Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus
page 259 of 1683 (15%)
servants be admitted to give testimony, on account of the
ignobility of their soul; since it is probable that they may not
speak truth, either out of hope of gain, or fear of punishment.
But if any one be believed to have borne false witness, let him,
when he is convicted, suffer all the very same punishments which
he against whom he bore witness was to have suffered.

16. If a murder be committed in any place, and he that did it be
not found, nor is there any suspicion upon one as if he had hated
the man, and so had killed him, let there be a very diligent
inquiry made after the man, and rewards proposed to any one who
will discover him; but if still no information can be procured,
let the magistrates and senate of those cities that lie near the
place in which the murder was committed, assemble together, and
measure the distance from the place where the dead body lies;
then let the magistrates of the nearest city thereto purchase a
heifer, and bring it to a valley, and to a place therein where
there is no land ploughed or trees planted, and let them cut the
sinews of the heifer; then the priests and Levites, and the
senate of that city, shall take water and wash their hands over
the head of the heifer; and they shall openly declare that their
hands are innocent of this murder, and that they have neither
done it themselves, nor been assisting to any that did it. They
shall also beseech God to be merciful to them, that no such
horrid act may any more be done in that land.

17. Aristocracy, and the way of living under it, is the best
constitution: and may you never have any inclination to any other
form of government; and may you always love that form, and have
the laws for your governors, and govern all your actions
DigitalOcean Referral Badge