Law

Question 1

What are the major collections or “codes” of law in the Pentateuch? (5)

Answer 1

1) Decalogue - commonly called the Ten Commandments
2) The Covenant Code - found in Ex 20:22-23:33 could be said to be an elaboration on the principles presented in the Decalogue. Casuistic laws are conditional, frequently framed in “if…then” statements, with specific consequences for specific actions.In the Covenant Code, civil laws about property and personal injury are interspersed with religious laws about sacrifice and the ritual calendar.
3) Ritual Decalogue - similar to the Ten Commandments, but more ritualistically-focused. Along with a repetition not to have any god beside Jahweh and to keep the Sabbath, the Ritual Decalogue outlines the best sacrifice (firstborns of livestock, firstfruits of the ground) and suggests that the Israelites ought to observe Passover.
4) Holiness Code - While many of its laws are concerned with proper consecration of the Levitical priests, there are also rules about moral holiness, such as the order to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
5) The Deuteronomic Code - the Book of Deuteronomy reflects an ideal society more than an actual one. An attempt at normalizing behavior, it centralizes worship in Jerusalem.

Question 2

How are the major collections similar to and different from each other in their content, concerns, and theological emphases?

Answer 2

Coogan

Question 3

What types or forms of law are there in the Pentateuch?

Answer 3

x

Question 4

How do some portions revise others?

Answer 4

x

Question 5

What does this process of revision suggest about conceptions of law in the Old Testament?

Answer 5

How does Deuteronomy edit the covenant code, for example the treatment of slaves?

Note the how historical setting influences the content. The historical context changed and therefore so did the law.