@DSShakespeare, @dsshake.bsky #NAFO🌊⚛️💙🇺🇦

𝗘𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀 𝟮𝟭:𝟮𝟮–𝟮𝟱 does not establish a ban on abortion. The ancient Hebrew consonantal text (without later vowel points) describes men fighting who strike a pregnant woman so that “her children come out” (yatsa yeladeyha). If there is no further “harm” (ason), the offender pays a fine; only if harm occurs does the law of retaliation apply. Most scholars read the “harm” as injury to the woman, not as the death of a fetus treated as a full legal person. The scenario is accidental injury during a brawl, not a deliberate medical procedure, and the text reflects the limited medical categories of its time rather than a modern distinction between miscarriage and premature live birth. Claims that “God/Yahweh bans abortion” therefore rest on later interpretive traditions, not on a clear prohibition in the original Hebrew of this passage. 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 1. 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻, 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻. “Miscarriage or Premature Birth?” The Bible Translator 37, no. 3 (1986): 334–337. 2. 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗦. “The Problem of Exodus 21:22–5 (Ius Talionis).” In Essays in Jewish and Comparative Legal History, 75–107. Leiden: Brill, 1975. 3. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽, 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗛. 𝗖. 𝗘𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀 𝟭𝟵–𝟰𝟬. Anchor Bible 2A. New York: Doubleday, 2006. (Commentary on 21:22–25.) 4. 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱. “Lex Talionis and Exodus 21,22–25.” Revue Biblique 93 (1986): 52–69. 5. 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗹𝗲, 𝗝𝗼𝗲 𝗠. “The Interpretation of Exodus 21:22–25 (Lex Talionis) and Abortion.” Westminster Theological Journal 55 (1993): 233–253. 6. 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗺, 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯. “The Betrothed Slave-Girl, Lev 19:20–22.” Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 89 (1977): 43–50. (Discusses related legal status of the fetus in biblical and ancient Near Eastern law.)

