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Racism in the old testament
Note 1: I encourage everyone (christians, jews, unbelievers) to enter the
debate. Make researches about this. Ask questions to believers and unbelievers
about what I say.
Note 2: The whole page has not been translated yet.
Genesis 9:18-29
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham
and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These were the three sons of Noah,
and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. Noah, a man of
the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he
became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw
his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth
took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward
and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so
that they would not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine
and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be
Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." He also said,
"Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May
God extend the territory of Japheth ; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and
may Canaan be his slave." After the flood Noah lived 350 years. Altogether,
Noah lived 950 years, and then he died.
Exodus 17:14-16
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll
as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will
completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Moses built an
altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, "For hands were lifted
up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites
from generation to generation."
Deuteronome 25:17-19
Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when
you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your
journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When
the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he
is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of
Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!
1 Samuel 15:2-9
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the
Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up
from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that
belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and
infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' " So Saul summoned the men
and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten
thousand men from Judah. Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in
the ravine. Then he said to the Kenites, "Go away, leave the Amalekites so
that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the
Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from
the Amalekites. Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to
Shur, to the east of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all
his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared
Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything
that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything
that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
"God" has decided to give the land Canaan to "his people",
the Israelites. Then he prescribes them to kill all the people who lived here.
Exodus 23:23-33
My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land
of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I
will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow
their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.
Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I
will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in
your land. I will give you a full life span. "I will send my terror ahead
of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your
enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive
the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them
out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild
animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you,
until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. "I will
establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from
the desert to the River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land
and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with
their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin
against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."
What about slavery?
Leviticus 25:39-46
" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you
and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. He is to be treated
as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until
the Year of Jubilee. Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go
back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers. Because the
Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold
as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. " 'Your
male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you
may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among
you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your
property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make
them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites
ruthlessly.
Two very bad extracts of the Bible.
Numbers 25:1-18
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to
indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the
sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So
Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned
against them. The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these
people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the
LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel." So Moses said to Israel's
judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in
worshiping the Baal of Peor." Then an Israelite man brought to his family a
Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel
while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Phinehas
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly,
took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the
spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman's body.
Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the
plague numbered 24,000. The LORD said to Moses, "Phinehas son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for
he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not
put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him.
He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he
was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."
The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son
of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman
who was put to death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite
family. The LORD said to Moses, "Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill
them, because they treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the affair
of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman
who was killed when the plague came as a result of Peor."
Numbers 31:1-30
The LORD said to Moses, "Take vengeance on the
Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your
people." So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to
war against the Midianites and to carry out the LORD's vengeance on them. Send
into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel." So twelve
thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from
the clans of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe,
along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from
the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling. They fought against Midian, as the
LORD commanded Moses, and killed every man. Among their victims were Evi, Rekem,
Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of
Beor with the sword. The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children
and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They burned all
the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. They
took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, and brought
the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the
Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across
from Jericho. Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community
went to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the
army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned
from the battle. "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked
them. "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means
of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a
plague struck the LORD's people. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who
has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept
with a man. "All of you who have killed anyone or touched anyone who was
killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you
must purify yourselves and your captives. Purify every garment as well as
everything made of leather, goat hair or wood." Then Eleazar the priest
said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, "This is the requirement of
the law that the LORD gave Moses: Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead and
anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it
will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And
whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. On the seventh
day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the
camp."
The LORD said to Moses,
"You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to
count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between
the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From
the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the LORD one
out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats.
Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as
the LORD's part. From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty,
whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats or other animals. Give them to
the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD's tabernacle."
Laws about holy war in the torah:
http://www.anti-religion.net/jihad_judaism.htm
Another prescription from the "good Lord":
Deuteronome 23:3-6
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants
may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. For
they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came
out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim
to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to
Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God
loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.
The conquest of Canaan.
Joshua 8:10-29
Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men,
and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. The entire force
that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of
it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city.
Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel
and Ai, to the west of the city. They had the soldiers take up their
positions—all those in the camp to the north of the city and the ambush to
the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley. When the king of Ai
saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to
meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did
not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. Joshua and
all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the
desert. All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua
and were lured away from the city. Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did
not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in
your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city." So Joshua held
out his javelin toward Ai. As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose
quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and
captured it and quickly set it on fire. The men of Ai looked back and saw the
smoke of the city rising against the sky, but they had no chance to escape in
any direction, for the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the desert had
turned back against their pursuers. For when Joshua and all Israel saw that
the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from the city, they
turned around and attacked the men of Ai. The men of the ambush also came out
of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with
Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors
nor fugitives. But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the
desert where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to
the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it.
Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. For Joshua
did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed
all who lived in Ai. But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and
plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua. So Joshua burned Ai
and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. He hung
the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua
ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance
of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains
to this day.
Joshua 9:3-27
However, when the people of Gibeon heard what
Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a
delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins,
cracked and mended. The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and
wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then
they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of
Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with
us." The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live
near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?". "We are your
servants," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and
where do you come from?" They answered: "Your servants have come
from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we
have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to
the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and
Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those
living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and
meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with
us." ' This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day
we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these
wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our
clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." The men of
Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Then Joshua
made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the
assembly ratified it by oath. Three days after they made the treaty with the
Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.
So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon,
Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them,
because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the
God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the
leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of
Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will
let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we
swore to them." They continued, "Let them live, but let them be
woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community." So the leaders'
promise to them was kept. Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why
did you deceive us by saying, 'We live a long way from you,' while actually
you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as
woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." They answered
Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had
commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its
inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and
that is why we did this. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems
good and right to you." So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and
they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water
carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD
would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
Samson's story.
Judges 14:10-20
Now his father went down to see the woman. And
Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. When he appeared,
he was given thirty companions. "Let me tell you a riddle," Samson
said to them. "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the
feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. If
you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and
thirty sets of clothes.". "Tell us your riddle," they said.
"Let's hear it." He replied, "Out of the eater, something to
eat; out of the strong, something sweet." For three days they could not
give the answer. On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, "Coax
your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your
father's household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?" Then
Samson's wife threw herself on him, sobbing, "You hate me! You don't
really love me. You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the
answer.". "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother,"
he replied, "so why should I explain it to you?" She cried the whole
seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because
she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.
Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, "What
is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them,
"If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my
riddle." Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down
to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their
belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle.
Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. And Samson's wife was
given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.
Judges 16:23-30
Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to
offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our
god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." When the people saw
him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy
into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain."
While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to
entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed
for them. When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant
who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the
temple, so that I may lean against them." Now the temple was crowded with
men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof
were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson
prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please
strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the
Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central
pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right
hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die
with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came
the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more
when he died than while he lived.
A conquest of David.
2 Samuel 8:1-14
In the course of time, David defeated the
Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the
Philistines. David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the
ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them
were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites
became subject to David and brought tribute. Moreover, David fought Hadadezer
son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the
Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand
charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred
of the chariot horses. When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer
king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons
in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and
brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. David took the
gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to
Jerusalem. From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King
David took a great quantity of bronze. When Tou king of Hamath heard that
David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, he sent his son Joram to King
David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over
Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of
silver and gold and bronze. King David dedicated these articles to the LORD,
as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued:
Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also
dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. And
David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand
Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the
Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.
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