The Torah Is Not a Law Book (Jerry Unterman)

The nation of Israel was born into a world that was already culturally old and established. When the Torah appeared, the ancient Near East contained several law collections. CHT fellow Dr. Jerry Unterman explains that unlike other law codes of the ANE, the Torah is not a law book. Rather, its unique framework reveals it to be a treaty—a covenant between God and His people, embedded in a narrative. Show Notes: 0:26 What is the world of law in the Torah? 6:02 Hammurabi and "If x, then y" 9:58 The ANE laws were never promulgated to the people 12:43 The God who makes a treaty with the people 15:47 Laws for the people to "tend" 16:50 Shared responsibility 17:36 The way the law works 21:43 Michael LeFebvre's contested article 25:53 God is the source of justice 27:28 What's the difference between laws? Show notes by Dominique LaCroix Credits for the music TBM podcast: hebraicthought.org/credits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.