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Discussions Torah

Deuteronomy 19-20: Cities of refuge; malicious witnesses; how to clean up the Land; genocide of the original inhabitants

Laws on the cities of refuge discouraged vigilantism and encouraged respect for the legal system to decide guilt or innocence. There was a serious penalty against “malicious witnesses” in criminal cases. God gave rules for the war to clean the Land, including discharge from service for the distracted and annihilation of certain existing peoples.