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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religion compass
Main Author: Barmash, Pamela 1966- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2018]
In: Religion compass
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Ancient Orient / Bible / Legislation / Woman / History 2100 BC-600 BC
IxTheo 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)
Description
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.
ISSN:1749-8171
Contains:Enthalten in: Religion compass
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/rec3.12262