Six cities, three on each side of the Jordan, designated by Moses and Joshua as places of asylum for those who had committed accidental murder. Those east of the Jordan were Bezer in Reuben, Ramoth Gilead in Gad, and Golan in Manasseh (Deu 4:41-43); west of the Jordan were Hebron in Judah, Shechem in Ephraim, and Kedesh in Naphtali (Josh 20:7-8). To shelter the person guilty of the blood avenger’s accidental manslaughter, a measure was taken to ensure that the main roads leading to these cities were always kept open. No part of Palestine was more than 50 km away. away from a city of refuge, a distance that could easily be covered in a day. The cities of refuge were provided to protect a person until their case was properly decided. The right of asylum was only for those who had unintentionally taken the life of another.
Premeditated murderers were executed immediately.
The rules regarding these cities of refuge are found in Numbers 35, Deu 19:1-13, and Joshua 20. If someone guilty of accidental manslaughter reached a city of refuge before the blood avenger could kill him, he was given asylum until that a fair trial could take place. The trial took place where the defendant had lived. If he was proven innocent of premeditated murder, he was taken back to the city of refuge. There he had to remain until the death of the high priest. After that, he was free to return to his own home. But if during that period he trespassed the limits of the city of refuge, the blood avenger could kill him and not be held guilty. See REVENGE.
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
It was established in Israel that in case someone killed another involuntarily, he could seek refuge in cities that were designated for this purpose. They were places where “a manslayer who strikes someone to death unintentionally” could flee (Num 35:11). This was necessary because the closest relative of the deceased had the duty to become “the avenger of blood”. Vengeance was thus prevented from taking place before entering “into judgment before the congregation” (Num 35:12). The culprit of death was judged by the elders of the c. of r. and if it was determined that he had not done so on purpose, he was released from the “avenger of blood”, provided that he remained living in that city until the death of the high priest (Num 35:15-28).
These cities were: †¢Kedes…of Naphtali, †¢Shechem…in Ephraim, †¢Hebron…of Judah; †¢Beser… from Reuben; †¢Ramoth…of Gad; and †¢Golan in Bashan (Jos 20:1-9). Some scholars see a problem with the designation of these cities because, in their opinion, several of them became Israelites much later than Moses. There are no known specific cases of asylum in the Bible. However, it can be seen that the sanctuary was considered a place of asylum, since “Adonijah stood there ‘taking hold of the horns of the altar’ (1Ki 1:51). So did Joab (1 Kings 2:28). It was a claim for protection, although it was not automatically granted (Exo 21:14).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, CITY LEYE
vet, In Israel murder was punishable by death. The only exemption was in manslaughter. For the protection of the unintentional manslayer, six cities of refuge were appointed, three on each side of the Jordan, to which anyone who had killed someone unintentionally should flee. They were given to the Levites, and the elders of these cities were to determine whether the death had been caused by accident or not; if so, the avenger of blood was not authorized to put the murderer to death. However, he was to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; he only afterwards could he return to his possessions. If he left the city before that, and the avenger of blood found him, he could put him to death (Num. 35: 6-32; Josh. 20: 2-9; 21: 13-38; 1 Chron. 6 :57, 67). The cities of refuge west of the Jordan were: Kedesh, on Mount Naphtali, in Galilee; Shechem, on Mount Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (Hebron), on Mount Judah. To the east of the Jordan they were: Beser in the desert belonging to the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth Gilead, of the tribe of Gad; and Golan from Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh (Josh. 20:7-8). It has been calculated that the distance between each of these cities was around 110 kilometers, so that the maximum distance from any point to one of these cities would be 55 kilometers.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
In ancient times, when a man was killed, his closest relative was under a sacred duty to avenge his death. As a result of this practice, many innocent men were killed by sheer accidents. To prevent this as much as possible, and to aid the administration of justice, six cities of refuge, three on each side of the Jordan, were set apart and placed in the hands of the Levites. A path was kept open, leading to the gate
of these cities, so that the murderer could flee there unhindered to protect himself from the avenger.
All the law concerning these cities is found in Numbers 35;
Deuteronomy 19:1-13; Joshua 20. When the murderer arrived there, the elders heard his statement, and if it seemed satisfactory they gave him protection until he could be officially judged. If the trial or trial showed that the murderer did not intend to harm the one he had killed, and was not, then, an intentional murderer, he was kept in the protection of the city of refuge, until the death of the high priest, and then he could return. safely to your home.
