A Tale of Two Cities

Today there is a large debate in the West over the role of the church when it comes to the governance of the state. Many people believe that we cannot have a legal system and a civil society without the integration of religious principles. History is a wonderful thing as we can learn so much about our present by reflecting on the past. I would like us to turn our attention to the tale of two cities.

By the 6th century BCE there were two cities, Athens and Jerusalem. Athens was based in Western Europe and Jerusalem in the Middle East. Both enjoyed the fact that they had access to the Mediterranean and even though the Greeks in the 6th century BCE were religious, the legal system in Athens was based on secular reasoning and logic. Jerusalem on the other hand was undergoing a series of reforms under King Hezekiah and reinstituting the Mosaic legal system. These laws were said to have been passed on by God himself. Life in Athens was based on Reason whilst life in Jerusalem was based on Religion.

So let’s examine what life would have been like in each respective city:

Government

In Athens the Monarchy was replaced by a social democracy. Many consider this to be the birth of democracy. Even though the Greeks were a religious society, under Plato’s laws, the Athenian priests were only to direct sacrifices and the role of religion was limited to tradition and pleasing the gods.

In Jerusalem the Monarchy was upheld and even considered to be supported by God. The Jewish priesthood was deeply integrated into the ruling elite in Jerusalem and acted as official counsel to the king. Likewise it was the king’s role to implement religious laws, build temples and punish all those who participated in idolatry.

Legal system

In Athens the concept of trial by Jury was invented. This provided fair trials for all citizens and the punishment for a crime had to be on par with the crime itself.

In Jerusalem people were executed by the elders in their community and the punishment was often not on par with the crime itself. For instance, children were legally executed for being disobedient to their parents and and Jewish citizens were stoned for marrying someone from a different race.

Property laws

In Athens the social reform allowed for Individual Property law which meant that you and your property were protected under the law. This included the criminalisation of murder and theft.

In Jerusalem theft and murder was illegal because of religious law, however if someone took from you or murdered one of you own, then you could take from him or murder one of his own. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Social laws

In Athens you could live as you pleased as long as you didn’t impede on someone else’s person or property. Thucydides states it best: “And not only in our public life are we free and open, but a sense of freedom regulates our day-to-day life with each other. We do not flare up in anger at our neighbour if he does what he likes.”

In Jerusalem as series of social laws existed which if not adhered to, resulted in public execution. This included marrying a foreigner (Num 25:6-9), committing a homosexual act (Lev 18:22), blasphemy (Lev 24:10-23), not being a virgin on your wedding night (Deut 22:20-21), following another religion (Deut 17:2-5), approaching the tabernacle (Num 1:48-51) or working on a Saturday(Ex 35:2-3).

Slavery

Even though slavery existed in Athens, it became illegal to sell yourself or your family into slavery if you became bankrupt. Many historians believe this is one of the first movements by a government to move away from a system of slavery.

In Jerusalem various slavery laws are enforced (Lev 25:44-46) and female slaves are to be treated exceptionally harshly (Ex 21:7-11)

Foreign Policy

Athens sought to work with their neighbours in improving their living conditions. Thucydides wisely stated that their democracy was to be an example for other nations to follow and that they had hoped that their freedom and prosperity would inspire other nations to live like they did.

Israel was instructed by their God to invade and destroy it’s neighbouring countries, pillaging, raping and murdering those citizens that opposed them (Num 31:7-18). Foreigners were forced to pay interest on loans and all foreign slaves were treated much harsher than the locals. If anyone married a foreigner then they could both be stoned.

In Conclusion

In comparing these two cities during this period we have to acknowledge that Athens still had it’s own problems. Slavery was still practiced and Athens later went through a period of invading and colonising their neighbouring areas. Internal disputes and political infighting weakened the state further. They were a young democracy and you can argue that they existed in a time when the world was not ready for it yet. However their successes and advancements in regards to social justice, democracy and equality still live on today.

Finally, in order to give us an insight into the ideas created by a secular society, we turn to Thucydides who gives the following speech at Pericles’ funeral:

Our city is thrown open to the world; we never expel a foreigner…. We are free to live exactly as we please, and yet, we are always ready to face any danger…. We love beauty without indulging in fancies, and although we try to improve our intellect. this does not weaken our will…. To admit one’s poverty is no disgrace with us; but we consider it disgraceful not to make an effort to avoid it. An Athenian citizen does not neglect public affairs when attending to his private business…. We consider a man who takes no interest in the state not as harmless, but as useless; and although only a few may originate a policy, we are all able to judge it. We do not look upon discussion as a stumbling block in the way of political action, but as an indispensable preliminary to acting wisely….

By Ruhan van Vuuren