[375] Jewish Religious Life after the Exile (1898), p. 45. The teachings of this same intolerant monolatry has, down to the present day, exerted a retarding influence upon the development of international morality, especially upon the war ethics of the Christian nations.
[376] We meet with the same phenomenon in medieval times. The Christian Church, which was so harsh in its dealings with misbelievers, was a tender mother toward the poor and the afflicted of the faith.
[377] The origin of these cities may date from a much earlier time than the reform under King Josiah. The code may simply register changes already effected in the customary law. See Nathaniel Schmidt, The Prophet of Nazareth (1905), p. 61.
[378] Deut. iv. 41, 42; xix. 1–13.
[379] Deut. xv. 7, 8.
[380] Ibid. xxiv. 6.
[381] Ibid. xxiv. 12, 13.
[382] Ibid. xxiv. 17.
[383] Ibid. xxiv. 14, 15.
[384] Ibid. xxiii. 19, 20. Cf. Maspero, The Dawn of Civilization, p. 760. The poor in these early times were, in all the lands advancing in civilization, literally devoured by the money lenders.