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 • Genesis 6–9 (especially 6:5–7, 7:21–23): The flood destroys all land life outside the ark, including children and infants. God states he will “blot out” humanity because of wickedness. • Genesis 19: Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (inhabitants, including children, killed; Lot’s family spared). 𝗘𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀 • Exodus 12:29–30: Death of the Egyptian firstborn (including children). • Exodus 17:8–16: Battle with Amalek; later commands to blot out Amalek’s memory. • Exodus 23:23–24, 31–33; 34:11–16: Commands to drive out and destroy Canaanite peoples and their worship. Leviticus / Numbers • Numbers 21:1–3, 21–35; 31: Wars against Canaanite kings and Midian; Midianite males and non-virgin females killed; virgin girls spared. • Numbers 25: Plague kills 24,000 Israelites after Baal-Peor incident. • Numbers 14:26–35; 16; 21:4–9: Wilderness generation (including children who grow up under the sentence) dies for rebellion; further plagues and judgments. • Numbers 33:50–56; Deuteronomy 7:1–5, 16, 20–26; 20:16–18: Explicit commands to destroy the Canaanite nations completely (“you shall devote them to complete destruction… you shall not leave alive anything that breathes”), including women and children in the listed cities. 𝗗𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 (summary of the conquest mandate) • Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6: Accounts of total destruction of Sihon and Og’s cities, “men, women, and children.” • Deuteronomy 7:1–2, 16; 20:16–18: The classic ḥērem commands against the seven Canaanite nations: no treaties, total annihilation so they do not teach their practices. • Deuteronomy 13:12–18; 17:2–7: Commands to destroy Israelite cities or individuals that turn to other gods (including inhabitants). 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗮 • Joshua 6:17–21, 24 (Jericho): Everything living devoted to destruction; “they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old.” • Joshua 8:24–29 (Ai): All inhabitants killed. • Joshua 10–11: Series of campaigns; repeated statements that Joshua left none remaining, “utterly destroyed all that breathed” in the listed cities (e.g., 10:28–40; 11:10–14, 20). • Joshua 11:14–15: Summary that Joshua did as Moses commanded regarding the total ban. 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 – 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 • Judges 1–3, 20–21: Ongoing wars with Canaanites and Philistines; civil war in which Benjamin is nearly annihilated (including women and children in some accounts). • 1 Samuel 15:1–33 (Saul and the Amalekites): Explicit command: “kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Saul is rejected for sparing Agag and some livestock. Samuel kills Agag. • 1 Samuel 27; 2 Samuel 8, 10–12; 21: David’s campaigns against Philistines, Amalekites, Ammonites, Moabites, etc.; some accounts include total destruction or mass killing. 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 / 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 / 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘀 (𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀) • 1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 10: Elijah and Jehu’s actions against Baal worshipers. • 2 Kings 17; 24–25; 2 Chronicles 36: Assyrian and Babylonian conquests of Israel and Judah presented as divine punishment for idolatry; mass death, deportation, and destruction of populations (including children implied in siege accounts). • Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, etc.: Repeated oracles of judgment on Israel/Judah and on surrounding nations (Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Edom, etc.), often describing slaughter, siege, and the death of populations. • Psalm 137:8–9: Imprecatory verse wishing the violent death of Babylonian infants. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 The New Testament does not reissue the Canaanite ḥērem commands or the flood as a model for present action. It contains: • References back to the flood and Sodom as examples of past judgment (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–29; 2 Peter 2:5–6; Jude 7). • Apocalyptic judgment language in Revelation (e.g., 6, 9, 16, 19) describing widespread death, but not ethnic conquest mandates of the Joshua type. • Jesus’ teachings emphasize enemy-love, non-retaliation, and care for children (Matthew 5:38–48; 18:1–6; 19:13–15); Paul and others reinterpret or spiritualize older warfare motifs. 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 • The most explicit “kill all, including women and children” language appears in Deuteronomy 7 and 20, Joshua 6–11, and 1 Samuel 15. • The flood (Genesis 6–9) is the single largest described mass death of children in the Hebrew Bible. • Punishments directed at Israel itself (wilderness deaths, later exiles) are framed as consequences of covenant breach and improper worship. • Christian Bibles include these texts in the Old Testament; the New Testament does not add parallel total-destruction commands against ethnic groups.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 • Genesis 6–9 (especially 6:5–7, 7:21–23): The flood destroys all land life outside the ark, including children and infants. God states he will “blot out” humanity because of wickedness. • Genesis 19: Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (inhabitants, including children, killed; Lot’s family spared). 𝗘𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀 • Exodus 12:29–30: Death of the Egyptian firstborn (including children). • Exodus 17:8–16: Battle with Amalek; later commands to blot out Amalek’s memory. • Exodus 23:23–24, 31–33; 34:11–16: Commands to drive out and destroy Canaanite peoples and their worship. Leviticus / Numbers • Numbers 21:1–3, 21–35; 31: Wars against Canaanite kings and Midian; Midianite males and non-virgin females killed; virgin girls spared. • Numbers 25: Plague kills 24,000 Israelites after Baal-Peor incident. • Numbers 14:26–35; 16; 21:4–9: Wilderness generation (including children who grow up under the sentence) dies for rebellion; further plagues and judgments. • Numbers 33:50–56; Deuteronomy 7:1–5, 16, 20–26; 20:16–18: Explicit commands to destroy the Canaanite nations completely (“you shall devote them to complete destruction… you shall not leave alive anything that breathes”), including women and children in the listed cities. 𝗗𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 (summary of the conquest mandate) • Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6: Accounts of total destruction of Sihon and Og’s cities, “men, women, and children.” • Deuteronomy 7:1–2, 16; 20:16–18: The classic ḥērem commands against the seven Canaanite nations: no treaties, total annihilation so they do not teach their practices. • Deuteronomy 13:12–18; 17:2–7: Commands to destroy Israelite cities or individuals that turn to other gods (including inhabitants). 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗮 • Joshua 6:17–21, 24 (Jericho): Everything living devoted to destruction; “they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old.” • Joshua 8:24–29 (Ai): All inhabitants killed. • Joshua 10–11: Series of campaigns; repeated statements that Joshua left none remaining, “utterly destroyed all that breathed” in the listed cities (e.g., 10:28–40; 11:10–14, 20). • Joshua 11:14–15: Summary that Joshua did as Moses commanded regarding the total ban. 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 – 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 • Judges 1–3, 20–21: Ongoing wars with Canaanites and Philistines; civil war in which Benjamin is nearly annihilated (including women and children in some accounts). • 1 Samuel 15:1–33 (Saul and the Amalekites): Explicit command: “kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Saul is rejected for sparing Agag and some livestock. Samuel kills Agag. • 1 Samuel 27; 2 Samuel 8, 10–12; 21: David’s campaigns against Philistines, Amalekites, Ammonites, Moabites, etc.; some accounts include total destruction or mass killing. 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 / 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 / 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘀 (𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀) • 1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 10: Elijah and Jehu’s actions against Baal worshipers. • 2 Kings 17; 24–25; 2 Chronicles 36: Assyrian and Babylonian conquests of Israel and Judah presented as divine punishment for idolatry; mass death, deportation, and destruction of populations (including children implied in siege accounts). • Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, etc.: Repeated oracles of judgment on Israel/Judah and on surrounding nations (Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Edom, etc.), often describing slaughter, siege, and the death of populations. • Psalm 137:8–9: Imprecatory verse wishing the violent death of Babylonian infants. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 The New Testament does not reissue the Canaanite ḥērem commands or the flood as a model for present action. It contains: • References back to the flood and Sodom as examples of past judgment (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–29; 2 Peter 2:5–6; Jude 7). • Apocalyptic judgment language in Revelation (e.g., 6, 9, 16, 19) describing widespread death, but not ethnic conquest mandates of the Joshua type. • Jesus’ teachings emphasize enemy-love, non-retaliation, and care for children (Matthew 5:38–48; 18:1–6; 19:13–15); Paul and others reinterpret or spiritualize older warfare motifs. 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 • The most explicit “kill all, including women and children” language appears in Deuteronomy 7 and 20, Joshua 6–11, and 1 Samuel 15. • The flood (Genesis 6–9) is the single largest described mass death of children in the Hebrew Bible. • Punishments directed at Israel itself (wilderness deaths, later exiles) are framed as consequences of covenant breach and improper worship. • Christian Bibles include these texts in the Old Testament; the New Testament does not add parallel total-destruction commands against ethnic groups.

