Law of Moses: Difference between revisions
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The '''Law of Moses''' or [[Torah#Meaning and names|Torah of Moses]] (Hebrew ''Torat Moshe'' תֹּורַת מֹשֶׁה, [[Septuagint]] Greek ''nomos Moyse'' νόμος Μωυσῆ) is a biblical term first found in the [[Book of Joshua]] 8:31-32 where Joshua writes the words of "the Law of Moses" on the altar at [[Mount Ebal]]. The text continues "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law." (Joshua 8:34).<ref>Kristin De Troyer, Armin Lange ''Reading the present in the Qumran library'' 2005 p158 "Both at the beginning and at the ending of the Gibeonites' story there is now a reference to the law of Moses and to the fact that ... The building of the altar happens on Mount Ebal, not in Gilgal—Joshua gets to Gilgal only in 9:6. "</ref> The term occurs 15 times in the [[Hebrew Bible]], another 7 times in the [[New Testament]], and repeatedly in [[Second Temple period]], [[intertestamental]], [[rabbinical]] and [[Church Fathers|patristic]] literature. |
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==Usage of the term== |
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The usage of the Hebrew term ''[[Torah]]'' (which was translated into Greek as [[Nomos (mythology)|"nomos"]] or "Law") as equivalent to the English term "Pentateuch" (from Latinised Greek), meaning the "[[Five Books of Moses]]" of the [[Hebrew Bible]], is clearly documented only from the 2nd Century BCE.<ref>Frank Crüsemann, Allan W. Mahnke ''The Torah: theology and social history of Old Testament law p331 1996 " there is only clear evidence for the use of the term Torah to describe the Pentateuch as a ..."</ref> In modern Hebrew the term ''[[Torah]]'' (typically translated into English as "instruction") refers to both the first section of the [[Tanakh]] and to the "Law of Moses" itself, the actual regulations and [[mitzvot|commandments]] found among the 2nd to 5th books of the [[Hebrew Bible]]. Rarely in English "the Law" can also refer to the whole Pentateuch including [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]], but this is generally in relation to New Testament uses where ''nomos'' "the Law" sometimes refers to all five books, including Genesis. This use of the term ''Torah'' for the first five books is considered misleading by some scholars since the Pentateuch consists of about one half law and one half narrative.<ref>John Van Seters ''The Pentateuch: a social-science commentary'' 2004 p16 "Furthermore, the Hebrew term Torah, 'Law', is a little misleading as a description of the content of the Pentateuch, since it consists of about one half law and the other half narrative. "</ref> The adjective "Mosaic" meaning "of Moses" is also found in the description "[[Mosaic Law]]" in which case only the actual law, not the five books is intended. |
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==Law in the Ancient Near East== |
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The "Law of Moses" in Ancient Israel is distinguished from other legal codes in the [[ancient Near East]] by its reference to offense against a deity rather than against society.<ref>John H. Walton ''Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context'' 1994 p233 "The ancient Near Eastern collections do not include cultic law; rather, their focus is on civil law. As a generalization, in the ancient Near East violation of law is an offense against society. In Israel a violation of law is an ..."</ref> This compares with the [[Sumer]]ian [[Code of Ur-Nammu]] (c. 2100-2050 BCE), then the [[Babylonia]]n [[Code of Hammurabi]] (c. 1760 BCE), of which almost half concerns [[contract law]]. However the influence of the ancient Near Eastern legal tradition on the Law of Ancient Israel is recognised and well documented.<ref>''A survey of the Old Testament'' p52 Andrew E. Hill, John H. Walton - 2000 "The influence of the ancient Near Eastern legal tradition on the form and function of Hebrew law is undeniable and widely documented.2 Along with this contemporary cultural influence, the Old Testament affirms the divine origin of "</ref> For example the Israelite [[Sabbatical Year]] has antedents in the [[Akkadian]] ''mesharum'' edicts granting periodical relief to the poor.<ref>''The Bible and the ancient Near East: collected essays'' Jimmy Jack McBee Roberts 2002 p46 "The Israelite Sabbatical Year, which seems to have the same purpose and recurs at about the same interval, appears to be an Israelite adaptation of this mesharum-edict tradition."</ref> Another important distinction is that in ancient Near East legal codes, or in more recently unearthed [[Ugaritic]] texts, an important, and ultimate, role was assigned to the king, whereas in the Law of Ancient Israel, Israel was intended to be a [[theocracy]], not a [[monarchy]].<ref>Adrian Curtis in ''Law and religion: essays on the place of the law in Israel '' ed. Barnabas Lindars - 1988 p3 Chapter 1 GOD AS 'JUDGE' IN UGARITIC AND HEBREW THOUGHT "The many legal texts discovered at Ugarit make it clear that the king played an important legal role; although legal transactions could be carried out before witnesses, "</ref> |
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==Hebrew Bible== |
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===Moses and authorship of the Law=== |
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{{main|Moses}} |
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According to the Hebrew Bible, Moses was the [[The Exodus|leader of early Israel out of Egypt]] and traditionally the first five books of the [[Hebrew Bible]] are attributed to him, though [[Mosaic authorship]] is disputed. The law attributed to Moses, specifically the laws set out in the [[Book of Deuteronomy]], as a consequence came to be considered supreme over all other sources of authority (the king and his officials), and the [[Levite]] priests were the guardians and interpreters of the law.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=owwhpmIVgSAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Hebrew+Bible+today:+an+introduction+to+critical+issues&source=bl&ots=fUEuF-W9Ul&sig=YcThOSXuCkrdCzelf6hXPh0_2Mo&hl=en&ei=AOyRTKGFJ4KecIS89MYG&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false Graham, M.P, and McKenzie, Steven L., "The Hebrew Bible today: an introduction to critical issues" (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998)] p.19ff</ref> |
