Redemption of the first-born son in ancient Israel

Abstract

The work is an analysis of the ancient Israeli redemption of firstborns. The introduction deals with the mutual relation of sons and daughters and their positions in an ancient Israeli family underlining the legal and social status of a firstborn son. The following part examines the institution of redemption itself in detail, focusing on the purpose and its execution. The aim of the analysis is to compare and evaluate the contradictory ideological points of view. Whereas the first one claims the redemption to be the substitution for a human sacrifice, the second one denies it proving that ancient Israel had differentiated itself from the surrounding
pagan nations from the very beginning. The work also deals with the theoretical and legal problem of firstborns as subjects of sales contracts. The conclusion is dedicated to the brief summing-up and the list of abbreviations.