Bezer was a
Levitical city in the desert plateau east of
the Jordan, and of
Heshbon, originally a resting place for travelers. It was designated by
Moses
In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...
as a "
city of refuge", a "safe-haven" for
Reubenites and others, to which any person guilty of
manslaughter
Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
could flee to avoid being killed in vengeance.
The site of Bezer "cannot be located with certainty", although several sites have been proposed.
The Bible seldom mentions Bezer, but it explains the town's purpose as a refuge in , , (The usual, dutiful repetition - "to be a city of refuge for the slayer" - that follows the names of the other five cities of refuge, is actually omitted for Bezer in this verse in some translations.), and .
Cities of refuge were necessary because the
next of kin of a manslaughter victim had a right under the
Law of Moses
The Law of Moses ( ), also called the Mosaic Law, is the law said to have been revealed to Moses by God. The term primarily refers to the Torah or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
Terminology
The Law of Moses or Torah of Moses (Heb ...
to seek compensation - in kind - for blood shed by the perpetrator.
The law of Moses provided that anyone accused of homicide could flee to a city of refuge, to be protected from the victim's family. Once he was there, a manslaughterer was prohibited from leaving until the
high priest had died or until his own death, even if the victim's family had forgiven them.
References
Levitical cities
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