Capital punishments...

The Bible - and the Levitical code in particular - offers a daunting list of capital crimes. These are just a few. Worshipping any god but Yahweh: “If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that . . . hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; . . .Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die” (Deuteronomy 17:2-5). Blasphemers: “And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16).

Men who Lie With Men: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13). Premarital Sex (girls only): “If, however, this charge is true, that evidence of the young woman’s virginity was not found, then they shall bring the young woman out to the entrance of her father’s house and the men of her town shall stone her to death” (Deuteronomy 22:20). Disobedience (boys only): “If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death” (Deuteronomy 21:18).

Cursing parents: “For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him” (Leviticus 20:9). Working on the Sabbath: “Whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 31:15). No exception was made for an old man who was gathering firewood on the Sabbath. God said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” (Numbers 15: 32-36). The congregation were happy to oblige…