SPECIAL TOPIC: LAWS IN THE ANE

SPECIAL TOPIC: LAWS IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, vol. 1, pp. 143-144, lists the OT law codes:
1. the Decalogue – Exod. 20:2-17; Deut. 5:6-21
2. the Code of the Covenant – Exod. 20:22-23:33
3. Deuteronomy – Deuteronomy 12-26
4. the Law of Holiness – Leviticus 17-26
5. the Priestly code – Leviticus 1-7, 11-16
  All of these are considered Torah. They are specific divine prescriptions on actions and attitudes.
Types of Israeli laws
1. Casuistic – laws characterized by the "if. . .then" format. There are consequences to actions. These are usually guidelines for societies. See Fee and Stuart, How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 173-175
2. Apodictic – laws stated as general prohibitions (usually SECOND PERSON PLURAL statements – "you shall not. . ."). These are usually guidelines for the spiritual life. See Fee and Stuart, How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 170-172
3. For a good brief discussion of this topic, see John H. Walton, ANE Thought and the OT, pp. 292-294
Cultural influences
1. in content ‒ earlier law codes
  1. Ur-Nammu ‒ earliest law code, written in Sumerian (2112-2095 B.C.)
  2. Lipit-Ishtar (1934-1924 B.C. from southern Mesopotamia)
  3. Code of Hammurabi (1755-175 B.C. from Babyon)
  4. Laws of Eshnunna (before c. above, from Mesopotamia from 18^th century B.C.)
2. in form – Hittite treaties (Suzerian; see SPECIAL TOPIC: HITTITE TREATIES), which occur in several set patterns, but Deuteronomy and Joshua 24 follow the pattern of the 2000 B.C. period, which shows its historicity
  1. John H. Walton, Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context, pp. 95-107
  2. K. A. Kitchen, The Bible in Its World, pp. 80-95; see introduction to the book, VII.
In many ways Israel's laws were similar in form but radically different in content. Israel had YHWH's revelation, not only about the community's powerful, wealthy, and influential, but about the poor, powerless, and socially ostracized! YHWH loves all people!
It must be admitted that Israel's laws may have originally been a combination of written laws with oral expansion and interpretations (Talmud). For a good discussion on how oral societies passed on their traditions, see John Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture