Justice in the Old World
Imagine living in ancient Babylon or Israel. Which would be better to live in, a monotheistic society with solid values, or a harsh, polytheistic society with many strict laws? while the cultural values of these two societies were not all that different, the way religion was viewed made the judicial process differ greatly in ancient Babylon and Hebrews. Babylonians were polytheistic showing the impact the two surrounding rivers in their lives. The Babylonians were a semi-secular society, worshiping their many gods to bring prosperity to themselves. When the rivers rose and flooded the flats, the Babylonians assumed the gods were angry; seeking retribution, they prayed, worshipped, and sacrificed to their many gods. Having many gods may not have been the answer to their problems, however, for with many gods comes man
Theft, lying, and disrespect were problems as well. The few cultural/social problems the Hebrews had were basic things: fidelity, honor towards elders, etc. Both valued fidelity, at least on the wife's side of the deal, and both valued the life of a man, even though Babylonians value life at different prices. Even these things aren't all that odd, who would want to eat what they considered dirty food? The social problems and cultural values of these cultures weren't all that different, just the way the religions had them handle them. Theft, lying, and disrespect were problems as well. Cultural problems are no more different; murder was a problem, as was infidelity. The Hebrew society, on the other hand, was a monotheistic one, which made it possible to make a uniform code of conduct as well as a uniform judicial system-all of which was described in the Torah. Both societies valued honoring elders and respecting them, in fact, a Babylonian law states that if you slap your father, your hand shall be cut off. With so many gods, most of whom had different views, many people may have taken it upon themselves to do things that may not have been socially acceptable. With many harsh rules in place, a law was established that would ensure ¥just' punishment under law. The only real difference is the way in which all was dealt. The social problems and cultural values of these cultures weren't all that different, just the way the religions had them handle them. Because everyone believed in the same things, everyone could agree on the code of conduct, based on honor and respect towards one another and God, or Yahweh. With monotheism, everyone knew what to expect; everyone knew what was expected.
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