DOCSLIB.ORG

Mesha's Ryt in the Context of Moabite and Israelite

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mesha's Ryt in the Context of Moabite and Israelite MESHA’S RYT IN THE CONTEXT OF MOABITE AND ISRAELITE BLOODLETTING Ziony Zevit American Jewish University e Moabites had no particular qualms about killing people ritually, because done properly as determined by tradition and convention, it proved eective. For example, Kings narrates what happened in Moab aer Mesha rebelled against Jehoram, Ahab’s son. According to this version of events, things went poorly for Moab and the king made a last stand in Kir-Hareseth, the modern El-Kerak, a city perched strategically atop a mountain. When he saw things going badly, he attempted to break through the lines of Judahite, Israelian, and Edomite forces with seven hundred soldiers, but failed. “So, he took his Þrst-born son who was to reign aer him, and oered him as an #olah on the wall; and a great wrath came over Israel, so they traveled away from him and went back to [their] land” (Kgs :). Two details in this verse are of signiÞcance. First, Mesha’s Þrst born son was presented as a holocaust oering, burnt completely, following the same ritual that Abraham almost performed in Gen :–. Abraham took his son to a designated mountain top and was prepared to oer him there as an #olah. Abraham’s reward for not withholding his son was the promise of progeny and what is more, a promise that “your seed will inherit the gate of his enemies” (Gen :). Second, Mesha, who likewise did not withhold his Þrst-born, saw his enemy withdraw as a result of some unleashed power—the import of the Hebrew remains unclear—and presumably hoped that another one of his sons might inherit the gate of his Israelite enemies. e narrative in Kings clearly assumes that Mesha knew that the drastic ritual act would be ecacious and, moreover, that the armies viewing his sacriÞce on the walls knew also that the apotropaism would prove eective against their force. e great “wrath” that came over Israel may have been anger at Mesha for not Þghting fairly or it may have been a great fear of what might happen to them should they attack. e Deuteronomistic historian reported the event matter-of-factly but did not comment on it or provide a theological explanation. is act of Mesha may be considered one involving payment in advance for services about to be rendered. e second case of blood-letting by Moabites that I wish to consider is reported in Mesha’s inscription on the Moabite Stone (KAI ).1 It reveals that Moabites were not only aware of the concept of herem, the utter destruction of an enemy that biblical texts associate with the conquest traditions,˙ but that they practiced it as well.2 In lines –, Mesha describes his campaign against Nebo, a town inhabited by Reubenites (according to Num :) designated “Israelites” by Mesha, presumably aer the name of the kingdom to which they were loyal (cf. Kgs :–): 1 For an attempt to conceptualize theological principles underlying the Moabite herem, see Philip. D. Stern, e Biblical Herem: A Window on Israel’s Religious Experience (Brown Judaic Studies ; Atlanta:˙ Scholars, ): –. 2 For a general treatment of violence and genocide in the Bible that draws historical conclusions about Israelite thought on the basis of the dates of sources, see Z. Zevit, “e Search for Violence in Israelite Culture and in the Bible,” in Religion and Violence: e Biblical Heritage (D. Bernat and J. Klawans, eds.; Sheeld: Sheeld Phoenix, ). ziony zevit () And Kemosh said to me, “Go seize Nebo from Israel” and I () went at night and fought against her from the rising of the morning star until noon and I () seized her and I killed (w"hrg) all of her, seven thousand men and young men and women and young wo()men and virgins, because for Ashtar-Kemosh I utterly destroyed her (hrmth). ˙ is killing o of Reubenites may be explained pragmatically. Having conquered Israelite clans settled by Omri in the heart of what he claimed as Moabite territory, Mesha would not allow potential enemies allied to Cisjordanian tribes in the kingdom of Israel to reside in his Moabite kingdom and it was not in his interest to have seven thousand resentful refugees camping a few hours walk from their former homes in his territory. e language of this Realpolitik justiÞcation is modern. Mesha described his actions in language indicating that the motivation was cultic. In line he explained that the killing, mentioned in line , was an act for the beneÞt of the goddess Ashtar-Kemosh. His herem here is to be understood as the ritual destruction of enemies whom he believed he could˙ not have vanquished without the assistance of the goddess. (I have no explanation for why the goddess is the