era ever supported its use even in theory, has been a subject of historical and ideological debate. The 12th-century Jewish legal scholar Maimonides stated that "It is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to put a single innocent one to death." Maimonides argued that executing a defendant on anything less than absolute certainty would lead to a slippery slope of decreasing burdens of proof, until convictions would be merely "according to the judge's caprice". Maimonides was concerned about the need for the law to guard itself in public perceptions, to preserve its majesty and retain the people's respect. The position of Jewish Law on capital punishment often formed the basis of deliberations by Israel's Supreme Court. It has been carried out by Israel's judicial system only twice, in the cases of Adolf Eichmann and Meir Tobianski. Capital punishment in classical sources In the Pentateuch The institution of capital punishment in Jewish law is defined in the Law of Moses (Torah) in multiple places. The Mosaic Law provides for the death penalty to be inflicted upon those persons convicted of the following offences: adultery (for a married woman and her lover) bestiality blasphemy child sacrifice false testimony in capital cases false prophecy proselytizing and promoting other religions male homosexual relations idolatry, actual or virtual incestuous relations insubordination to supreme authority lying about one's virginity upon marrying a spouse () kidnapping licentiousness of a priest's daughter murder rape committed against a betrothed woman striking, cursing, or otherwise rebelling against parental authority Sabbath-breaking touching Mount Sinai while God was giving Moses the Ten Commandments witchcraft, divination, necromancy, sorcery, etc. In Rabbinic Judaism The principal tractate in the Talmud that deals with such cases is Tractate Sanhedrin. Cases concerning offences punishable by death are decided by 23 judges. The reason for this odd number is that the early rabbis had learnt that it takes at least 10 judges to convict a man, and another 10 judges to acquit a man, and the court being unequal will result in a verdict rendered by majority vote. Strict regulations were in place as to how these judges were to be selected, based on their sex, age and family standing. For example, they could not appoint a judge who did not have children of his own, for he was thought to be less merciful towards other men's children. Neither could they select a