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ChapterI
agigantichecatombtothegloryofthenationaldivinityseemstohavebeengen-
erallyacceptedamongtheearlySemiticpeoples.OnthestoneofMesha,dating
fromthe9thcenturyBC,theMoabitekingboastedthathehadmassacredthe
entireIsraelitepopulationofthecityofAtaroth,“assuagingthethirstforblood”
ofKemoshandMoab.Theinscriptioncontinues:“Ihaveconquered[Nebo]and
havekilledall,seventhousandofmen,youths,women,maidsandservants,be-
causeIsacrificedthemto[god]Ashtar-Kemosh”(quotedafterKudasiewicz
1986,p.91).
TheattitudesoftheIsraelitesandaggressiontheydisplayedduringthecon-
questshouldbeviewedagainstthebackgroundoftheirhistory.Theexperts(Mc-
Kenzie1966,Filipiak1982)areunanimousinassumingthatintheeraoftheir
conquestofPalestine,theIsraeliteswereawildpeople,endowedwithaprimitive
energyandanenormouswilltosurvive.YetafterthefirstphaseoftheIsraelite
conquest,thehecatombsoftheCanaanitepopulationseemtohavestopped,and
dwellersofvariouscitieswerebanishedorforcedtopaytribute(Judg.1,27-36).
TheBookofJudgesandthefollowingbooksmakeitclearthatnumerousCa-
naanitecentresexistedinPalestineforalongtimeafterward.Thus,itseemsthat
hecatombsofallthedefeatedenemiesandlayingtheirlandwaste(Deut.7,1-7)
areanexaggerationbytheSemites.ItisobviousthatmartiallawappliedinIs-
raelgraduallybecamelesssevere,ascorroboratedbythefollowingactions:if
abesiegedcityopeneditsgates,peacewasconcluded,anditsinhabitantsspared
(Deut.20,10);ifitcontinuedfightingandfinallyfell,womenandchildrenwere
spared(Deut.20,14);itwasforbiddentodestroytreesduringasiege(Deut.
20,19).TheIsraelitelawbecamemoremoderate,andtheemergenceofstate-
hoodandstrongroyalpowermadeiteasiertoimplementnewlegalregulations
tocontrolviolenceandaggression,includingtherulesfoundintheBible.Itwas,
however,stillnotentirelyevidentinatheocraticstate,wherethepowerofthe
priestlycastehadafirmfoundationnotonlyinthepopulace,butinsomemon-
archsaswell.EvenundertheRomandomination,religiousdifferencesbrought
aboutsomebloodyrevolts,duringwhichneithertheconquerors,nottheJewish
religiousleadersdisplayedtheleastrespectforhumanlife.Finally,intheSer-
monontheMount,JesusChristastheultimatecommentatorexplicatedthecom-
mandment“Thoushaltnotkill”(Mt5,21andfoll.),revokedtherighttorevenge
thatlayatthefoundationoftheOld-Testamentcurse(Mt5,38-42),andenjoined
peopletolovetheirenemies,whichdestroyedalltherelatedanathemas.
TheinterpretationoftheIsraelite’saggressivenessdoesnot,however,clarify
thefundamentalquestionsposedattheopeningofthepresentchapter,towhat
extentahumanbeingiscapableofcontrollingaggressivebehaviour,sothatitis
notexpressedthroughwarsandhomicides,andwhetheritislegitimatetoas-