Hebrew Republic Quotes

This is one of the characteristics of a theocracy—that all law comes from the Deity and religious law is civil law and vica versa. This is similar to the modern views held by the extreme conservative Muslims regarding their Islamic law, Sharia.

See {638124} for how this Biblical passage evolved into a concept of property ownership

Like the other people’s of the ancient world, the Jews on several occasions murdered captives and pillaged cities who had resisted them, there was never an occasion where captive peoples were forced into Judaism or denied the worship of their customary religion.

See {638095} for a brief explanation of the Jubilee. Spinoza was one of the most feared intellectuals in human history—feared that is by the established power structures. He is the only known person who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims—all were forbidden to read his works. He was the enemy of authority and advocated personal reason as the guide for men.

The possession in perpetuity was the result of the Biblical Jubilee. See {638120} for an example of how the Jubilee functioned. Hebrew citizen could NEVER lose his land permanently even if he could not pay his debts. Spinoza was one of the most feared intellectuals in human history—feared that is by the established power structures. He is the only known person who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims—all were forbidden to read his works. He was the enemy of authority and advocated personal reason as the guide for men.

This is one of the best, short, historical summaries of the Ancient Jews’ governmental structure after the Exodus from Egypt. They had, to the best of our knowledge, the first republic, although the orthodox Jews do not credit the Jewish people. It was the Almighty who created the Republic and ordered them to live under it. Later, the Jews wanted Kings, and they had them, destroying the Jewish Republic and creating a Jewish Empire where the kings ranged from good to horrible. Ultra-orthodox Jews in modern Israel, reject the Democracy, and believe. Like ultra-orthodox Muslims, that God rules and not kings or the people or representatives chosen by the people.

See {638125} for the assertion of God’s ownership of the land.

Although slavery and indentured servitude existed amongst the Ancient Jews, the slaves had to be emancipated after 6 years. The slave owners had to give the emancipated slave a “nest egg” so that he/she could integrate into the community. The reason that this quotation is very important for Americans is twofold: First, many of the Northern states embodied this concept of a maximum term regarding indentured servitude (without the nest egg however). Second and most important is that the Southern slave owners and slavery apologists pointed to the Old Testament as a moral justification for slavery—ie God’s Chosen People had slaves under His law; so it cannot be immoral as abolitionists claim. However, hypocritically they used the Bible to justify their institution of slavery, but never followed God’s requirement of emancipation after 6 years, much less the nest egg concept.