For a discussion of these cities, the student may read the separate articles on each given earlier in this volume. They are:
1. On the eastern side of the Jordan:
Beser in the territory of Reuben Ramoth Gilead in the land of Gad Golan in the land of Manasseh
2. On the western side of the Jordan:
Hebron in Judah
Shechem on Mount Ephraim
Cedes-Naftali
Source: Geographic Dictionary of the Bible
Jehovah’s law on the sanctity of blood was very explicit. The shedding of human blood polluted the land in which the children of Israel lived, in the midst of which Jehovah resided, and could only be atoned for through the blood of the one who had shed it. (Ge 9:5, 6; Nu 35:33, 34) Thus, in the case of a murderer, when put to death “without fail” by the blood avenger (Ex 21:23; Nu 35:21), the blood of his victim was avenged and the law of “soul for soul” was satisfied. But what about the involuntary manslaughter, the one who, for example, killed his brother when the ax head accidentally fell off while chopping wood? (De 19:4, 5) For such unfortunate ones Jehovah lovingly provided the cities of refuge, six in all, where the accidental bloodshed could find sanctuary and protection from the avenger of blood. (Nu 35:6-32; Josh 20:2-9.)
locations. Before his death, Moses designated three of these cities E of the Jordan. The first, Bezer, was to the S., on the plateau of the territory belonging to the tribe of Reuben, and to the E. of the northern end of the Dead Sea; the second, Ramoth, in Gilead, belonged to the tribe of Gad and was towards the center of the eastern section of the land occupied by Israel; the third, Golan, in Bashan, was to the N., in the territory of Manasseh. (De 4:43; Jos 21:27, 36, 38) When the Israelites crossed to the west side of the Jordan, Joshua designated three other cities of refuge: Hebron, S., in the territory of Judah; Shechem, in the central mountainous regions of Ephraim, and Kedesh, to the N., in the territory of Naphtali, which later became known as the region of Galilee. (Jos 21:13, 21, 32) All of these cities were Levites, and one, Hebron, was a priestly city. Furthermore, because they were set apart as cities of refuge, they were given “sacred status.” (Jos 20:7.)
Legal procedure. When a fugitive arrived in a city of refuge, he was to present his case to the elders at the city gate, and hospitality was to be extended to him. In order to prevent intentional murderers from taking advantage of this provision, after presenting the case in the city of refuge, the fugitive had to stand trial and prove his innocence at the gates of the city under whose jurisdiction the murder had occurred. death. If found innocent, he was returned to the city of refuge. However, he could only be guaranteed his safety if he remained in the city for the rest of his life or until the death of the high priest. No ransom could be accepted in order to alter these terms. (Nu 35:22-29, 32; Jos 20:4-6) Even Jehovah’s sacred altar could not protect murderers, as was shown in the case of Joab. (Ex 21:14; 1Ki 1:50; 2:28-34; see AVENGER OF BLOOD.)
What a difference, then, between Jehovah’s provision to protect unintentional manslayers and the sanctuaries provided by the ancient heathen nations and the churches of Christendom from earliest times! While these sanctuaries protected the criminal and the innocent alike, the Israelite cities of refuge gave protection, and with certain restrictions, only to involuntary manslayers, thereby fostering respect for the sanctity of life.
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CITIES OF REFUGE
big sea
stay
golan
shechem
Ramot
Jordan river
Bezer
hebron
salty sea
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
These are places of asylum mentioned mainly in Nm. 35.9–34 and Josh. 20.1–9 (where they are listed). They are also mentioned in Nm. 35.6; Josh. 21.13, 21, 27, 32, 38; 1 Chr. 6.57, 67. From these mentions it is clear that they belonged to the cities of the Levites. Deut. 4.41–43; 19.1–13 deal with the institution indicated by this name (cf. Ex. 21.12–14).
In the public life of Israel the law of retribution had to be applied, and, in addition, it is specified in the law of retaliation (see Ex. 21.23–25, etc.), which was applied especially in cases of bloodshed (see Gn 9.5s; Ex. 21.12; Lev. 24.17, etc.; cf, also Dt. 21.1–9). At least in ancient Israel the duty to punish the murderer fell to the gō’ēlclosest male relative (* blood avenger). A distinction was made between deliberately and unintentionally killing a man. The one who killed deliberately was to be killed, while the one who killed by mistake could find sanctuary in one of the cities of refuge. We can say that the institution of the cities of refuge served mainly to avoid the excesses that could derive from the execution of what are generally called “vengeances or blood feuds”, that is, family feuds.
In “the book of the covenant”, the oldest collection of laws of Israel, there is already a stipulation on this matter (Ex. 21.12-14). Maybe the…