Homicide in the Biblical World

Description

Homicide in the Biblical World analyses the treatment of homicide in the Hebrew Bible and demonstrates that it is directly linked to the unique social structure and religion of ancient Israel. Close parallels between biblical law and ancient Near Eastern law are evident in the laws of the ox that gored and the pregnant woman who is assaulted, but, when the total picture of the process by which homicide was adjudicated comes into view, what is most noticeable is how little of it is similar to ancient Near Eastern law. This book reconstructs biblical law from both legal texts and narrative texts and analyses both the law collections and documents from actual legal cases from the ancient Near East.

Pamela Barmash is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her PhD from Harvard University and her Rabbinic Ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary. She has published in various journals including Vetus Testamentum, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Jewish Quarterly Review, Journal of Biblical Literature, and Hebrew Studies.

'Pamela Barmash's new book is compulsory reading for biblical scholars in general, scholars of biblical law in particular, and scholars of ancient Near Eastern law and culture. It is not far-reaching to claim that this book is essential for every scholar of ancient cultural and legal systems ... Barmash's study of homicide in the biblical world is a shining example of comparative research.' Review of Biblical Literature ' ... this is a valuable book, with a rich bibliography ...' Themelios