Asylum

ASYLUM ă sī lum. The right of asylum is codified in four Biblical passages (Exod 21:12-14; Num 35:9-34; Deut 19:1-13 and Josh 20:7-9). The purpose of this law was to provide a place where the accidental homicide might dwell. This asylum takes two forms: the altar of Yahweh and the City of Refuge (see [[Cities of Refuge]]). The former is illustrated in the case of Adonijah who entered the house of God and clung to the horns of the altar for fear of Solomon’s wrath (1 Kings 1:50; 2:28), while the latter is seen in the passages mentioned.