Deuteronomy 22:8
"If you should build a new house, then shall you make a parapet to your house; so you shall not bring blood-guiltiness upon your house, if one should in any wise fall from it."
Do Modern Builders Ignore the Old Testament Parapet Law?
Deuteronomy 22:8 commands:
> "When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof."
Skeptics question this, claiming modern builders completely ignore this biblical rule. This fails to consider the architectural and social realities of the Ancient Near East. In ancient Israel, the flat roof of a house was effectively a patio used for sleeping, household chores, and entertaining. The modern architectural equivalent of an active living space suspended above ground is a balcony or a deck. Modern building codes require sturdy railings on all balconies, completely fulfilling the moral and practical intent of the ancient law.