beneÞciary of the herem.) Mesha himself observes that he undertook the campaign against Nebo only at the behest˙ of the god Kemosh. is is very much the same situation reported in the story of the conquest of Jericho where the miraculous intervention of the deity is manifested in the crumbling of the city walls without human intervention. e actual killing of its inhabitants—men and women, young and old—exactly as in Mesha, however, was Israel’s task (Josh :–, see v. ). Like Mesha, Joshua too was instructed by a divine being to take the city (Josh :–:). e underlying principle appears to have been that prisoners captured with divine aid could not be exploited by the captors, they belonged properly to the divine commander-in-chief. eir death constituted an acceptable acknowledgment of divine intervention, but was not necessarily viewed as a form of payment for services rendered. e human Þghters functioned as agents and were the beneÞciaries of the battle’s outcome in that they gained real estate, but not more than that. A third Moabite blood-letting, this time at the town of Ataroth inhabited by Gadites, whom Mesha mentions by their tribal designation, is referred to in lines – of his inscription, suggesting that it occurred before the herem at Nebo (see also Num :). ese lines describe a slaughter similar to the one at Nebo,˙ but the vocabulary is subtly dierent: () … and men of Gad dwelt in the land of Ataroth from of old; and the king of Israel () built Ataroth for himself; and I fought against the town and I seized her and I killed all the pe[ople from] () the town ryt for Kemosh and for Moab Although the reading ryt in line is to be considered certain thanks to new photographs, the meaning of the word, perhaps pronounced /rayat/, remains unclear.3 It could be adverbial, describing how the killing was done, or it could be a noun describing what the killing was: a gi, an oering, a grand gesture, a public spectacle. e variety of possible explanations based on conßicting proposed etymologies has le its translation unsettled.4 In view of this situation, I propose that whatever ryt denominates may be ascertained by considering the description of what it involved and by viewing it as a religious phenomenon even if its etymology remains unresolved. 3 For the reading, see A. Schade, “New Photographs Supporting the reading ryt in Line of the Mesha Inscription,” IEJ (): –. 4 See J.C.L. Gibson, Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions, Volume I, Hebrew and Moabite Inscriptions (Oxford: Clarendon, ): – or J. Hoijzer and K. Jongeling, Dictionary of the North-West Semitic Inscriptions, Part Two (Leiden: Brill, ): for a summary of discussions and Stern, e Biblical Herem (n ): for a concise evaluation..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Konkel-OT-3XJ3-Joshua-F19.Pdf
    Syllabus McMaster Divinity College Fall 2019 Course Designation OT 3XJ3 Joshua Specializations Biblical Studies Pastoral Studies Those students not yet committed to a program with a selected specialization will need to register the course in one of the two specializations. Check the assignment requirements to decide which of the specializations you may prefer. Course Schedule Tuesday 6:30 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. Classes begin Tuesday September 10. No class on Tuesday Oct. 15 (intensive hybrid week) Final class is Tuesday Dec. 10 Instructor August H. Konkel, Professor of Old Testament (Ph.D.) [email protected]; 905 525 9140 x 23505 https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/faculty-and-administration/august-h-konkel/ Joshua Course Description The book of Joshua is challenging in various ways. It is difficult to bring coherence to apparently contradictory assertions: all the land was conquered yet much land remains to be taken; all the Canaanites are to be destroyed yet Israel lives amongst the Canaanites. Joshua is a challenging book theologically, as the promise of redemption comes about through war and conflict. The goal of this course is to provide a guide in understanding the book of Joshua in its literary intent and its theological message in dealing with the concepts of judgment and redemption. It is to provide guidance for living in a world that is torn by strife. Course Objectives Knowing Content and structure of the versions of Joshua (Masoretic, Greek, and Qumran) Questions of textual history and the process of composition Relationship of Joshua
    [Show full text]
  • Abrahamic Alternatives To
