for the same reason, inasmuch as it lay with in the power of the father to put an end to that life whenever he pleased. It should be noted, also, that in this Commandment the mother's name is coupled with that of the father. This indicates that she was obtain ing a position of equality before the law. To the same effect are the following two laws : "He that smiteth his father orhis mother shall surely be put to death" (Exodus xxi, 15); "He that curseth his father or mother shall surely be put to death." (Exodus xxi, 17). The subject of the status of women among the ancient Hebrews is rarely treated in a scientific manner. Whenever the question is discussed, it is usually for the purpose of drawing parallels between women in ancient Hebrew society and women in modern twen tieth century society, to the disadvantage of the former. The true point of view, however, is thus lost sight of. In considering ancient institutions, it is the duty of the fair-minded student to place him
self in the position of a contemporary. If he desires to test the ethical soundness of any legal institution, he must do it by the moral principles recognized and in vogue at that time, and not by the different principles which have been accepted by later genera tions. By this test some of the Biblical stories, such as the story of Lot's daughters and the story of Tamar, which are condemned as showing a lack of moral sense in the people of those times, are perfectly justifiable upon ethical grounds; and it can be shown that under the moral ideas prevalent in those days, these acts were entirely right, and, in deed, highly commendable, although if com mitted to-day, they would be universally and justly condemned. This point of view, of course, assumes that an act may be right at one time in the history of the race and wrong in another. This ap pears to the writer to be the only true prin ciple to be applied in judging the moral value of human actions.
