Much as in Western culture you do not shoot an enemy who raises his arms or flies a white flag, the person of the traveler was sacrosanct. There was, however, an underlying cultural standard throughout the Middle East, which has come down to modern times, that the traveler was entitled to rest and hospitality. This is the reason for the Leviticus passages, as is made clear in the first verses of the chapter – they’re “abominable acts which the Canaanites practice,” which the Israelites are to forswear as a part of keeping culturally separate from the Canaanites. Most likely, pretty solid, though it’s important to note that institutionalized “sodomitic practices” (pfui!, but allow me the term) were a part of Canaanite Ba’al/Astarte worship – not to put too fine a point on it, to assure fertility of your fields, you made a donation to the temple and fucked the priestess or priest on duty.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |