Mosaic Laws Research Articles

“Word” to “Book”: Canonical Consciousness in Deuteronomistic History and Selected Prophetic Texts

Abstract: The idea of public reading and the mandate of obedience to a written document are the backbone of most scriptural ideologies. Some texts of the Deuteronomistic History and the Prophets display a consciousness that the written words of their texts have acquired the status of Scripture and are, therefore, to be read publicly with a mandate to obey them. Inner-biblical evidence suggests that scribes sought to project this idea through connections established between texts of the Deuteronomistic History and the prophetic books. The fulcrum of this entire system is Deuteronomy 31, which clearly underlines the transformation of Mosaic laws from spoken commands to written law. Moreover, by emphasizing the writtenness of the law, Deuteronomy 31 ensures its permanence and the possibility of its being transferred to a new custodian, Joshua, who succeeds Moses after the latter’s death. The motif of a book as a witness to rebellion in Deuteronomy 31 is an Isaian motif adopted to express the relationship between divine judgment and the disregard for the law in Deuteronomy 31. This Deuteronomic chapter is also connected to Jeremiah 36, which mimics the former by presenting Jeremiah’s prophecy as a complete book meant for public reading. The scheme of Jeremiah 36 is again fully understood in the prophetic role of Huldah as an interpreter of the book of the law. The connections underscore the traditional conception of Scripture as the Law and the Prophets.

Christene wat Joodse gebruike opneem: Die Hebrew Roots-leerstellings, beoordeel vanuit Handelinge 10:9-29, Handelinge 15:1-35 en Galasiërs 2 en pentekostalistiese hermeneutiek

Christians taking up Jewish Customs: The Hebrew Roots doctrines evaluated from Acts 10:9–29, Acts 15:1-35, Galatians 2, and Pentecostalist hermeneutics. Numerous Pentecostal and Christian adherents are encountering Hebrew Roots teachings, with a significant global presence, notably in the USA, Israel, Europe, South America, and South Africa. In 2012, the South had a substantial number of adherents. A prominent ministry, 119 ministries, offers an interactive map listing Hebrew Roots ministries worldwide. In South Africa, over 120 such ministries are listed, primarily in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Hebrew Roots proponents claim authenticity by reverting to Jewish and Mosaic roots, advocating adherence to Old Testament precepts, including rituals and customs. This article critically assesses these claims, focusing on key texts such as Acts 10:9-29, Acts 15:1-35, and Galatians 2, in the context of the Mosaic-Hebrew roots movement. This movement argues that non-Jewish Christians should observe the Mosaic laws integral to God’s covenant with Israel. Employing a comparative literature analysis and grammatical-historical exegesis, the study contrasts Pentecostal beliefs with those of the Hebrew Roots movement concerning non-Jewish Christians’ ethical responsibilities regarding the Mosaic laws. The article first outlines the historical evolution of the Hebrew Roots movement, emphasizing its theological foundations. Subsequent sections systematically analyse the scriptural passages, examining their influence on these movements’ doctrines through a Pentecostal hermeneutical lens. One central concern highlighted is the potential for Hebrew Roots teachings to challenge the exclusive role of Christ in salvation by emphasizing adherence to the Old Testament’s legal framework, raising questions about Christ’s divinity.Intradisciplinary/intradisciplinary implications: This research seeks to prompt a critical examination within the field of Dogmatics, specifically with regard to the precise delineation of a Christian’s obligations concerning the Mosaic Law, particularly in the context of the Decalogue.

Haematological Perspective of Some Mosaic Laws

No Abstract

A joguralom elvét megalapozó elemek a Vetus Testamentumban és a Novum Testamentumban

Our study undertakes to explore the Old and New Testament roots of the rule of law. It shows that the roots go back to the Mosaic laws and the organization of the ancient Jewish state based on them, an ancient state based primarily on laws. It points out that from the aspect of state and legal theory, the uniqueness of the Mosaic laws lay in the presentation of the supremacy and primacy of the law. This principle was reflected in the fact that no one, neither the king nor any leaders, could set themselves above the law. In addition, according to the specific laws concerning Israel’s kings, the exercise of royal power was even more confined within the framework of the law. We present that the principle of governance bound by law is part of the social teaching of both the Old and the New Testaments. All of this – in interaction with the related elements of ancient Greek-Roman political philosophy – played a prominent role in the fact that it was the Judeo-Christian culture where the idea of the rule of law spread and became the basic principle of the political and legal system of the states belonging to this circle.

