CLASSICS 2LW3 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Temple Tax, Manumission, 6 Years
28 Jun 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
550 - 450 BC - Final Composition of The Torah
The Torah is a compilation of at least four independent earlier sources. The Documentary Hypothesis was
first formulated because readers notice several doublets: two different stories of creation, of the
covenant between God and Abraham, etc.
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Exodus - Passover meal required roasted meat, no boiling
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Deuteronomy - Passover meal required boiled meat
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2 Chronicles - Passover meal required "cook over roasting fire and boiling offerings"
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It was assumed that there were two authors, as doublets demonstrated a uniform type of vocabulary -
one strand always used Yahweh, another always used Elohim; there were also inconsistencies between
books:
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Deuteronomist historian (D), compiler who took portions of the mythopoetic accounts of J (earliest
document from Solomon's time) and E (from Kingdom of Israel) and stitched them together to create a
historical narrative, the most important book of which is the Deuteronomy - there is also a Priestly source
(P), who selected section pertaining to the Levites (priestly class) and produced much of Leviticus
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These are the first five books of the Bible, alternatively referred to as the Pentateuch, or Five Books.
Traditionally ascribed to Moses, modern scholars defend a "Documentary Hypothesis."
538 BC - Cyrus the Great of Persia's Achaemenid Empire Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire inherited Babylonian territory, including Judah, which was known as the "province
beyond the river"
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Babylonian exiles were permitted to return
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538 -BC - Cyrus Cylinder is an edict written on a clay cylinder, sometimes considered to be the first
declaration of universal human rights
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Final redacted form of the Torah was likely composed after the Israelite exile to Babylon.
4th - 5th centuries BC - Jews of Elephantine
A Jewish community of mercenaries serving Persia on the Island of Yeb (modern Elephantine, Egypt). Letter
contain evidence of a Temple of Yahweh, and many theophoric (containing part of a name of a deity) names
have been identified. A Passover Letter written in Aramaic described festal instructions for the Passover
celebrations.
The Law Codes of Ancient Israel
Covenant Code (Exodus)
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Holiness Code (Leviticus)
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Deuteronomic Code (Deuteronomy)
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Priestly Code (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers)
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The Ten Commandments or Decalogue
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While the Codex Hammurabi was description and not prescriptive, the law codes of the ancient Jews are from
different time periods and created for different groups - the law codes are both descriptive and prescriptive.
Taken altogether, there are 613 legal provisions.
1446 BC - Exodus and The Ten Commandments /The Decalogue
The laws are Apodictic (from Greek apodeiknumai, to demonstrate), meaning that they take the form of
an injunction, prohibition, or demand.
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Number
Command
1
No other Gods but God
2
No graven image
3
Don't take name of Yahweh in vain
4
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy/observe the Sabbath and do no work
5
Honour parents/Don't curse your parents
6
Don't kill
7
Don't cheat on your spouse
The Biblical account has Moses leading his people into the Sinai desert and receiving through dictation the 10
Commandments.
The Torah
September 21, 2017
3:37 PM
Ancient Law Page 1
Document Summary
550 - 450 bc - final composition of the torah. These are the first five books of the bible, alternatively referred to as the pentateuch, or five books. Traditionally ascribed to moses, modern scholars defend a "documentary hypothesis. " The torah is a compilation of at least four independent earlier sources. The documentary hypothesis was first formulated because readers notice several doublets: two different stories of creation, of the covenant between god and abraham, etc. It was assumed that there were two authors, as doublets demonstrated a uniform type of vocabulary - one strand always used yahweh, another always used elohim; there were also inconsistencies between books: Exodus - passover meal required roasted meat, no boiling. 2 chronicles - passover meal required "cook over roasting fire and boiling offerings" 538 bc - cyrus the great of persia"s achaemenid empire conquers babylon. Final redacted form of the torah was likely composed after the israelite exile to babylon.
