The basic idea behind zones of peace is an old one. It can be found in the ancient practices of the Hebrews, the Polynesians, and the Egyptians, among whom the concept of sanctuary—a place of refuge from danger—gained broad cultural support. Among those peoples, divine authority intervened in an otherwise conflict‐laden society to guarantee peace and protection to those who inhabited specified areas.
The political and civil structures of these societies not only accepted that intervention, but drew their legitimacy from it. Such zones (symbolizing the values of peace and political justice) served not only as legal mechanisms contrasted with the “goings‐on” in the rest of society, but also as expressions of a moral order that transcended the existing political society.