lecture
Is There a Biblical “Law”? Law in the World of the Bible
The Pentateuch contains many passages that have long been thought of as “law” – from the time of the rabbis, who debated their intricate legal details, through modern-day America, where the Ten Commandments still stand on display outside some courthouses. However, the discovery of the Code of Hammurabi and other documents from the ancient Near Eastern world, in which the Bible emerged, has thrown into question whether or not one ought to consider these texts “law” at all. After all, the so-called law codes from the ancient Near East are never cited in legal cases, and are sometimes even contradicted by trial records. But if the law codes did not prescribe law, what was their purpose? And should the “law” of the Bible be understood similarly to the law codes of the ancient Near East? This talk will look at the reasons for questioning the legal nature of biblical “law”; the alternate approaches to interpreting relevant texts; and the ramifications of different understandings. Yael Landman, a doctoral candidate at Yeshiva University and an AJS Dissertation Completion Fellow, will examine these questions and explore possible answers. This program is generously supported through a grant from Legacy Heritage Fund.
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lecture