Genesis 2:24 as Basis for Monogamous Christian Marriage: Illustrations from Nigeria

The issue of monogamy versus polygamy has been a matter of constant debate within Christendom, particularly in Africa. There are several passages used to support monogamy as the biblical standard, but this article focuses on Genesis 2:24. Citing illustrations from Nigeria, the aim of this article is to examine the claim that Genesis 2:24 serves as a basis for monogamous Christian marriage. This article employs the descriptive and exegetical methods. It discovers that Genesis 2:24 is an aetiology, which means that it is descriptive rather than prescriptive. The essay concludes that the passage is silent on the form of marriage, whether monogamous or polygamous. The monogamy interpretation fails to take cognisance of the fact that the text is an aetiology, and therefore descriptive, having reference to marriage only as it was practised at the time of writing. The monogamy view also loses sight of the Mosaic laws that regulated the practice of polygamy. Finally, since the passage has no reference for monogamy or polygamy originally, it is incorrect to say that Jesus’ or Paul’s allusion to it supports monogamy.

The Relationship of Modern Medicine to the Book of Laws (The Pentateuch)

Theologians for centuries thought that many laws in the Pentateuch served a ceremonial function or aimed to distinguish Israel from the neighboring pagan cultures. In today’s world, there are many infectious and epidemic transmission of a variant of diseases that are killing human beings. This paper examines the escalation of the germ theory in the modern and postmodern world to prove that obedience to God’s rules confers essential health benefits. The paper used phenomenology, ethical, and evidential tools of philosophy, and theological approach in understanding how modern medicine relates to scriptural laws. The paper ascertains that the scriptural commandments as used by the priests confer medical benefits to the people if the modern culture is inclined to obey them. Some of the diseases in conceptualization are cancer, blood clotting, germs; parasites induced diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, and addiction, among others. The paper agrees that total obedience to Mosaic laws and complete trust in Biblical injunctions provide spiritual and physical fitness.

Luther against the Jews

Luther against the Jews

Terra na Bíblia: uma reflexão sobre o alcance social das leis de Lv 25,23 e Ne 5

Partindo de breves considerações semânticas, esse ensaio procura avaliar a legislação mosaica sobre a terra, com especial ênfase nas questões sociais associadas ao campo. Sendo dom de Iahweh ao povo de Israel, a terra incorpora um ideal de propriedade inalienável, cujo direito de posse pertence somente a Deus. Israel se torna um inquilino comprometido com a prática das leis da justiça social. Ao fazerem duras críticas aos desvios causados pela estrutura político-social da monarquia, os escritores bíblicos pretendem chamar atenção para as experiências que estimularam a vida comunitária primitiva, denunciando o modelo monárquico de conceber a terra. O latifúndio é, pois, condenado nas leis mosaicas por causa da concentração da principal fonte de subsistência nas mãos de poucos. A crítica a esse projeto monárquico é retratada na Vinha de Nabot (1Rs 21), enquanto uma alternativa de solução emerge nas reformas de Ne 5,1-19. Fora do palácio, Lv 25 recorre à celebração do Ano Jubilar, festa camponesa que trás à memória as origens camponesas de Israel. A vida camponesa e as aldeias concebiam a terra como fonte de subsistência dos clãs. No âmago dessas tensões vividas entre a aldeia camponesa e o palácio real estava o projeto social de superar o individualismo e promover a cooperação no meio comunitário.

