The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-07
The Criminal Code of the Jews.


the death penalty as painless as possible.
The manner in which the sentence OF the
law in capital cases was carried into Ell
feet was regulated by series OF enact
ments Every detail was pre--ordalned.
The place of execution was always be-
yond the limits of the town; generally
at some distance from the hall where
Judgment had been pronounced. There
were two reasons for this-frst, that
certain interval of time should elapse be-
tween sentence and execution, so as to
permit the court to examine any evil
dence that might yet be forthcoming;
and secondly that the Sanhedrim should
not witness the execution. AS soon as
the punishment of death was decreed,
the criminal was conducted from the
court. Two elders, the witnesses, and the
officers of the tribunal accompanied him.
In advance of the cortege walked an at
tendant, proclaiming aloud, So-and-so
is to be executed for such-and-such an
offence; So-and-so are the witnesses the
crime was committed at such place, on
such day, at such an hour. If any
person can urge anything against the in
Fiction of the punishment, let him go to
the Sanhedrim now sitting and state his
arguments Thus the party proceeded
through the town. Arrived within six
yards of the place of execution, the sages
who were with the culprit pressed him
to confess his crime. They told him that
whosoever makes confession is privileged
to share in the clam habd-future exis-
tence, since death was an expiration for
all iniquities If he refused to acknowl-
edge his guilt, he was asked to say,
May my death prove an atonement for
all my transgressions." He was then
conducted to within four yards of the
place where the sentence was to be car
ried into effect. The death draught was
here administered, This beverage was
composed of myrrh and frankincense
(le6ona), lin cup of vinegar or light
wine. 1t produced in the convict kind
of stupefaction, semi-conscious condi-
ton Of mind and body, rendering him
Indifferent to his fate and scarcely sensi-
bic to pain. The drink was-in Jerusa-
lem-provided by the women, who con-
sidered this one of the greatest m15tzvoth
-meritorious deeds. Inprovincial towns
the local communal authorities were re-
quired to furnish the criminal with the
draught. AS soon as the culprit had
drunk of the supplying 1raught the exc
cution took place. In accordance with
the Mosaic code, four kinds Of death
were inflicted, each appropriate to dis
tinct series of crimes-stoning, strang-
ling, burning, and deeapitation. +. .S.
Nothing can belmore absurd than the
notions generally current respecting the
manner in which these punishments were
carried out among the Jews The ston-
ing of the Bible and Of the Talmud was
not, as vulgarly supposed, pell-mell
casting of stones at criminal; the burn
ing, had nothing whatever in, common
with the process Of consuming by fire
living person as practised by the church
men of the Middle Ages; nor did the
strangling bear any resemblance to our
English mode of putting criminals to
death. The stoning to death of the
Talmud was performed as follows: The
criminal was conducted to an elevated
place, Invested of his. attire, if a man.
and then hurled to the ground below.
The height Of the eminence from which
he was thrown was always more than.
fifteen feet; the higher within certain.
limits, the better 1t was not, however.
to be so high as to smash or greatly dis
figure the body. This was tender.
point with the Jews man was created
IN Gods image, and'it was not permitted
to desecrate1 the temple shaped BY
Heavens own hand. The first of the
witnesses who had testified against the
condemned man acted as executioner. in
accordance with Deut xvii: 7. If the
convict fell face downwards he was
turned on his back. If he was not quite
dead, stone, so heavy as to require two
persons to carry it, was taken to the top
OF an emlnence whence he had been
thrown; the second Of the witnesses then
hurled the stone 50 as fall upon the cul-
Pr1t below. This process, however, was
seldom necessary; the semi-stupefed
condition Of the convict and the height
from which he was cast insuring instant
death.
The bodies of those condemned for
blasphemy or idolatry were subsequently,
hung upon agallows until dusk in other
cases, Immediately after execution the
corpse was inferred. Outside every town
there were two cemeteries for criminals
one for those sentenced to be stoned or
burned one for those decapitated or
hanged. AS soon as the flesh had dis
appeared the skeleton could be removed
to the family burying-place. A few
days after an exeoution tba G-;o,J = !