New-York tribune., 1879-12-21
THE CaIAINAb CODE or THE JEWS
THE VARIOUS METHODS OF KxEcUHoN.

THE VARIOUS METHODS OF EXECUTION.
From ne Pail NAL sszotc.
The rabbIns were the FIRST amoig agc'ent leRi5fs
10 render the infection Of the deafipenalty a. Dain-
less az possible The maaner ia which the sntence
Of the law in capital cases was carried nio eject
was regulated by series of enacfinenfs. Every
detail was preofdalned. The piac, OF exerHfion
was always beyond the limits Of The town Een-
orally at some distance from the hall wheTc I1dg-
ment had been pronounced. There were Two
reasons for tlIis-lrst, that a certain inter-
val of time shoGld eiapse between sentence aud
execution To perurt the coiff TO examine any
evidence that might YET b. forfbcOming; aDd,
secondly that the Synhcdrin should not wttless tie
execution As the punishment Of death
was decreed. the criminal was conducted from tLe
court Two elders the witnesses. and the officers
o. the tribunal accompanied hun In advance OK
the e0rtege walked attendant pruclaiming
aloud, so-snd so Is 10 be executed for sncli-sDd-
such an offence; so-and-so the witnesses; the
crime was committed at sncb place. on such day.
at such an nogr. If any person can urge aHything
against infection Of the punishment, let him 20
to the Synhedrin now sitting and state his arrti-
ments.D Tins the party proceeded through the
town Arrived within six yards of the place OF
execution the sages who were with stIe eulpr1o
pressed bim to confess his crime. They told nim
that wbosoever makes confession ~ privileged 10
share in the 0lam haba-futnre existence, since
death was an expiatIOn for all iniqulfieS. IL he
refused 70 acknowledge his guilt he asked 10
say, May my death prove an atonemenf Ior si
within four yards OF the place where the sentence
was TO be carried into effect. The desth-draught
composed of myrrh and frankincense pebanal.
in a cup OF viaegar or light vine. 10
produced an the convict kind Of sfapo;;
IactlOn. a sen-c0nsci0us condition Of mind
and body rendering bun Indifferent to his fate and
scarcely sensible 10 pain. The drink was-in Jern-
this one of the greatest mizr0fA-mer deeds.
In provincial towns the local communal authorities
were required TO furnish the criminal with the
draught As soon as the cgiprit had drunk 81 the
stupefying draugbt the execution took place. In
accordarce with the Mosaic code four kinds Of death
were inflicted. each appropriate 10 distinct series
AZ burning
Nothing can be more absurd than the no
tiOns generally current respecting the manner IN
which these punlsbments carried oct among the
Jews. The stonng OF the Bible and Of the 1almud
not, as Vulgry supposed, pell-nell casting OK
stones at a criminal the burning had nothing
whatever in COMMON with the process of consuming
by fire a living person practIsed by the church.
men OF the Middle Ages nor did the strangling
bear any resemblance 10 our English mode Of put
ting criminals 10 death The stOnng 10 death OF the
I smud was performed as fellowsi The criminal
WIS conducted to elevated place. dIyested Of hrs
attire II man, aud then hurled TO the ground
below. The height of the eminence from
fifteen feet; the higher within certain limits, the
better. IL was not, however, 10 be so high as
to smash OF greatly dishgure the body This was
tender pOnt with the Jews man was created IN
Gods image. and it not permitted 10 deseerate
the temple shaped by Heavens own hand The frst
of the witnesses who had testified against the con-
demned man acted as execuuOner IN accordance
with Deut. XVI. T. II the convict fell face down.
ward he turned on has back. III he was not quite
q
10 carry IL, was taken 10 the top Of emInence
whence he had Dcen thrown the second Of the wit
nesses then hurled the stone so as 20 fail upon the
culprit below. This process, however, was sell
dom necessary the semI-stupehed condition
of the convict and the height from which
he was cast eusuring instant DEATH The
bodies of those condemned for blasphemy idola-
try subsequently hung upoa a gailows untIl
dnsk III other cases immediately after execution
the corpse inferred. Outside every town there
were two cemeteries for CrlmIDals-One for those
sentenced be stoned OF burned one Tor those de-
capsiaied OF hanged As soon az the nesh bad DIS
appeared the skeleton could be removed % tho
family bmying-piace. A few days after IN execu-
ton the fiienas and relatives OF the dead man-ie
was DO longer regarded az an ohender-cailed upon
q he judges VINO had tried him. his was tacit ac-
X oW edgmenu that the punishment had been justly
awarded and that those charged with tho
adm -stratlOn of the law were regarded with
no reyengeiul feelings by the family and con-
nections Of the unfortunate man. criminal SEN
fenced to death by burning was executed IN tho
following manner; shallow Dit some two feeo
deep dug in the ground La tiris the culPflb
sTth was sheTeiisd ald patse ned firmly down un.sl
he was liked up TO his knees In the soil. strong
cord now brought, AMI very soft cloth
wrapped around ft. This was passed once round
the ohenders neck Then came forward.
eacn grasped end of the rope and pulled hard
suffocatlon was Immediate. As the condemned
nan frlt the strain of the cord and iusensi-
bIIty supervened. The lower Jaw drvpped. Into tho
mOuih thus openrd lighted Wick was quickly
thrown. This constituted the burning.
Determination was performed by the Jews after
the fashion of the surrounding nations. lt Was con-
sGereG the ilOSl Illuminating, tne Most lgnotnlnlou3
ana degrading death that any man COULD suiisr.
Ii WAS the penalty in Of assassination and de-
hberate murder. lt was incurred By those " ho will
I uIly aud ganLOnly slew iellow-fnan with sfono
with mp.enenf of stone or iron Ii Was like
wise the punishment meed out 10 all persons guilty
of paganIsm ami living IN a town.
strangrlation was a form of death by sufocation.
IT wac effected IN burning The culprit stood M
10 his kDces Ia loose earth soft cloth containing
a cord was wound round the neck. The ends
beng tightly pulled in opposite directions, life was
soon extinct