Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-01-01
The Criminal Code Of the Jews.

Ihe raDDl0S were bu6 uLSO HluOHS "A
oient legists to render the inhictiOn OF
the death penalty as painless as posi-
bic. The manner in which the sentence
of the law in capital cases were carried
into effect was regulated by a 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
RaIl where Judgment had been pro-
nOunced. There were two reasons for
this-frst, that a 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. In advance
of the cortege walked an attendant,
proclaiming aloud, =" So-and-so is to be
executed for such -and-such an otense;
so-and-so are the witnesses; the crime
was committed at such place, on such
a day, at such an hour. If any person
can urge anything against the intiictlon
of the punishment, let him go 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 cul-
prit pressed him to confess his crime
They told him that whosOever makes
confession is privileged to share in the
OlaDs habG-future existence, since death
was an expiation of all iniquiUies. 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 ad-
ministered. This beverage was COM
posed of myrrh and frankincense (Le-
bana), in cup of vinegar or light
wine. II produced in the convict a
kind of stupefaction, 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
zpitzUoh -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 we're inflicted, each APP
prOpriate to distinct series of crimes;
stoning, srangling, burning and de-
Capitation.
Nothing can be more absurd than the
notions generally current respecting
the manner in which these punishments
we're carried out among the Jews. The
stoning of the Bible and of the Tai
mud was not, as vulgarly supposed, q
pell-mell casting Of stones at q crimi-
nal; the burning had nothing whatever
in common with the process Of consum-
ing by fire living person as practised
by the churchmen of the Middle Ages;
nor did the strangling bear any resem-
blance 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, divested Of his at
tire If a 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.
II was not, however, to be so high as
TO smash or greatly disfgure the body.
This was tender point with the Jews;
man was created in Gods image, and
il was not permitted to desecrate the
temple shaped by Heavens own hand.
The first of the witnesses who had tes-
tilted against the condemned man acted
as executioner, in accordance with
Deut. xvii. z. II 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 il, was taken to the top of an emi-
nence 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-stupeled
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 un-
iii 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 theskeleton
could be removed to the family bury
ing-place. A few days after an exeou-
ton the friends and relatives of the
dead man-he was no longer regarded
as an ohender--called upon the judges
who had tried him. This was a tacit
acknowledgment that the punishment
had been Justly awarded; and that
those charged with the administration
Of the law were regarded with no re-
yengeiul feelings by the family and
connections Of he 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
Oulprit was placed standing upright.