De politia judaica, tam civili quam ecclesiastica, jam inde a suis primordiis, hoc est ab orbe condito, repetita

living, or already dead.

The rite that was observed concerning living persons, the first and principal one, is purity or sanctification, not only interior but also exterior.

The exterior is proven by that passage in Genesis 35:2, which indeed afterwards under the Law produced טהרה purification. Then that distinction of the whole human race which existed in the time of Enos into the sons of God and the sons of men: and that is proven by the irritation of God which followed later against his Church, because the sons of his people had mingled with the daughters of men—that is, of the profane, who were from the descendants of Cain—and had contaminated themselves with their lost morals and vices, and from them had brought forth offspring most prone to all the most audacious crimes.

But most explicitly, Excommunication—one of those rites which were observed concerning persons—argues for this purity and holiness.

Excommunication seems to have been twofold even then: simple Excommunication and Anathema.

The formula of simple excommunication seems to exist in Genesis 17:14, "And that soul shall be cut off from his people," which seems to be the same as if it were said, "Such a man will no longer be counted among the people of God."