A Levite and his concubine

[abaris]

However, I do not think that it is a controversial statement to say that it is immoral to send someone out to be raped. I can give you reasons based on happiness, well-being, and freedom, as to why modern morals are generally better than they were 5000 years ago, but I'll probably post a new thread about that soon in the philosophy section. So keep an eye out for that if you would like to discuss the nature of morality in general.

We're not even talking about a general bronze age code of morals. Egypt, the most developed culture of the time had a very different outlook than what the bible tells us about the Israelites.

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ethics.htm

Especially when it comes to the treatment of women, the old Israelites project an image to puke over. Egypt on the other didn't treat women as property.

https://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/...womneg.htm

So, the moral code we find in the bible isn't only disgusting from our advanced point of view. It's also pretty radical compared to contemporary societies.

The only society remotely similar to the jewish laws and morals of the time would be the Babylonians, as the Hammurabi Code shows.

http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/d/267/whm.html

You also find Sumerian views in the bible. Again, much older than the bible itself, but obviously having an influence on what the Israelites believed.

http://www.templeofsumer.org/share1.html