Ancient Hebrew Militia Law

תקציר

The history of the laws of warfare and of arms possession in the ancient Hebrew kingdoms. The American Founders were assiduous students of history. While the well-educated among them read Roman and Greek history in the original languages, some history was well-known by almost everyone, namely the Bible. New Englanders intensely self-identified with ancient Israel — from the first days of settlement in early 17th century (Israel in the wilderness) to the days of the American Revolution, when New England’s “black regiment” of clergymen incited the Revolution as a religious duty, and described the thirteen American colonies as the modern version of the twelve confederate tribes of Israel. Thus, ancient Hebrew militia law is part of the intellectual background of the American militia system, and of the Second Amendment.