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The Book of Deuteronomy ({{Bibleref|Deuteronomy|31:9|KJV}} and {{Bibleref|Deuteronomy|31:24–26|KJV}}) records Moses saying "Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the [[ark of the covenant]] of the {{LORD}}." Similar passages include, for example, Exodus 17:14, "And the {{LORD}} said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of [[Joshua]], that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of [[Amalek]] from under [[heaven]];" Exodus 24:4, "And Moses wrote all the words of the {{LORD}}, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars, according to the [[twelve tribes of Israel]];" Exodus 34:27, "And the {{LORD}} said unto Moses, Write thou these words, for after the tenor of these words I have made a [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant]] with thee and with Israel;" and {{Bibleref|Leviticus|26:46|KJV}} "These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the {{LORD}} established on [[Biblical Mount Sinai|Mount Sinai]] between himself and the [[Israelites]] through Moses." |
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===Later references to the Law in the Hebrew Bible=== |
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{{See|Mosaic authorship|Deuteronomist|Book_of_Deuteronomy#Deuteronomic code|613 Mitzvot}} |
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The [[Books of Kings|Book of Kings]] relates how a "law of Moses" was discovered in the [[Solomon's Temple|Temple]] during the reign of king [[Josiah]] (r. 641–609 BCE). |
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This book is mostly identified as an early version of the [[Book of Deuteronomy]], perhaps chapters 5-26 and chapter 28 of the extant text. This text contains a number of laws, dated to the 8th century BC [[kingdom of Judah]], a time when a minority [[Yahweh|Yahwist]] faction was actively attacking mainstream polytheism, succeeding in establishing official [[monolatry]] of the [[God in Judaism|God of Israel]] under Josiah by the late 7th century BC.{{citation needed|date=September 2011}} |
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===Content of the Law=== |
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The content of the Law is spread among the books of [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]], [[Leviticus]], and [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]], and then reiterated and added to in [[Deuteronomy]] (''deutero-nomy'' is Latinised Greek for "Second reading of the Law"). This includes: |
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* the [[Ten Commandments]] |
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* Moral laws - on murder, theft, honesty, adultery, etc. |
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* Social laws - on property, inheritance, marriage and divorce, |
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* Food laws - on what is [[kosher|clean and unclean]], on cooking and storing food. |
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* Purity laws - on [[Niddah|menstruation]], [[zav|seminal emissions]], [[Tzaraath|skin disease and mildew]], etc. |
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* Feasts - the [[Day of Atonement]], [[Passover]], [[Feast of Tabernacles]], [[Feast of Unleavened Bread]], [[Feast of Weeks]] etc. |
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* Sacrifices and offerings - the [[sin offering]], [[burnt offering]], [[whole offering]], [[heave offering]], [[Passover sacrifice]], [[meal offering]], [[wave offering]], [[peace offering]], [[drink offering]], [[thank offering]], [[dough offering]], [[incense offering]], [[red heifer]], [[scapegoat]], [[first fruits]], etc. |
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* Instructions for the [[Priesthood (Ancient Israel)|priesthood]] and the [[High Priest (Judaism)|high priest]] including [[tithe]]s. |
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* Instructions regarding the [[Tabernacle]], and which were later applied to the [[Temple in Jerusalem]], including those concerning the [[Holy of Holies]] containing the [[Ark of the Covenant]] (in which were the tablets of the law, [[Aaron's rod]], the [[manna]]). Instructions and for the construction of [[altar (Judaism)|various altars]]. |
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* Forward looking instructions for time when Israel would demand a [[kings of Israel|king]]. |
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==Rabbinical interpretation== |
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The content of this law, or in Hebrew [[Torah]], was excerpted and codified in [[Rabbinical Judaism]], and in the Talmud were numbered as the [[613 commandments]]. The [[Law given to Moses at Sinai|Halakha (not Torah) given to Moses at Sinai]] is a halakhic distinction in the Law. |
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==See also== |
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* [[Islamic view of Moses]] |
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* [[Christian views on the old covenant]] |
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* [[Matthew 5#Antitheses]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Ancient Near East law]] |
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[[Category:Biblical phrases]] |
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[[Category:Ancient Israel and Judah]] |
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[[Category:Law of Moses]] |
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[[Category:Christian terminology]] |
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Revision as of 21:32, 14 July 2014
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