The Unqualified Death Penalty Means Strangulation

Sifrei Devarim 178:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

(Devarim 18:20) "then he shall be put to death": by the unqualified "death penalty" of the Torah, i.e., strangulation.

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Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelWhen the Torah on Death Without Qualification, It MeansThe Torah states that a kidnapper "shall be put to death" (Exodus 21:16), but does not specify the method of execution. The Mekhilta identifies the method as st Letter of AristeasSeptuagint Studies TorahOur tale begins with a letter – the Letter of Aristeas, to be precise. It purports to be from a courtier named Aristeas to his brother Philocrates, recounting t Letter of AristeasLife of SeptuagintOur tale begins with a concern. A very practical concern, actually. Imagine your homeland is at risk, threatened by resource extraction. The Letter of Aristeas Letter of AristeasEleazar Studies TorahThe Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating peek into the world of 3rd-century BCE Alexandria, gives us a clue. It's framed as a letter from Aristeas, an official in Letter of AristeasWisdom of PtolemyHe was determined to acquire a copy of the Torah, the Jewish Law, for his collection. The story, as told in the Letter of Aristeas, recounts the arrival of a de Letter of AristeasWritten and Oral Law of PhilocratesI’m talking about the kind of gathering described in the Letter of Aristeas, a text that purports to tell the story of how the Hebrew Bible was translated into