IRAN: Wipe Israel of face of the earth !
@ Iceman:
I remember from my law studies that the Mozaic laws, while sounding brutal today, were extremely moderate compared with those of Israels neigbours. In those days fights tended to end in a spiral of violence and led to vendetta's between families, which could go on for generations - and still do in the Middle East.
"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", even without the Talmudic interpretation, meant to restore the peace of the land after a fitting retribution.
As far as penalties are concerned, when Israel received the Mosaic laws it was wandering around in the desert. No police stations and penitentiary or correctional facilities, which left very few options for any punishment, other than physical. The worst punishment was stoning, a lighter one was being excluded from the people and send away in the desert as a cast out. You still might have a small chance.
Usually smaller criminal acts could be retributed by atonement or some form of doing penance.
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