Trail by ordeal was a common way to determine guilt or innocence. Think Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Think ancient near eastern cultures. Think Numbers 5. We come to a text like this and put it on trial, put the Israelite community on trial, even put God on trial. How can we overcome our prejudices and see this strange, magical, ritual of dust and water in a way which is faithful to how the bible behaves and which helps us understand how the forces of accusation tyrannise our lives?
