Ancient Near East

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  1. "A Man Shall be Put to Death Only for his Own Crime"- Audio

    Prof. Jonathan Grossman

    תאריך פרסום: August 5773 (2013) | | 9 minutes

    This parasha, which deals with laws relating to courts, death penalties, and runaway slaves, contains phrases quoted and related to in later books of Tanakh, as well. But some of the ideas related to these laws also appear - in similar and yet very different form - in the Code of Hammurabi. Comparing laws in our parasha with those in other Near Eastern societies demonstrates an extreme contrast between the Torah’s values and those of other societies.

  2. Angels and Ladders

    Rabbi Alex Israel | 38 minutes

    When Yaakov embarks on his journey of exile to escape Esav’s wrath, he falls asleep and dreams of angels and a ladder, followed by God’s revelation to him. Yaakov immediately realizes that the dream and the location are significant, but do we? This shiur uses traditional parshanut and knowledge of the Ancient Near East to analyze the significance of the angels in Yaakov’s dream.

  3. The Torah: The Birthplace of the Idea of Equality

    Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman | 58 minutes

    When comparing societal law in the Torah to that of other ancient Near East codes, one can notice that the Torah is far more advanced in the area of societal equality than the surrounding cultures during that time. This lecture examines economic  law, political vision, and societal norms in the Torah and highlights the Torah as a blueprint for a society that is far less hierarchical and stratified, and much more egalitarian and just. 

  4. Tanakh and Literature of the Ancient Near East

    Part 1 - The Torah and Legal Systems of the Ancient Near East

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    The discoveries in the study of the Ancient Near East, that included certain similarities between the laws of the Torah and other legal systems among the nations of the Ancient Near East, produced two opposite reactions. Some viewed these data as confirmation of the validity of the biblical account and a blow to Biblical Criticism. Others claimed that if the laws of the Torah were in fact based on these other laws, it offers support for the view that the Torah laws are of human origin. However, the existence of systems of law that preceded the Torah is a fact that the Torah itself mentions explicitly. Moreover, the formulation of some of the commandments of the Torah indicates that these laws are based on previous knowledge assumed to be familiar to those receiving the Torah. The Torah is not formulated as a book that builds an entire system of laws and judgments from the very foundations up; rather, it is a book that adds layers onto an existing basis.

  5. Tanakh and Literature of the Ancient Near East

    Part 2 - The Torah and Legal Systems of the Ancient Near East (continued)

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    On this basis of some of the major features that distinguish the law of the Torah from the laws of the Ancient Near East we may conclude that the Torah does indeed display awareness of the existence of other ancient codes of law, and perhaps even specific laws. However, even in instances where there is a clear connection between the two systems, the Torah is not a replica of existing laws. On the contrary, the Torah adopts those laws that conform with the dictates of morality and uprightness, while altering radically some of the basic principles upon which those laws are based and their foundation in limited human perceptions of justice. From the Divine point of view of the Torah, there is an emphasis on the value of life, on individual responsibility, etc., in contrast to the principles arising from the other systems of laws. The Torah represents, even in the social sphere, a wondrous legal structure based on social justice, supporting and illustrating Moshe's declaration, "What  nation is there so great, that has statutes and judgments so righteous as all this Torah, which I set before you today?"

  6. Tanakh and Literature of the Ancient Near East

    Part 3 - The Narratives in Sefer Bereishit and their Parallels in Ancient Near Eastern Literature

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    Some argue that the great similarity between the stories in Breishit to stories in sources that are unquestionably more ancient, may serve to substantiate the authenticity of those stories. On the other hand, others argued that the biblical story was simply a duplication of the earlier Mesopotamian tradition.

    However, the contrasts between the stories point to the fundamental differences between the pagan and the monotheistic worldviews, and demonstrate the superior moral message of the Torah’s story over that of the pagan story. The fact that the traditions of the great flood and creation were familiar to the nations of the Ancient Near East presents no difficulty, and there is no reason that the Torah should refrain from recording it just because it was already well-known. It is specifically the comparison of the messages arising from the respective descriptions that strengthens the distinction between them.

  7. Ki Tetze: Practical Mitzvot

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

    Parashat Ki Tetze has many commandments related to social interactions and social obligations toward others in society, especially the vulnerable. We explore practical applications of commandments such as the obligation to help with loading and unloading as they apply to drivers and groups of travelers or hikers and issues pertaining to interest on loans in the days of modern banking. We also explore the laws requiring one to help a fugitive slave, and other slavery-related laws and note the strikingly differences as compared to other systems law in the Ancient Near East, and as compared to the era of slavery in the United States of America.