Namaste,
Although a few references were provided earlier to prove the the OT is a savage and barbaric scripture, it appears the point was not made loud enough. So in this post I will provide quote after quote of the savagery contained in the OT. The source I will use is one of the most respectable and secular multi-faith religious websites online: religious-tolerance.com. Religious tolerance is a peer reviewed website which consists of a panel of representatives from all major faiths, including atheists. The aim of this web site is to foster religious tolerance by providing accurate information on each religion. It also hosts critical essays on point of relgions that are unsavoury.
They have done a brilliant expose of the savage instances in the bible. I will only mention a few of them now by excerpting from their essay(I will also provide comments):
http://www.religioustolerance.org/imm_bibl.htm
[B][U]Legal rape[/U][/B]
According to Deuteronomy 22:28-29. a virgin female who was not engaged to be married and who was raped was required to marry her attacker, no matter what her feelings were towards the rapist. Most women would probably find it difficult to develop a love bond with the man and thus would have to submit to marital sexual activity against her will. That is, she had to accept being continually raped after she was married.
A man could become married by simply sexually attacking a woman that appealed to him, and paying his new father-in-law 50 shekels of silver. That payment would compensate the woman’s father for the loss in value of one of his possessions: his daughter.
[B][U]Raping female prisoners of war [/U][/B]
Numbers 31:1-18 describes how army of the ancient Israelites killed every adult Midianite male in battle. Moses then ordered the slaughter in cold blood of most of the captives, including all of the male children who numbered about 32,000. Only the lives of 32,000 women - all virgins – were spared. Some of the latter were given to the priests as slaves. Most were taken by the Israeli soldiers as captives of war.
Deuteronomy 21:11-14 describes how each captive woman would shave her head, pare her nails, be left alone to mourn the loss of her families, friends, and freedom. After a full month has passed, they would be required to submit to their owners sexually, as a wife. It is conceivable that in a few cases, a love bond might have formed between the soldier and his captive(s) during that month. However, in most cases we can probably assume that the woman had to submit sexually against her will; that is, she was raped.
[B]Comment:[/B] Not only here do we find that the prisoners of war that were women were raped, but we find that Moses ordains mass-murder of 32,000 male children and the rape of 32,000 women. This man is considered a prophet of the religion of Christianity. Which religion has as a prophet a mass murderer?
[U]Mass murder of fighters for democracy:[/U]
Numbers 16:2-3: “And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?”
Numbers 16:20: “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”
Numbers 16:31-33: “…the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.”
Num 16:41-49: “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD…And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces… And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.”
250 leaders of Israel approached Moses and his brother Aaron, asking that the existing theocracy, with Moses as dictator, be replaced by a more democratic governing structure, in which power would be shared more widely. They felt that the whole nation was holy, and should share in governing themselves rather than being led by a single individual who had taken all power to himself. In short, they advocated a transition from a dictatorship to an oligarchy or partial democracy. God’s first response was to destroy the entire Israelite nation, with the exception of Moses and Aaron. But Moses pleaded with God that he not commit genocide. God agreed, opened up cracks in the earth so that two of the leaders, their families and possessions fell into the cracks. God then closed the earth so that the victims were buried alive and perished. Later, God burned alive the remaining leaders (and probably their wives and children).
On the next day, some Israelites were critical of Moses and Aaron for such a massive loss of life. Again, God wanted to commit genocide by killing all of the people, except for Moses and Aaron. Moses persuaded God to merely send a plague. An additional 14,700 people lost their lives. Thus ended any thoughts of a move towards a democratic government.
Comment: Here we find that democratic and free thinking was not tolerated and free thinkers were put to death enmasse. Which religion ordains the death punishment for free thinking?
Two themes found throughout the Bible is religious exclusivity and religious intolerance:
In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) God is recorded as punishing ancient Israelite individuals and members of other tribes for following the wrong religion, or deviating from “proper” religious practices. In some cases, the victims are viewed as having no right to continue living. In the book of Joshua and elsewhere, God instructed the ancient Israelites to commit what would be termed genocides and “mass crimes against humanity” in today’s world. The victims were newborn, infant, child, youth, and adult Canaanites and other nearby tribes who followed Pagan religions. 1 Samuel contains accounts of genocides perpetrated by David and his men.
Comment: Here we find that god’s punishment for people following a different religion that did not worship him was death. He ordains genocide against an entire people who worshipped a different god, killing their men, women and children and making sure not a single one was spared. In which religion does god ordain genocide against an entire people?
[B][U]Genocide of the residents of Canaan:[/U][/B]
The Israelites invaded Canaan and, under God’s instructions, exterminated seven nations in widespread acts of genocide: the Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They continued to commit genocide against other groups.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2:
“… the seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them.”
Joshua 6:21:
"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword."
