על החוקים לפרטיהם, ספר ג כ״חOn the Special Laws, Book III 28
א׳
1[150] The law forbids the acceptance of ransom-money from a murderer deserving of death, in order to mitigate his punishment or substitute banishment for death, for blood is purged with blood, the blood of the wilfully murdered with the blood of the slayer.
ב׳
2[151] Since there are no bounds to the iniquities of evil natures, and they are ever committing a superabundance of enormities and extending and exalting their vices beyond all measure and all limit, the lawgiver would, if he could, have sentenced them to die times beyond number. But since this was impossible he ordained another penalty as an addition, and ordered the manslayers to be crucified.
ג׳
3[152] Yet after giving this injunction he hastened to revert to his natural humanity and shews mercy to those whose deeds were merciless when he says “Let not the sun go down upon the crucified but let them be buried in the earth before sundown.” For while it was necessary that the enemies of every part of the universe should after punishment be set on high and exhibited to the sun and heaven and air and water and earth, it was equally necessary that they should be thrust down into the place of the dead and there entombed, that nothing above the earth might be polluted by them.