    UNiteD StateS iNStitUte of peaCe www.usip.org SpeCial REPORT 1200 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 • 202.457.1700 • fax 202.429.6063 ABOUT THE REPO R T Susan Thistlethwaite and Glen Stassen* Eight Muslim scholar-leaders, six Jewish scholar-leaders, and eight Christian scholar-leaders met from June 13 to 15, 2007, in Stony Point, N.Y., at a conference sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace and the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy. Conference participants specified practices abrahamic alternatives within each of the three faith traditions that could lay the groundwork for nonviolent alternatives to resolving conflict and addressing injustice, while also identifying roadblocks in the sacred texts of their traditions to creating such processes. The to War scholars ’ teachings found that these ancient religious teachings on peace and justice are often consistent with modern conflict- resolution theory. This report examines passages that support violence in each tradition’s scripture, presents definitions of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim “just peacemaking” in each tradition, summarizes places of convergence that might create the foundation for a program perspectives on Just peacemaking offering an Abrahamic alternative to war and presents a joint statement and series of commitments reached at the end of the conference. Summary • Jewish, Muslim, and Christian sacred texts all contain sections that support *With contributions by Mohammed Abu-Nimer, violence and justify warfare as a means to achieve certain goals. In particular Jamal Badawi, Robert Eisen, and Reuven Kimelman. historical circumstances, these texts have served as the basis to legitimate violent campaigns, oftentimes against other faith communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE The title the Jews used in their Hebrew Old Testament for this book comes from the fifth word in the book in the Hebrew text, bemidbar: "in the wilderness." This is, of course, appropriate since the Israelites spent most of the time covered in the narrative of Numbers in the wilderness. The English title "Numbers" is a translation of the Greek title Arithmoi. The Septuagint translators chose this title because of the two censuses of the Israelites that Moses recorded at the beginning (chs. 1—4) and toward the end (ch. 26) of the book. These "numberings" of the people took place at the beginning and end of the wilderness wanderings and frame the contents of Numbers. DATE AND WRITER Moses wrote Numbers (cf. Num. 1:1; 33:2; Matt. 8:4; 19:7; Luke 24:44; John 1:45; et al.). He apparently wrote it late in his life, across the Jordan from the Promised Land, on the Plains of Moab.1 Moses evidently died close to 1406 B.C., since the Exodus happened about 1446 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1), the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years (Num. 32:13), and he died shortly before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 34:5). There are also a few passages that appear to have been added after Moses' time: 12:3; 21:14-15; and 32:34-42. However, it is impossible to say how much later. 1See the commentaries for fuller discussions of these subjects, e.g., Gordon J.
    [Show full text]
  • MESHA STELE. Discovered at Dhiban in 1868 by a Protestant Missionary
    MESHA STELE. Discovered at Dhiban in 1868 by a Protestant missionary traveling in Transjordan, the 35-line Mesha Inscription (hereafter MI, sometimes called the Moabite Stone) remains the longest-known royal inscription from the Iron Age discovered in the area of greater Palestine. As such, it has been examined repeatedly by scholars and is available in a number of modern translations (ANET, DOTT). Formally, the MI is like other royal inscriptions of a dedicatory nature from the period. Mesha, king of Moab, recounts the favor of Moab's chief deity, Chemosh (Kemosh), in delivering Moab from the control of its neighbor, Israel. While the MI contains considerable historical detail, formal parallels suggest the Moabite king was selective in arranging the sequence of events to serve his main purpose of honoring Chemosh. This purpose is indicated by lines 3-4 of the MI, where Mesha says that he erected the stele at the "high place" in Qarh\oh, which had been built to venerate Chemosh. The date of the MI can be set with a 20-30-year variance. It must have been written either just before the Israelite king Ahab's death (ca. 853/852 B.C.) or a decade or so after his demise. The reference to Ahab is indicated by the reference in line 8 to Omri's "son," or perhaps "sons" (unfortunately, without some additional information, it is impossible to tell morphologically whether the word [bnh] is singular or plural). Ahab apparently died not long after the battle of Qarqar, in the spring of 853, when a coalition of states in S Syria/Palestine, of which Ahab was a leader, faced the encroaching Assyrians under Shalmaneser III.
