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Homicideandaggressioninthehistoryofmankind
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sumethattheinclinationtoviolenceisapartofhumannature.Inthelightofthe
above,itseemsmorecorrecttosaythataggressionisasfirmlyembeddedinthe
religiousandculturalconditions,asinthehumannature.
1.5.1Maleandfemalewarvictims
Warisgenerallyperceivedtobeamaleconcern,butitsconsequencesarepain-
fultoall:men,womenandchildren.Towomen,therealityofwarmeanttheloss
ofprotectors,fathersorhusbands:“Lettheirwivesbebereavedoftheirchildren,
andbewidows”(Jer.18,21).Rapewasastapleelementofwarfare:“Thereforewill
Igivetheirwivesuntoothers”(Jer.8,10)and“Letacrybeheardfromtheirhouses,
whenthoushaltbringatroopsuddenlyuponthem”(Jer.18,22).Womenwereab-
ductedandtakenintoslaveryjustlikemen:“Foreventhehusbandwiththewife
shallbetaken,theagedwithhimthatisfullofdays.Andtheirhousesshallbe
turneduntoothers,withtheireldsandwivestogether”(Jer.6,11-12).
Aspecialplaceduringawarwasheldbyprofessionalmourners,womenwho
keenedthedead.Theprophetwarnedagainstdestructionsoenormousthatthree
generationsofmournersshouldbeattheready:“YethearthewordoftheLord,
Oyewomen[...],andteachyourdaughterswailing,andeveryoneherneighbour
lamentation.Fordeathiscomeupintoourwindows,andisenteredintoourpal-
aces,tocutoffthechildrenfromwithout,andtheyoungmenfromthestreets”
(Jer.9,20-21).Rachel,oneofthematriarchsofIsrael,isamosttouchingfigure
ofagrievingmother:“AvoicewasheardinRamah,lamentationandbitterweep-
ing;Rahelweepingforherchildrenrefusedtobecomfortedforherchildren,
becausetheywerenot”(Jer.31,15).
ThehorrorsofwarndtheirreectionintheBookofLamentations,whichil-
lustratestheconditionofJerusalemafteritsfallin586BCandthesecondexileto
Babylon:“Thehandsofthepitifulwomenhavesoddentheirownchildren:they
weretheirmeatinthedestructionofthedaughtersofmypeople”(Lam.4,10).This
gruesomeimageofmotherscannibalisingtheirownchildrencombinesthenarra-
tivewiththesymbolic,conveyingthedepthofsufferingthroughthenegationof
maternalnurturinglove.Themiseryanddestructionofthesocietyaremostdrasti-
callyillustratedbyanimagethatquestionswhatisseeminglyfundamentaltohu-
manexperience:amother’slove,contrastedwiththehorrorofwar.
1.5.2Femalemurderersvictimsofwarrape
TheBibleprovidesinstancesofhomicidescommittedbywomenwhohad
beenraped.Jaelisthefirstfemaleman-killertobementionedbytheBible.She