Scholars of biblical law are already widely agreed that ancient Israel did not draft law-texts for legislative purposes. This study critiques and challenges the current consensus, and presents an alternative hypothesis.

LefebvreTable of Contents1. Introduction: Collections, Codes, and Torah....................................................................... 1The Cuneiform Law-Writings .................................................................................................8The Athenian Law-Writings ................................................................................................. 17Methodology and Approach ................................................................................................. 212. Written-Law in Ancient Israel............................................................................................ 28Current Scholarship on Hebrew Law-Writing ............................................................................ 29Source-Law in the Pentateuchal Judiciary ............................................................................... 36Proponents of the Legislative Model ...................................................................................... 43Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 493. Written-Law in the Deuteronomic School ........................................................................ 51Patrick on Deuteronomic Law-Writings ................................................................................... 53Westbrook on Deuteronomic Law-Writings ............................................................................... 66Deuteronomic Attitudes toward Law-Writings........................................................................... 79Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 864. Written-Law in Persian-Era Yehud.................................................................................... 87Law-Book Citations in Ezra-Nehemiah .................................................................................... 92Law-Book Study in Ezra-Nehemiah........................................................................................119Conclusions ...................................................................................................................1265. Written-Law in Hellenistic-Era Judea (I): Ptolemaic Court-Reforms.............................. 133The Juridical System of Ptolemy II - in Egypt..........................................................................140The Juridical System of Ptolemy II - in Judea .........................................................................144The Impact on Native-Law - in Egypt....................................................................................148The Impact on Native-Law - in Judea ...................................................................................157Conclusions ...................................................................................................................1646. Written-Law in Hellenistic-Era Judea (II): The Civilized/Barbarian Polemic................. 166The Civilized/Barbarian Polemic..........................................................................................167Diaspora Torah Polemics (the Hellenistic Writers).....................................................................172Judean Torah Polemics (1 and 2 Maccabees)............................................................................185Conclusions ...................................................................................................................2177. Written-Law in Greco-Roman Torah Sects: A Projection............................................... 219Rabbinic Judaism: The Mishnah ...........................................................................................220Qumran: Community Rule (1QS) ..........................................................................................225"Nazarene" Judaism: Matthew's Jesus ..................................................................................228Conclusions ...................................................................................................................2338. Conclusion: The Re-characterization of Israel's Written-Law ....................................... 234Main Project Conclusions...................................................................................................235Projected Implications / Further Research...............................................................................239

Scholars of biblical law are already widely agreed that ancient Israel did not draft law-texts for legislative purposes. This study critiques and challenges the current consensus, and presents an alternative hypothesis.

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