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Ancient Covenant Codes and Laws: Understanding the Sinai-Type Covenant

Explore the ancient Sinai-Type Covenant in-depth, examining its historical prologue, stipulations, blessings, curses, witnesses, and more. Compare it to other ancient Near Eastern laws and delve into the nuances of the Covenant Code found in Exodus. Discover the significance of the laws on slavery, the goring ox, dietary restrictions, law of talion, and their relevance in modern interpretations. Examine the evolution of these laws and how they influenced societal norms. Let's uncover the rich history and implications of these foundational legal codes.

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Ancient Covenant Codes and Laws: Understanding the Sinai-Type Covenant

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  1. The Sinai-Type Covenant • Preamble--I am Yahweh your God • Historical Prologue--who brought you out of the land of Egypt (very brief) • Stipulations--10 commandments (comprehensive, ordered) • Witnesses? • Blessings and Curses--? • Deposit and Periodic Reading--?

  2. Types of law • Apodictic • You shall not…. • Cursed be the one who…. • X shall be put to death • Casuistic

  3. Ancient Near Eastern Laws • Ur-Nammu (Sumerian) 21 c • Eshnunna 20c • Lipit Ishtar 19c • Hammurabi 18c • Hittite laws 15 • Middle Assyrian Laws 14c

  4. Law Codes in the OT • Covenant Code Exodus 21-23 (pre monarchy) • Deuteronomic Code Deuteronomy 12-26 (7th c.) • Holiness Code Leviticus 17-26 (+/- 600) • Priestly code (scattered throughout Exodus-Numbers; exile and later)

  5. Date of Covenant Code • No commerce • No central judiciary • No class distinctions • Settled life; not nomadic or urban. • Older than D, H, P; relatively early, but in land

  6. Laws on slavery • 6 years service; 7th year free. men only? • Why would master give a wife to a male slave? Altruism? • Protection for female slaves--they cannot be sold to foreign people • changes in Deuteronomy • Men and women freed • presents given at time of emancipation • slave brought to door (not before God)

  7. The Goring Ox • When and why is the owner liable? • Note classism in Babylonian laws--different punishment for free man, slave, aristocrat • Why is there no claim possible in CH 250 (ox without previous history of goring); cf. Exod 21:28 (ox stoned)

  8. Do not boil a kid in mother’s milk • Effect on Jewish diet • close nurturing connection of mother animal and young animal • mixing of life and death? (beestings = first milk given by a cow after calving) • Canaanite practice?

  9. Law of Talion • a replacement for fine and/or unlimited retribution (for its time a tremendous reform) • Jesus reverses it--turn the other cheek (Matt 5:38-42) • Rabbis abrogated it since body parts of different people are not equal

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