This passage comes from Hitler’s Reichstag speech of 30 January 1939. In the surrounding context he sarcastically offers to “export” Jews to the democracies that publicly expressed sympathy for them while refusing to accept large-scale immigration.

In short: the Hebrew Bible’s Noah story is a later, monotheistic reworking of a much older Mesopotamian flood tradition, not a second-century BCE invention by Hasmonean scribes.

In short: the Hebrew Bible’s Noah story is a later, monotheistic reworking of a much older Mesopotamian flood tradition, not a second-century BCE invention by Hasmonean scribes.

In short: the Hebrew Bible’s Noah story is a later, monotheistic reworking of a much older Mesopotamian flood tradition, not a second-century BCE invention by Hasmonean scribes.

The flood narrative in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 6–9) adapts an older Mesopotamian tradition of a universal deluge and a boat that preserves human and animal life. That tradition is preserved in cuneiform texts from ancient Mesopotamia, most famously the flood episode in the Epic of Gilgamesh (Tablet XI, featuring Utnapishtim) and the earlier Atrahasis Epic, as well as Sumerian flood stories. These Mesopotamian accounts predate the biblical version by many centuries.The biblical form of the story was shaped during the composition and redaction of the Pentateuch. While the precise stages of that process remain debated, the core flood account belongs to the broader stream of ancient Near Eastern literature that circulated in the region long before the Hellenistic period. It is not the product of Hasmonean-era scribes in the second century BCE; the Hasmonean period is too late for the primary literary formation of the Genesis narrative. Later scribal activity under the Hasmoneans (and earlier) involved copying, minor updating, and transmission of already-existing texts, not the original borrowing of the flood story from cuneiform archives.In short: the Hebrew Bible’s Noah story is a later, monotheistic reworking of a much older Mesopotamian flood tradition, not a second-century BCE invention by Hasmonean scribes.

I’ve been getting cursed out😂

I’ve been getting cursed out😂😂😂

I’ve been getting cursed out😂

This

This