    [Show full text]
  • Joshua, Judges, Ruth Syllabus
    Joshua, Judges & Ruth “Joshua in Silver Armor Leads the Assault on Jericho” (decorative initial letter), Bible. (illumination on parchment, Ms W.805, fol. 124v), 1507. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland. with Dr. Bill Creasy 1 Copyright © 2021 by Logos Educational Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this course—audio, video, photography, maps, timelines or other media—may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval devices without permission in writing or a licensing agreement from the copyright holder. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. 2 Joshua/Judges/Ruth Traditional Authors: Joshua: Joshua or Samuel Judges: Samuel Ruth: Samuel Traditional Date Written: c. 1406-970 B.C. Period Covered: c. 1406-1050 B.C. Introduction The Hebrew Bible (or, the Tanakh) divides scripture into three categories: Torah (the Law); Nevi’im (the Prophets); and Ketuvim (the Writings). In this arrangement, Joshua heads the Prophets, with Judges following second, while Ruth is placed in the Writings. In the Christian canon, however, Joshua, Judges and Ruth follow sequentially, continuing the linear narrative that begins in Genesis and extends through Esther. Although written by different authors at different times, Joshua, Judges and Ruth function together, continuing the on-going story.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Was Maimonides Controversial?
    12 Nov 2014, 19 Cheshvan 5775 B”H Congregation Adat Reyim Dr Maurice M. Mizrahi Adult Education Why was Maimonides controversial? Introduction Always glad to talk about Maimonides: He was Sephardic (of Spanish origin), and so am I He lived and worked in Egypt, and that's where I was born and grew up His Hebrew name was Moshe (Moses), and so is mine He was a rationalist, and so am I He was a scientist of sorts, and so am I He had very strong opinions, and so do I And, oh yes: He was Jewish, and so am I. -Unfortunately, he probably wasn’t my ancestor. -Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, aka Maimonides, aka The Rambam: b. 1135 (Córdoba, Muslim Spain) – d. 1204 (Fostat, Egypt): Torah scholar, philosopher, physician: Maimonides was the most illustrious figure in Judaism in the post-talmudic era, and one of the greatest of all time… His influence on the future development of Judaism is incalculable. No spiritual leader of the Jewish people in the post- talmudic period has exercised such an influence both in his own and subsequent generations. [Encyclopedia Judaica] -Best-known for Mishneh Torah and Guide for the Perplexed: -Mishneh Torah (Sefer Yad ha-Chazaka) codifies Jewish law. Gathers all laws from Talmud and adds rulings of later Sages. Clear, concise, and logical. No personal opinions. -The Guide for the Perplexed (Dalalat al-Ha'erin; Moreh Nevukhim) is a non-legal philosophical work, for general public, that bridges Jewish and Greek thought. -Controversial in his lifetime and for many centuries afterwards. Controversies concerning Maimonides 1-No need to study Talmud -He appears to downplay study of Talmud.
