Understanding Torah: Ancient Legal Text, Covenant Stipulation, and Christian Scripture

When we read the “laws” of the Pentateuch, we often labor under some misperceptions. We assume that they represent legislation, a presupposition that we can correct through a careful assessment of ANE legal texts and an understanding of their literary context in the OT. We assume that they have been...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Walton, John H. 1952- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Eisenbrauns 2019
In: Bulletin for biblical research
Year: 2019, Volume: 29, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-18
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Electronic
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Summary:When we read the “laws” of the Pentateuch, we often labor under some misperceptions. We assume that they represent legislation, a presupposition that we can correct through a careful assessment of ANE legal texts and an understanding of their literary context in the OT. We assume that they have been compiled as a coherent book whose inconsistencies therefore become problematic. We can correct this through a careful assessment of the unassailable fact that ancient Israel was a hearing-dominant culture in which we encounter scribes and documents rather than books and authors. We assume that we need to interact with Torah as rules that reflect on modern morality, even if not on salvation. Based on an understanding of the Torah in its ancient context and in its literary context, we can offer some refinement concerning how the Torah plays an important role in God’s revelation that retains its full authority today.
ISSN:2576-0998
Contains:Enthalten in: Bulletin for biblical research
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5325/bullbiblrese.29.1.0001