City of Refuge

Six cities were assigned by Moses to serve as havens for accidental homicide (Num 35:13; Deut 19:9). These were populated towns in which the manslayer would be immune from pursuit by the blood avenger (Num 35:12). Moses himself established Bezer, Ramoth and Golan as refuge cities in Transjordan (Deut 4:43), and Joshua established Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron to the west of the Jordan (Josh 20:7-8). These six were all Levitical cities (Num 35:6); later, 42 additional Levitical cities functioned in much the same way (Josh chap. 21; I Chr 6:54-81), their purpose being to intercede between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, "that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment" (Num 35:12). In this way the innocent blood of the accidental manslayer would not be shed in the avenger's passion to right a perceived wrong (Deut 19:10), and blood vengeance would be controlled.

Information as to the actual internal functioning of the cities of refuge is almost totally absent in the Bible. However, biblical accounts provided the basis for the following reconstruction by the rabbis of the Talmud: after the homicide the killer fled to the nearest city of refuge, where he presented himself to the elders at the city gate, to be assigned accommodation (Josh 20:4). He would later be taken under escort to court where his degree of guilt was determined. If found guilty of premeditated murder, he would be executed; if the manslaughter were unpremeditated, he would be sheltered at the city of refuge until the death of the then officiating high priest (Num 25:25, 28). He was not allowed to leave the precincts of the city under any circumstances. Once released from the refuge city, he was free to go anywhere. If the avenger then killed him, the avenger would be guilty of murder.

Talmudic literature also states that life in the refuge city was made as normal as possible for the killer (Deut 4:42; 19:5), who was allowed to earn his livelihood and even permitted to hold positions of honor. Certain trades were banned in cities of refuge for fear of stimulating commercial intercourse which could attract the avenger. There were differences in procedure between the initial six cities of refuge and the other Levitical cities. In the former, asylum was automatic while in the latter, it had to be requested. The original cities granted the fugitive housing as a right, whereas in the other cities he would have to pay rent. Despite all attempts to minimize the discomfort of living in these cities, the law requiring the manslayer to remain there stresses the underlying punitive nature of his confinement.

In the ancient world, (e.g. Phoenicia, Syria, Greece, Rome) certain shrines or sacred places were regarded as providing absolute security to fugitives. On arrival at a sacred place and claiming the protection of the god, both innocent and guilty were placed beyond the reach of revenge and justice. In Israel the altars like wise served as places of asylum (I Kgs 1:50-53; 2:28-34), but like the cities of refuge, for the innocent alone. The deliberate murderer was to be taken from his asylum at the altar to be executed (Ex 21:14). The altar offered temporary shelter for the accidental killer; from there he would be taken under escort to a city of refuge. Several instances of killers seeking refuge at the altar are recorded in the Bible (I Kgs 1:50; 2:28-30).

Many scholars date the actual establishment of these centers the period to the United Monarchy under David and Solomon.