    [Show full text]
  • Or Biblical Balak?1
    TEL AVIV Vol. 46, 2019, 3–11 Restoring Line 31 in the Mesha Stele: The ‘House of David’ or Biblical Balak?1 Israel Finkelstein1, Nadav Na’aman1 and Thomas Römer2 1Tel Aviv University, 2Collège de France, University of Lausanne After studying new photographs of the Mesha Stele and the squeeze of the stele prepared before the stone was broken, we dismiss Lemaire’s proposal House of David’) on Line 31. It is now clear that there are‘) בת]ד[וד to read three consonants in the name of the monarch mentioned there, and that the first is a beth. We cautiously propose that the name on Line 31 be read as Balak, the king of Moab referred to in the Balaam story in Numbers 22–24. Keywords Mesha Stele, Mesha, Moab, Beth David, Balak, Horonaim, Horon The bottom part of the Mesha Stele, which includes Line 31, is broken (Fig. 1). About צאן seven letters are missing from the beginning of the line, followed by the words sheep/small cattle of the land”). Next there is a vertical stroke that marks“) הארץ And“) וחורנן ישב בה the transition to a new sentence, which opens with the words Hawronēn dwelt therein”). Evidently a name is expected to follow. Then there is a legible beth, followed by a partially eroded, partially broken section with space for two letters, followed by a waw and an unclear letter. The rest of the line, with space for three letters, is missing. Scholars have offered a variety of possibilities in an effort to complete and decipher :Clermont-Ganneau (1875: 173; 1887 .ישב בה the eroded and missing part of Line 31 after and suggested that “il faut très probablement y chercher un ou deux ב]..[וד read here (107 noms propres dʼhomme” (1887: 107).
    [Show full text]
  • Three Types of Commandments
    Sat 2 Feb 2019 / 27 Shevat 5779 B”H Dr Maurice M. Mizrahi Congregation Adat Reyim Torah discussion on Mishpatim Three Types of Commandments Introduction This week’s Torah portion is Mishpatim, meaning “Laws”. The Israelites have just heard the Ten Commandments, and now they learn the details. The parasha has no less than 53 commandments. It begins with: When you acquire a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years; but in the seventh year he shall go free, without paying anything. [Ex. 21:2] And the next four verses give more details on how the slave is to be treated. That’s odd… Why begin with a validation of slavery, albeit with restrictions, when the Israelites themselves have just been rescued from slavery? We expected the Torah to say: “You shall not enslave another person, because you yourselves were slaves in the Land of Egypt.” But it doesn’t. Why not? God figured that Jews would not have accepted Torah if some allowances were not made for existing practices. Three types of commandments There are three types of injunctions in the Torah: 1. You must not do this 2. You may do this, within limits 3. You must do this Over the centuries, the rabbis treated them differently. 1. You must not do this Negative commandments were never qualified. They were the limits of behavior. The rabbis could not find a logical basis for allowing that which is forbidden, except to save a life, and even then with exceptions: 1 -Pikuach nefesh: You may violate any commandment to save a life, except those against idolatry, sexual immorality and murder.
    [Show full text]
  • Or Did God Really Command Genocide? ~Rx “Herem” Or “The Ban”
    “The Ban” or Did God really command genocide? ~rx “herem” or “the ban” HALOT: to put under a ban, to devote to destruction, esp. war-booty. Occurrences of “the ban” against nations in the Old Testament: • Deut 7:1-3, Commanded as prophecy of entrance into Promised Land. o 7:2, “when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.” • Deut 13:12-18, Commanded against Israel for disobedience. o 13:15, “you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.” • Deut 20:1-20, Commanded as part of procedure for conquering Promised Land. o 20:16-17, “But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded,” • Joshua 6:1-27, First instance. Commanded against Jericho. o 6:17, “And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.” • Joshua 8:1-29, Commanded against Ai. Only people to be destroyed, goods and livestock OK.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on 2 Kings 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on 2 Kings 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable Second Kings continues the narrative begun in 1 Kings. It opens with the translation of godly Elijah to heaven and closes with the transportation of the ungodly Jews to Babylon. For discussion of title, writer, date, scope, purpose, genre, style, and theology of 2 Kings, see the introductory section in my notes on 1 Kings. OUTLINE (Continued from notes on 1 Kings) 3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel 1 Kings 22:51—2 Kings 1:18 (continued) 4. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1—8:15 5. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-24 6. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25—9:29 C. The second period of antagonism 9:30—17:41 1. Jehu's evil reign in Israel 9:30—10:36 2. Athaliah's evil reign in Judah 11:1-20 3. Jehoash's good reign in Judah 11:21—12:21 4. Jehoahaz's evil reign in Israel 13:1-9 5. Jehoash's evil reign in Israel 13:10-25 6. Amaziah's good reign in Judah 14:1-22 7. Jeroboam II's evil reign in Israel 14:23-29 8. Azariah's good reign in Judah 15:1-7 9. Zechariah's evil reign in Israel 15:8-12 10. Shallum's evil reign in Israel 15:13-16 11. Menahem's evil reign in Israel 15:17-22 12. Pekahiah's evil reign in Israel 15:23-26 13. Pekah's evil reign in Israel 15:27-31 Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L.
