Chapter Three Right to Life and Jewish-Christian Ethics in the Roman World: A Case Study of the Fighting Men and the Unhappy Birth

Abstract

Exodus 21:22-25, a part of the Covenant Code, contains a passage on two fighting men and a woman, who gives birth prematurely. Whereas the Hebrew text seems to speak about the death of the woman, the Septuagint pays attention to the child, introducing the distinction between a formed and unformed foetus. Jewish and Christian writers offer a rich tradition of interpretations, which is presented in this chapter. The reasons for the numerous variants are inherent in the Hebrew text, which includes several problems. The Septuagint, hardly occasionally and unintentionally, resolves the problems. The investigation of the interpretations has shown again the strong dependence of the Christian writers on the Jewish tradition. Philo's influence on the Church Fathers, of course, is well known, and also his allegorical interpretation is adopted and developed in the Church. Keywords:Christian; Exodus 21:22-25; Hebrew text; Jewish tradition; Philo; Septuagint