The Maskil, the Convert, and the [ayin ]Agunah: Joseph Perl as a Historian of Jewish Divorce Law

Some time in the third decade of the nineteenth century, the maskil (enlightened Jew) Joseph Perl (1773–1839) appealed to the provincial authorities in Lemberg, Austrian Galicia to support those in the Jewish community who strove to find a solution to the rabbinic requirement that a male convert to Christianity grant his Jewish wife a writ of divorce (get).Contested divorces where the husband had converted to Christianity were particularly poignant for Ashkenazic Jewry living in medieval and early modern western Christendom because of the paradox inherent in the halakhic requirement for a male Jewish apostate to grant his wife a Jewish divorce. The apostate was viewed as both immutably Jewish, always a potential baעal teshuvah, to the Jewish community, and immutably Christian to the Church because the waters of baptism were indelible. Jewish jurists, well aware of their community's susceptibility to conversionary pressures, struggled between keeping the doors of repentance open and making an example of the convert by meting out harsh punishments against him. See Rashi's famous responsum regarding the marital status of women whose husbands had been forcibly converted during the Crusades, cited in Jacob Rader Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World (Atheneum, 1938), pp. 301–302; and the discussion in Jacob Katz, “Though He Has Sinned, He Remains an Israelite,” Tarbiz 27 (1958): pp. 203–217. For the early modern period, see Elisheva Carlebach, Divided Souls: Converts from Judaism in Germany, 1500–1750 (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001), pp. 25, 138–139. Perl's treatise, with the bold title, Uber die Modifikation der Mosaischen Gesetze (Regarding the Modification of Mosaic Laws),Joseph Perl Archive, folder 144, JNULA. Written primarily in Gothic German, with occasional use of Latin characters and Hebrew citations, the manuscript is 83 pages with an introduction. The only mention I have found of the text is by Avraham Rubinstein, who noted that the manuscript was indicated in Philip Koffler's appendix to the Perl archive. See [Joseph Perl] Uber das Wesen der Sekte Chassidim, Avraham Rubinstein, ed. (Jerusalem, 1977), p. 4, n. 17. See, too, Joseph Perl Archive, folder 131, “Comments or corrections to the book dealing with Jewish Law,” and folder 38.7075. did not urge the abandonment of rabbinic law or authority. Rather, he argued that a historical investigation of Jewish divorce law proved that minimizing the possibility of ‘aginut (“grass widowhood”) had always been a priority of a responsible rabbinic leadership. Were the Austrians able to empower an upstanding contemporary rabbinate sensitive to women's needs, Perl reasoned, a rabbinically-sanctioned halakhic solution to the problem of an ‘agunah married to a convert could be found. Although the Austrian censor rejected the publication of Uber die Modifikation der Mosaischen Gesetze, the manuscript is illustrative of the ideological concerns of moderate maskilim in Central and Eastern Europe who wanted to participate fully in civil society while retaining the authority of Jewish law.The censor rejected the manuscript on February 17, 1831. See number 6 in the list of manuscripts compiled as an appendix to Perl's Archives by Philip Koffler of Tarnopol during the interwar years, Joseph Perl Archive, JNULA, appendix.

Economic Efficiency, the Role of Law, and the Old Testament

Laws and rules, spiritual and temporal, implicit and explicit, are public goods. They set out the expected standards of behaviour in a society. Since laws and rules are public goods, and not private goods, they tend to be under-supplied by individuals in the marketplace. They are therefore usually supplied and enforced by a group, or by some governor(s) of a group, and will reflect the values of that group. The Mosaic laws were supplied by God to the tribes of Israel and subsequently adopted in whole or in part by many Western countries as the basis for their values. These values became embedded in the legal systems of those countries and affected the institutions and practices that facilitated the development of the market economies associated with those countries. Economics developed from inductive and deductive observations of these early market economies, and led to the formulation of the economic model and to the development of the modern concept of economic efficiency. Since economic efficiency presupposes the laws, rules, institutions and practices that were in place when the observations were made, it is possible to hypothesise that there is a logical link between the Biblical Mosaic laws and economic efficiency. This paper sets out to identify and explain the ‘basic’ economic model and an amplified model that we call the ‘extended’ economic model. It analyses the rules and laws that are implicit in these models, and then compares the Mosaic laws with those implied by the models. The paper concludes that there is evidence of a considerable congruence between the two sets of laws.

