'Whoever with premeditation and unjustly kills with his own hand any one of his kinsmen, let him first be barred from lawful places, defiling neither market-place, nor temples, nor harbors, nor any other common assembly, whether anyone forbids the one who has done this or not; for the law forbids it... And he who, when it is his duty, does not prosecute or does not proclaim the ban, let him be excluded from those within the degree of cousinhood—and in the second instance let him become liable to prosecution by whoever wishes to avenge the deceased.—But a wife who wounds her own husband with intent to kill, or a husband his own wife, let him or her go into perpetual exile.'
Such, then, are the laws of the philosopher. But if it is necessary to set alongside these the laws of Moses as well, hear what he ordains concerning murderers: 'If anyone strikes another, and he dies, let him surely be put to death. But if he did not do it willfully, but God delivered him into his hands, I will appoint you a place where the killer shall flee. But if someone lies in wait for his neighbor to kill him by treachery, and he flees for refuge, you shall take him even from my altar, to put him to death. Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. And if two men quarrel, and one strikes his neighbor with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but takes to his bed, if the man rises again and walks about outside upon his staff, the one who struck him shall be guiltless; only he shall pay for the loss of his time and shall provide for his healing. But if someone strikes his manservant or his maidservant with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. But if he survives a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his money. And if someone strikes the eye of his manservant, or the eye of his maidservant, and destroys it, he shall let them go free in place of their eye.'
Such, then, are also the laws of Moses. Hear now, in turn, in what manner and for what reasons Plato commands that a household slave be chastised with merciless blows: 'When someone wishes to gather the fine grapes, as they are now called, or the fine figs so named, if he takes them from his own property, let him enjoy the fruit however and whenever he wishes; but if he persuades another to take them from someone else's property, following the principle of not disturbing what one has not laid up oneself, let that person always be penalized. But if a slave, without persuading the master of the grounds, lays hands on any such things, let him be scourged with as many blows as there are grapes in the cluster and figs on the fig tree.'
Such, then, are the things concerning these matters, not worthy of Plato's greatness of mind. But how dignified and humane are the things found in Moses, you might learn by hearing him speaking somewhat as follows: 'If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat grapes, as much as will satisfy your soul, but you shall not put any into a vessel. And again, if you go into your neighbor's harvest and gather ears of grain with your hands, you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's harvest. And again, if you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in your field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the poor, and for the stranger, and for the orphan, and for the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. And if you gather your olives, you shall not go back over the boughs a second time; it shall be for the stranger, and for the orphan, and for the widow. And if you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it a second time after you; these things shall be for the stranger and the widow.'
And such are the things found in Moses. But it is clear that in Plato's writings you would find countless things beyond reproach, of which, above all, embracing the dignified and best of what is his, we bid the things that are not such a long farewell. But since these matters have now been gone through in this way, and the reason given for which we have determined not to philosophize according to Plato, it is time also to bring the rest of our undertaking to completion, and to survey the other schools of Greek philosophy as well.