The treatment of the migrant alien (gēr) in the legal codes of the Torah. Lessons for today?
Abstract
For millions of Jewish and Christian people, the Bible remains the foundational text that guides their lives and social behavior, including that related to migrants and displaced persons. Unlike the legal codes of the Ancient Near East, in which there is no mention of this type of person, in the Torah there are three legal codes (Covenant Code, Deuteronomic Code, Holiness Code) that contain explicit references to the figure of the gēr, a Hebrew term that is quite close to what today is understood by “immigrant” or “refugee”. These codes, dating between the 8th and 5th centuries B.C. show a great concern for displaced persons in vulnerable situations. The article analyzes how each code attempted to respond to the vulnerability of the gēr, justifying it in Israel’s own experience as a displaced people liberated by Yahweh, their God.
Received: 13 July 2023
Accepted: 18 October 2023
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References
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