Biblical and ancient Near Eastern law
Biblical law has had a profound influence on Western culture, but it must be understood in its historical context. It arose in the context of the tradition of Mesopotamian law, where scribes exhibited their flair for justice by writing statutes on a repertoire of traditional cases, of which the most...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
[2018]
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In: |
Religion compass
Year: 2018, Volume: 12, Issue: 5/6, Pages: 1-9 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Ancient Orient
/ Bible
/ Law
/ Woman
/ History 2100 BC-600 BC
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RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy BC Ancient Orient; religion BH Judaism HB Old Testament KBL Near East and North Africa TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East XA Law |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
Summary: | Biblical law has had a profound influence on Western culture, but it must be understood in its historical context. It arose in the context of the tradition of Mesopotamian law, where scribes exhibited their flair for justice by writing statutes on a repertoire of traditional cases, of which the most outstanding example is the Laws of Hammurabi. Rarely did legal texts explicitly discuss legal principles. Three collections of formal legal statutes are found in the Hebrew Bible. The Book of the Covenant is most like Mesopotamian law in dealing with disputes arising in an agrarian society. The priestly law consists of two sources, the priestly source that aims at protecting the welfare of the people by the performance of sacred rituals and the Holiness source that seeks to sanctify the everyday activities of the people. Deuteronomy aims at ritual and social reforms. Among the most debated issues in scholarship today is biblical law's view of women. |
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ISSN: | 1749-8171 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion compass
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/rec3.12262 |