~ Trees in a Siege ~

 When you lay siege to a city for a long time,
fighting against it to capture it,
do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them,
because you can eat their fruit.
Do not cut them down.
Are the trees of the field people,
that you should besiege them?
However, you may cut down trees
that you know are not fruit trees
and use them to build siege works
until the city at war with you falls.

(Deuteronomy 20:19-20)