Tel BeerSheba - restored 4 horned alter. Original in Israel Museum. Alters like this one were used for animal sacrifice and in the cities of refuge. If a person killed someone by accident they could come to the city of refuge, clutch a horn of the alter and recieve protection from the relatives of the slain man. The man had to stay at the city to be protected uptill the day the High Priest died. That day, the killer could freely leave the city if total safety.
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There were at least 6 cities of refuge in Israel with alters. BeerSheba was not one of them but it appears to have been an authorized religious center. Samuel in his later days appointed his two sons to BeerSheba as judges (1 Sam 8:1-2) |
