I asked another question in relation to the Code of Ur-Nammu ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Ur-Nammu ) and found this in the code:13. If a man is accused of sorcery he must undergo ordeal by water; if he is proven innocent, his accuser must pay 3 shekels."This ordeal has a precedent in the code of Hammurabi, where a man accused of sorcery is to be submerged in a stream and acquitted if he survives. The practice occurred in Frankish law and was abolished by Louis the Pious in 829. The practice did re-appear in the Late Middle Ages, however. In the Dreieicher Wildbann of 1338, a man accused of poaching is to be submerged in a barrel three times, and to be considered guilty if he sinks to the bottom."From this: Can we infer that most likely the Bible was created by laws that were already present in society?Sorry I should include a Biblical reference: "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22:18)

Moo Friend,I find nothing in the Bible that even remotely speaks about attempting to drown someone who is a sorcerer or who does any type of offense. Do You??Have a great week.Thanks,Eds.

The ten commandments can be found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead as well.

Yep if he lives he is guilty and executed if he dies he is innocent ....makes sense ?What about the persons family ?

Yes the Bible like other books is HISTORY--STORY

The original "thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live" text in the original Bible was edited to "witch" when the King James Version was made. Same time the Salem Witch trials and crusades were going on. Go figure........and most people believe the King James Version to be the true and only Bible even today.....Edit: Yondame IS right, that a lot of people burned were practicing Christians/Catholics, esp in Salem, but anyone who went against the Church was burned at the stake, but yet a lot of well known figures such as Nostradomus and even biblical figures did practice alchemy, astrology, divination, good and bad. The historical Church had always been a corruption in history though, so its not as good as people make it sound. (

Yes theres alot of it similar in the torah/ old testestament especially. And some in the new testament. All those who know the bible back to front should know this one and may try to deny it since it is a negative

Yeah, you didn't provide a Bible reference to this "ordeal by water."And you realize that paganism was virtually extinct by the Middle Ages, that "witchcraft" and/or paganism was not persecuted in the Middle Ages (you're thinking of the Counter-Reformation, c. 16-17th centuries), and that *only* Christians (not pagans) were ever accused of Witchcraft in the first place.Ah, yes. The "witch" that you shall not suffer to live was not a witch at all. As that one guy said, the word referred to people who sold poisons to would-be assasins.

The Old Testimate's rules are not valid in A.D. yearsWe only follow the New Testimate.

People can, and DO, infer MANY things. It is when inferences are put to the test of evidence that warfare may start. When a person puts forth a proposition it is because that person already has a preconceived idea as to the validity of their position. When evidence starts to come in the contrary it is a test of the person's character. Many people are already so devoted to their opinion that, rather than do the work of finding all evidence, they resort to attack. Even if this statement is agreed with, it is usually thought to be true only of those of the opposing opinion.