Teacher guidance
Challenge rating
Medium
Video overview
This video examines violent-sounding scriptural texts and the ways in which biblical war commands were understood in later Jewish tradition.
Curriculum links
This video is relevant to lessons about Religion, Peace and Conflict, both at GCSE and A level, and may provide an interesting extension point for students studying Just War theory.
Suggested questions and activities
- How do typical ways of justifying war today differ from justifications for war as understood in classical rabbinic literature?
- Does the existence of violent-sounding scriptural texts necessarily mean that communities who view these texts as sacred scripture will act violently?
- What do you think about 'the conditions' that the classical rabbinic texts say must be met in order to go to war?
- What would it look like if societies today made going to war dependent on the types of restrictions seen in the classical rabbinic texts?
