1986,
p.90).
Theborderbetweenacrimeandamisdemeanourwasnotalwaysclear-cut.
Allcrimesweregroupedintofivecategories:(1and2)attemptsagainsthuman
life,wherepremeditatedandaccidentalmurderwereclearlydifferentiated;(3)
blowsandwounds,classifiedaccordingtothedegreeofbodilyinjury;(4)crimes
againstfamilyandmorality,wheretheprideofplacewasheldbyincest,conduct
againstnature,“sodomy”,rapeonanotherman’sbetrothed,publicimprecation
byasonagainsthisfather.Yetthemostseriousamongstcrimes,andtotallyun-
forgivableinthelightofthelaw,wereall(5)crimesagainstreligion;thisisquite
understandable,giventheecclesiasticalcharacterofallJewishinstitutions.Thus,
idolatry,practisingmagicandspiritism,blasphemyandforetellingthefuture
wereallcrimes;evendesecrationofSabbathwaspunishablebydeath.Death
wastheonlypunishmentforallcrimesagainstreligion;JesusChristwassen-
tencedtobecrucifiedpreciselybecausehewasaccusedofsuchacrime.