    [Show full text]
  • Does God Change His Mind? an Old Testament View
    Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Honors Theses Carl Goodson Honors Program 2019 Does God Change His Mind? An Old Testament View Colton Sims Ouachita Baptist University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Sims, Colton, "Does God Change His Mind? An Old Testament View" (2019). Honors Theses. 737. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/737 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Carl Goodson Honors Program at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SENIOR THESIS APPROVAL This Honors thesis entitled "Does God Change His Mind? An Old Testament View" written by Colton Sims and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of the Carl Goodson Honors Program meets the criteria for acceptance and has been approved by the undersigned readers. Dr. J. Daniel Hays, the$lS director Dr. C. Marvin Pate, second reader ~ Dr. Jim Files, third reader - Dr. Barbara Pemberton, Honors Program director Date 4/23/19 OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY DOES GOD CHANGE HIS MIND? AN OLD TESTAMENT VIEW CARL GOODSON HONORS PROGRAM SENIOR THESIS DIRECTOR: DR. J. DANIEL HAYS BY COL TON SIMS SPRING 2019 Introduction God is changeless. That is perhaps the simplest way to define the doctrine of Divine Immutability. Such a definition is non-controversial in the Evangelical world. For the most part, such a definition is non-controversial in Christendom as a whole and has been readily affirmed by Christians for two thousand years.
    [Show full text]
  • Judaism and the Ethics of War
    Volume 87 Number 858 June 2005 Judaism and the ethics of war Norman Solomon* Norman Solomon served as rabbi to Orthodox congregations in Britain, and since 1983 has been engaged in interfaith relations and in academic work, most recently at the University of Oxford. He has published several books on Judaism. Abstract The article surveys Jewish sources relating to the justification and conduct of war, from the Bible and rabbinic interpretation to recent times, including special problems of the State of Israel. It concludes with the suggestion that there is convergence between contemporary Jewish teaching, modern human rights doctrine and international law. : : : : : : : The sources and how to read them Judaism, like Christianity, has deep roots in the Hebrew scriptures (“Old Testament”), but it interprets those scriptures along lines classically formulated by the rabbis of the Babylonian Talmud, completed shortly before the rise of Islam. The Talmud is a reference point rather than a definitive statement; Judaism has continued to develop right up to the present day. To get some idea of how Judaism handles the ethics of war, we will review a selection of sources from the earliest scriptures to rabbinic discussion in contemporary Israel, thus over a period of three thousand years. The starting point for rabbinic thinking about war is the biblical legisla- tion set out in Deuteronomy 20. In form this is a military oration, concerned with jus in bello rather than jus ad bellum; it regulates conduct in war, but does not specify conditions under which it is appropriate to engage in war. It distin- guishes between (a) the war directly mandated by God against the Canaanites * For a fuller examination of this subject with bibliography see Norman Solomon, “Th e ethics of war in the Jewish tradition”, in Th e Ethics of War, Rochard Sorabji, David Robin et al.
    [Show full text]