Maimonides and the Rise and Fall of the Sabians: Explaining Mosaic Laws and the Limits of Scholarship

The Koran mentions Sabi'un three times (II 6-2, V 69, XXII 17). Believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabi'un-whoever believes in Allah and Last Day and does what is right-shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear or to regret. This language is repeated in second citation. The third appearance is slightly different: As for true believers, Jews, Sabi'un, Christians, Magians, and pagans, Allah will judge them on Day of Resurrection. He bears witness to all things.1 Early Islamic commentators often disagreed on identity of Sabi'un, and confusion continued throughout medieval Islamic period.2 The term Sabi 'un was applied by some early Koranic commentators to survivors of an ancient Jewish-Christian sect, Elchasites in southern Iraq.3 One minority group of ethnic Arab pagans with a hellenized elite in Harran, in Arabia, also took Koranic name Sabian in third/ninth century to claim status of a people of book and therefore avoid persecution. It is this group that some later Muslims identified as Sabi'.4 The scholarly consensus now suggests that term Sabian refers to some kind of Gnostic identity that can encompass the disciples of Judeo-Christian baptizing sects ... and, on other, Harranian astrolators, last representatives of decadent Greco-Roman paganism.5 The mysterious Sabians would play a key role in attempts by early modern European scholars to understand origins of Mosaic legislation. It was through Maimonides, great twelfth-century Jewish scholar, that Sabians were transmitted to Christian scholars. By seventeenth century, Sabians of Maimonides's Guide for Perplexed had become a fixture in how scholars understood or at least debated history of origins of Mosaic law. Increasingly perceived as a diffuse paganism rather than a specific ethnic identity or subsumed by more tangible reality of Egypt, Sabianism drifted to margins of scholarship by end of Enlightenment. During nineteenth century Sabians became superfluous to scholarly efforts to understand origins of Israelite monotheism. This study is an attempt to understand growth of enthusiasm for Sabians by early modern scholars and then its precipitous decline. In a large degree it was nature of evidence itself regarding Sabians that shaped and ultimately undermined survival of Sabians in European thinking. Still, both Christian and Jewish scholars well into twentieth century lived with ghosts of Sabians as they sought to explain otherwise mysterious Mosaic commandments. In Guide Maimonides argued that sacrificial system legislated by Moses was an example of God's mercy. It would have been impossible for Israelites to abandon suddenly style of idolatrous worship learned in Egypt, and so Moses crafted sacrificial system gradually to replace false gods with true God. Maimonides still needed to explain particular details and reasons for sacrifices and other ritual laws.6 To that end he claimed to have read various texts, particularly so-called Nabataen Agriculture, which purported to describe Abraham's education among and flight from Sabians as well as a summary of practices of Sabians.7 (The Sabians had made one brief appearance before Maimonides's discussion in Guide; tenth-- century Karaite Jew, Qirqisani, declared in his Kitab al anwar, the modern Christian philosophers assert that laws of Torah were given to Children of Israel only because of God's wrath; and that they [Israel] have chosen these laws for themselves only on account of their resemblance to laws of Sabians, which was due to fact that they became accustomed to ways of Egyptians during their sojourn with them, these ways being akin to ways of Sabians. …

Maimonides and the Rise and Fall of the Sabians: Explaining Mosaic Laws and the Limits of Scholarship

Maimonides and the Rise and Fall of the Sabians: Explaining Mosaic Laws and the Limits of Scholarship

Inslag av judisk tradition hos en anti-judisk kyrkofader (Ephraem Syrus)

As well is known, the early Fathers of the Church repeatedly accuse their Jewish antagonists of a number of ‘heresies’, such as their disbelief as regards Jesus as the Son of God incarnated through the Virgin, and their keeping of Mosaic laws abrogated by Christ. In particular they accuse the Jews of having committed deicide. Ephraem Syrus (c. 306–373) – the most influential poet of the Syriac Church, one of the leading exegetes and theologians of Christendom, proclaimed a doctor ecclesia by the Pope Benedict XV in 1920 – transmits all the standard accusations against the Jews. Against this background it is remarkable to observe that in his biblical expositions Ephrem is over and over again found to be indebted to traditional Jewish exegesis.

The Commonwealth's Health Program

GOOD health has always been one of man's most prized possessions. From the most primitive times he has endeavored to take advantage of such knowledge as was available to him in prolonging his life, in preventing disability and in avoiding sickness. Believing that disease was of demonic origin he employed various mystic incantations in an attempt to ward off and to cure illness. The Mosaic laws contain the first rudimentary development of a definite sanitary code. Not until relatively modern times, however, could advantage be taken of accurate scientific knowledge in the prevention of disease, the prolongation of life and . . .