The Torah Is Not a Law Book (Jerry Unterman)
Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
Episode Summary
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.
Chapters
- 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
- 12:43Â The God who makes a treaty with the people
- 15:47 Laws for the people to “tend”
- 16:50Â Shared responsibility
- 17:36Â The way the law works
- 21:43 Michael LeFebvre’s contested article
- 25:53Â God is the source of justice
- 27:28Â What’s the difference between laws?
Transcripts are AI generated and are not guaranteed to correctly reflect the content of the podcast.
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