This latter passage describes one event in the invasion of Canaan by the ancient Israelites. After the walls of the city of Jericho fell, the soldiers ran into the city, and murdered all its inhabitants: elderly men and women, mature men and women, pregnant women, youths, boys, girls, infants and newborns. Their goal was to entirely wipe out the Canaanite culture by destroying its people; this is one definition of genocide. Incidentally, the people were butchered by the edge of the sword, because the weapons did not have pointed ends.
Joshua 10:40-41:
“So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.”
Other genocides recorded in the bible:
[B][U]Genocide of the Geshurites, Gezirites, and Amalekites[/U][/B]
1 Samuel 27:8-9:
“And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites … And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel. And David saved neither man nor woman alive”
The Living Bible translates verse 9 as saying “They didn’t leave one person alive.” David and his men apparently stole the animals and clothing, while killing all the people: the elderly, men, women, youths, children, infants and newborns.
Genocides and other extreme atrocities are recorded in:
Genesis 19: - Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for being:
Uncharitable to their widows, children and poor
Abusive to strangers.
Joshua 8:24 - City of Ai
Joshua 10:26 - Joshua murdered five defenseless kings of the Amorites in cold blood.
Joshua 10:28 - City of Makkedah
Joshua 10:29 - City of Libnah
Joshua 10:31 - City of Lachish
Joshua 10:33 - City of Gezer “…Joshua smote him and his people until he had left him none remaining.”
Joshua 10:34 - City of Elgon “They left none remaining.”
Joshua 10:37 - City of Hebron
Joshua 10:38 - City of Debir
Numbers 21:2-3 - City of Hormah
Numbers 21:33-35: Land of Bashan “…they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.”
Deuteronomy 2:21-24: The Ammonite, Horim, and Avim people.
Deuteronomy 2:26-35 - Land of Heshbon “…we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain.”
Judges 4:16 - City of Sisera
Comment: Here we find just how common death and destruction is in the bible and how it is either directly ordained by god or by the prophets. We find how cruel and barbaric these genocides were: not even sparing elderly, women, and children. This makes the Nazi holocausts look somewhat understated. What scripture is full of injunctions to kill enmasse innocent men, women, and children?
[B][U]Mass murder of 42 little children:[/U][/B]
2 Kings 2:23-24:
“And he [Elisha] went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.”
Elisha, a Prophet, was ridiculed by some little children who called him a name like “old baldy”. Elisha laid a curse on them in God’s name. God appears to have responded to the curse by sending two bears out of the woods who tare (tore up, killed) 42 of the little children.
All countries, with the exception of the United States and a very few other states, prohibit capital punishment for youth offenders - no matter what their crime is. The U.S. at least waits until the convicted child is 18 before executing him or her. In this passage, God is seen to arrange the murder of dozens of small children for simply pointing fun at adult.
Comment: Here 42 little children are punished by death for poking fun at a prophet of Christianity and perpetrated by its god. What religion punishes children for misbehaving with death?
[B][U]Executing a whole family for the sins of the father:[/U][/B]
Joshua 7:20-25:
“…Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel… And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.”
During the siege of Jericho, God had instructed Joshua to have the army avoid taking any loot from the city. Everything was to be destroyed. Only objects of silver and gold and utensils of bronze and iron were to be taken, and these were to be dedicated to God. Achan had violated these orders. He had taken and hidden a Babylonian robe, and a few thousand’s of dollars worth of silver and gold. Because of Achan’s sin, God allowed the Israelite army to be defeated in a battle for Ai, a small city close to Jericho. Many lives were lost. Achan confessed his sin. His punishment was death by stoning. Afterwards, his body was burned. But in addition to executing Achan, the Israelites stoned and burned his sons, his daughters, his animals and his tent. Apparently, his wife was already dead because she was not mentioned in this passage; otherwise she would have undoubtedly been murdered and burned as well.
Comment: Here an entire family is stoned and then burnt alive in a most savage manner for the sins of one person in the family. In what religion does one get punished for the sins of somebody else - by getting stoned and the burned alive.
Numbers 31:1-18:
“…And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew all the [adult] males. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones…And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses…And Moses was angry with the officers of the host And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Ba’laam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the female children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.”
On God’s instructions, Moses sent 12,000 soldiers against the Midianites. The army killed every adult Midianite male. This is in response to some of the Israelite men having had sex with some of the Midianite women. Moses then ordered them to slaughter in cold blood each captive, including all of the boys, saving only female virgins. The latter were apparently to be retained for purposes of rape. The Midianite mothers were thus punished by having to watch their male children murdered in front of them. Then, they were themselves killed. Verse 35 talks about 32,000 virgin captives; this implies that there were probably about 32,000 boys killed.
Comment: Here we find, a great prophet of the bible sends an army to kill innocent people, men, women and children. So barbaric is this prophet that he makes mothers watch their children getting slayed in cold blood in front of them, and then they are killed as well afterward. Then young virgins are taken prisoner and raped. In which religion can such a person be called a prophet and holy man?
Does anymore evidence need to be furnished to prove that the OT part of the bible is a most barbaric, savage and obscene work, worthy of nothing but condemnation.