Conflict Resolution through a Traditional Ritual among the Bedouin Arabs of the Negev

The Bedouin practice of Bisha, or ordeal by fire, is analyzed as a conflict-resolving ritual of reciprocal relationships between the individual, small group, community, and society. Two case studies demonstrate that the ritual reflects the social order, reinforces conformity to collective values, deters behaviors that deviate from culturally acceptable norms, and transforms social structures by resolving conflicts between two or more people and by reinstating a sense of mutually agreed-upon justice.