# Would You Have Been Put To Death Under the Mosaic Code? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 18, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019 "2011-01-18T00:12:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/21 "2011-01-18T02:19:29Z")
[Mod mod]Fixed title by inserting “Put”.[/Mod mod] ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/22 "2011-01-18T02:32:25Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > **Dio** , it’s my thought here that adultery would be a crime for a married man only if he were boinking another man’s property: that is, if he were making the two-backed-beast with some fatherless, unmarried woman, he’d be free and clear. I don’t have my Bible close at hand, but perhaps you recall better. Am I correct? Basically that is correct within certain limits. It would not be ok, for instance, if she was still under the authority of her father (it would not be a capital crime but he would have to marry her since she was damaged goods), and as I said before, it would not be kosher for himto partake of temple prostitutes, but women not under the authority of other men were fair game. As far as a I can tell from my reading, this basically amounted to servants, widows acquired from dead relatives, foreign women and mercenary prostitutes. Oh, and polygamy is fine too, of course - or polygyny at least, not polyandry. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/23 "2011-01-18T02:37:11Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Basically that is correct within certain limits. It would not be ok, for instance, if she was still under the authority of her father I did include a _fatherless_ qualification. > [@](#): > > and as I said before, it would not be kosher for himto partake of temple prostitutes, Yes, but that wouldn’t have qualified it as _adultery_, no? An offense, mayhap, just not that specific one. > [@](#): > > but women not under the authority of other men were fair game. As far as a I can tell from my reading, this basically amounted to servants, widows acquired from dead relatives, foreign women and mercenary prostitutes. In certain circumstances, would not a man have been REQUIRED to sleep with certain dead relatives’ widows? I thought the Israelites practiced levirate marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/24 "2011-01-18T02:38:02Z")
Had I been born in Mosaic times, I would have died at age 11, saving me from being put to death at some later date. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/25 "2011-01-18T02:45:08Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > If taking god’s name in vain counts, then I thin every goddamned poster on this goddamned board has a date with a stoning. \*All I did was say to my wife, “That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah!” \* ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/26 "2011-01-18T02:45:55Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I did include a _fatherless_ qualification. That’s a case where she would have passed into the authority of another male relative (an uncle or bother, possibly a cousin). If there was absolutely no male relative available, she would probably be married off immediately. If that option wasn’t available, I confess I don’t know what would happen to her, but if she wasn’t under the authority of another man, it would not be adultery to sleep with her. > [@](#): > > Yes, but that wouldn’t have qualified it as _adultery_, no? An offense, mayhap, just not that specific one. That’s true. > [@](#): > > In certain circumstances, would not a man have been REQUIRED to sleep with certain dead relatives’ widows? I thought the Israelites practiced levirate marriage. Yes, the circumstances being if a brother had died without leaving offspring. The oldest surviving brother would be expected to knock up the widow himself, but the resulting children would legally be considered the children of the brother who died. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/27 "2011-01-18T03:30:49Z")
Probably. It would depend on who was interpreting and executing the laws of course, but based on the things I’ve seen written by actual modern Christian advocates of “Biblical law”, I would probably fall afoul of one or the other clauses of [the 13th chapter of Deuteronomy](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut%2013&version=NIV), on the theory that by going around being an uppity atheist and talking about my beliefs in public and in private, I am seeking to entice believers into turning to “the false god of Humanism” or some such thing. They might also get me on blasphemy, depending on how exactly it was defined. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/28 "2011-01-18T03:55:15Z")
IIRC, de Tocqueville spoke about the Puritans started out with Levitical law as the basis of their legal code. So far as I know, nobody was ever put to death for blasphemy, even though people did indeed blaspheme on various occasions. Suffice to say, the “Law” eventually was dropped as being too harsh. I think that says something about people who believe that it should be reinvoked Of course, the modern advocates will argue that it will work this time around. To which I say, “First, go and sell all of your worldly goods and create a community where no one is ever in need.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/29 "2011-01-18T03:56:41Z")
I’d be tried for cursing God’s name, but since I know witchcraft, I’d get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/30 "2011-01-18T04:45:42Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > - Witchcraft (Exodus 22:18) This one alone would get me burned at the stake. However, my recent Invocation of Kali destroyed Jehovah utterly (and had the side effect of adding a 13th month to the Zodiac, apparently) so I’m not worried anymore – sbt Christians, my bad. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/31 "2011-01-18T05:00:13Z")
Sure, Why Not? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/32 "2011-01-18T05:19:25Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Is it called the Mosaic law because it’s made up of a smaller amount of laws placed painstakingly together that eventually form a comprehensive whole? No. Originally known as ‘The Law of Mosaics’ it was decreed that something nice be made from all the smashing bits of smash - whether it be rock, tile, teeth or bone. The term eventually shortened as people demanded less time for language and more time for patterns and adhesives. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/33 "2011-01-18T05:37:20Z")
No, but I suspect ViolaWWW would have put a price on my head. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/34 "2011-01-18T05:38:51Z")
I would have been put to death at age 7, for saying, “I hate, you, Mommy!,” long before I had a chance to do all the other stuff I’ve done that would qualify me for being put to death. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/35 "2011-01-18T06:50:21Z")
God’s name in vain? Jesus Christ, yes! Cursing my parents? You should have been around when I was a teenager. When I was 12 years old, I was probably grounded every other weekend just for all the crap I said to my mother. (But she deserved it, she was SO not fair, bitch!) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/36 "2011-01-18T07:37:09Z")
I’ve never broken an oath sworn in God’s name, but I’ve said GD enough times that I’m not proud of it. But other than that, no. Bunch of things on my bucket list. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/37 "2011-01-18T07:43:17Z")
Yep. At least three things on the list would have gotten me killed. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/38 "2011-01-18T09:26:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I refuse to associate with anybody who _wouldn’t_. Heck, I’m good for multiple counts of 5 of the list alone. Yeah, I’m down for five of those as well. I wonder if I’d do any better under sharia? ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/39 "2011-01-18T09:26:48Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > If Mosaic Law was still in effect would you have been executed under it in its moral and civil aspects (not its ceremonial aspects such as working on the Sabbath)? How come working on the Sabbath is ceremonial and taking God’s name in vain isn’t? Anyway: yes. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019/40 "2011-01-18T10:05:11Z")
I’d be killed so many times, they’d run out of stones. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-been-put-to-death-under-the-mosaic-code/568019.md?page=3)