The Decalogue (or Ten Commandments) includes a law against unlawful killing: the famous King James translation of the Bible incorrectly uses the term kill rather than murder in its translation.Īccording to the Bible, the family of the victim had the responsibility for ensuring that the slayer was held accountable for the death: one member of the family, called “the blood redeemer” or “the blood avenger,” had the right and responsibility to kill the slayer on sight with impunity. The circumstances of a homicide determined whether it was unlawful. A person might have been authorized to kill members of an enemy force or a person who had committed a serious crime. Not all homicides were unlawful in fact, some were justified.
The ancient Israelites and other peoples in the ancient Near East sought to promote justice after a killing by identifying and punishing the perpetrator. Homicide, the unlawful killing of a human being, is among the most heinous offenses, if not the most heinous offense, in human society.
