Numbers 35: 9-28

GOD spoke to Moses: ‘Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you cross the River Jordan into the country of Canaan, designate your asylum-cities, towns to which a person who accidentally kills someone can flee for asylum. They will be places of refuge from the avenger so that the alleged murderer won’t be killed until he can appear before the community in court. Provide six asylum-cities. Designate three of the towns to the east side of the Jordan, the other three in Canaan proper – asylum-cities for the People of Israel, for the foreigner, and for any occasional visitors or guests – six asylum-cities to run to for anyone who accidentally kills another.

‘But if the killer has used an iron object, that’s just plain murder; he’s obviously a murderer and must be put to death. Or if he has a rock in his hand big enough to kill and the man dies, that’s murder; he’s a murderer and must be put to death. Or if he’s carrying a wooden club heavy enough to kill and the man dies, that’s murder; he’s a murderer and must be put to death. In such cases the avenger has a right to kill the murderer when he meets him – he can kill him on the spot. And if out of sheer hatred a man pushes another or from ambush throws something at him and he dies, or angrily hits him with his fist and kills him, that’s murder – he must be put to death. The avenger has a right to kill him when he gets him.

‘If, however, he impulsively pushes someone and there is no history of hard feelings, or he impetuously picks up something and throws it, or he accidentally drops a stone tool – a maul or hammer, say – and it hits and kills someone he didn’t even know was there, and there’s no suspicion that there was bad blood between them, the community is to judge between the killer and the avenger following these guidelines. It’s the task of the community to save the killer from the hand of the avenger – the community is to return him to his asylum-city to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the High Priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

But if the murderer leaves the asylum-city to which he has fled, and the avenger finds him outside the borders of his asylum-city, the avenger has a right to kill the murderer. And he’s not considered guilty of murder. So it’s important that he stay in his asylum-city until the death of the High Priest. After the death of the High Priest he is free to return to his own place.’