Additional Statutes and Laws
Chapter 21 deals with many interesting statutes:
- Purging the land of shed blood when the murderer cannot be found.
- Preserving the honor of a captive maid.
- The rights of a "first born" son, even though he may not be a
favorite.
- Punishment for a rebellious son.
- Maintaining the honor of human bodies, even the worse of lawbreakers.
Chapter 21 also deals with Civil Laws:
- The Law of "Presumed Guilt". It is presumed that when a murdered
person is found that the nearest person is either guilty or should
have somehow kept it from happening. However, without witnesses it
cannot be proved but there is still the need for forgiveness. That
person must take a heifer that has never been yoked, lead it to a
field, that has never been plowed and there kill it by breaking its
neck. Then the Priests shall wash their hands over the dead animal,
declaring their innocence and asking for God's forgiveness.
- The cleansing of a "Captured Woman". If you capture a woman of
another nation and want to marry her, you must take her home, shave
her head, cut and clean her fingernails and change her clothing.
Then you must mourn her father and mother for a month and then marry
her. After you have been married for a while and you decide that
you do not want her any longer, you must set her free.
- The Law of the First-born Son. If a man has more than one wife, the
"first-born" son must receive the double share of his inheritance
regardless of how the father may feel about the boy's mother.
- The Law of the "rebellious" son. If parents find that they cannot
control their son in spite of discipline and acts of love, they are
to bring the boy before the elders and declare their problem and the
men of the city shall stone the boy to death. This is done to
discourage other rebellious sons.
- The Law of Land Defilement. If a man is hung, he must be taken down
by nightfall and buried otherwise the land will become defiled.
Previous Chapter |
Return to Outline |
Ask Questions |
Next Chapter |