The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-01-10
The Criminal Code Of the Jews.

of the law in capital cases were carried
into effect was regulated by series OF
enactments. Every detail was preor-
dained. The place of execution was
always beyond the limits of the town;
generally at some distance from the
hall where Judgment had been pro-
nounced. There were two reasons for
this-frst, that certain interval OF
time should elapse between sentence
and execution, so as to permit the court
to examine any evidence that might yet
be forthcoming; and, secondly, that
the Synhedrin 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. III advance
of the cortege walked an attendant,
proclaiming aloud, " So-and-so is to be
executed for such and such an offense;
.so-and-so are the witnesses; the crime
was committed at such a place, on such
a day, at such an hour. If any person
can urge anything against the intliction
of the punishment, let him 60 to the
Synhedrin now sitting and state his
arguments" Thus the party pro-
ceeded through the town. Arrived
within six yards of the place of execu-
ton the sages who were with the Gull
prit pressed him to confess his crime.
They told him that whatsoever makes
confession is privileged to share in the
otGna hGbG-future existence, since death
was an expiation of all iniquities. If
he refused to acknowledge his guilt he
was asked to say, :" May my death
prove an atonement for all my trans
gressions." He was then conducted to
within four yards of the place where
the sentence was to be carried into eff
feet. The death draught was here adj
ministered. This beverage was COM
posed of myrrh and frankincense (le-
6anGJ, in cup of vinegar or light
wine. 1t produced in the convict a
kind of stupefaction, a semi-conscious
condition of mind and body, rendering
him Indifferent to his fate and scarcely
sensible to pain. The drink was-in
Jerusalem-provided by the women,
who considered this one of the greatest
HtttzUOtb -meritorious deeds. In pro-
vincial towns the local communal au-
thorities were required to furnish the
criminal with the draught AS soon as
the culprit had drunk of the Supplying
draught the execution took place. In
accordance with the Mosaic code four
kinds of death were inflicted, each APP
propriate to distinct series of crimes
stoning, strangling, burning and de-
capitation.
Nothing can be more absurd than the
notions generally current respecting
the manner in which these punishments
were carried out among the Jews. The
stoning of the Bible and of the Tai
mud was not as vulgarly supposed, a
pell-mell casting of stones at a crimi-
nal; the burning had nothing whatever
an common with the process of consum-
ing by fire living person as practised
10y the churchmen of the Middle Ages;
nor did the stre ngling bear any resem-
S,lance to our English mode of putting
criminals to death. The stoning to
death of the Talmud was performed as
follows: The criminal was conducted
70 an elevated place, Invested of his at
tire if q man, and then hurled to the
ground below. The height of the emil
;nence 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 disfigure the body.
This was a tender point with the Jews;
man was created in Gods image, and
it was not permitted to desecrate the
temple shaped by Heavens own hand.
The first of the witnesses who had tes-
titled against the condemned man acted
as executioner, in accordance with
Deut. xvii. z. If the convict fell face
downward he was turned on his back.
If he was not quite dead, stone, so
heavy as to require two persons to car
ry it, was taken to the top of an emf
hence whence he had been thrown; the
second of the witnesses then hurled
the stone so as to fall upon the culprit
below. This process, however, was
seldom necessary; the semi-stupefied
condition of the convict and the height
from which he was cast ensuring in
slant death. The bodies of those con-
'demned for blasphemy or idolatry were
subsequently hung upon a gallows I'M
til 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 disappeared the skeleton
could be removed to the family bury
ing-place. A few days after an execu-
ton the friends and relatives of the
dead mamie was no longer regarded
as an offender-called upon the Judges
who had tried him. This was tacit
acknowledgment that the punishment
had been justly awarded; and that
those charged with the administration
of the law were regarded with no re-
vengeful feelings by the family and
connections of the unfortunate man.
A criminal sentenced to death by burn
ing was executed in the following man
ner: A shallow pit some two feet deep
was dug in the ground. In this the
culprit was placed standing upright
Around his legs earth was shoveled
and battened firmly down until he was
fixed up to his knees in the soil. A
strong cord was now brought, and a
very soft cloth wrapped around it.
This was passed once around the
offenders neck. Then two men came
forward, each grasped an end of the