 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mosaic covenant" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Abrahamic religions believe in theMosaic covenant (named afterMoses), also known as theSinaitic covenant (after thebiblical Mount Sinai), which refers to acovenant between theIsraelite tribes andGod, including theirproselytes, not limited to theten commandments, nor the event when they were given, but including the entirety of laws that theirpatriarchMoses delivered from God in thefive books of Torah.[1][2]
According to the biblical narrative, the Book of the Covenant, recording all the commands of the LORD, was written by Moses in the desert and read to the people, and to seal the covenant, the blood of sacrificialoxen was then sprinkled, half on an altar and half on the people.[3]
The concept of a covenant began long before the biblical era, specifically the beginnings of Israel. According toGeorge E. Mendenhall, covenants were originally established as legal customs and then later were replicated in the field of religion. These covenants were created on the basis of anoath, a promise between two parties followed by performance. Engaging in an oath implied that the more powerful party would ensure that the other received proper punishment if it were to default. In the case of religion, the god(s) would be carrying out punishment. Such covenants assured that either blessings or curses be enacted in response to the circumstances.[4]
Thecovenant of the pieces between God and Abraham is not conditional. Future covenants between Israel and God would be conditional. This is clearly expressed inDeuteronomy 11:13–21, recited twice-daily as part of the foundational prayer, theShema.
According to Mendenhall, the covenant was not just an idea, but actually a historical event. This event was the formation of the covenant community. Wandering the desert, the clans left Egypt following Moses. These people were all of different backgrounds, containing no status in any social community. With all these circumstances they formed their own community by a covenant whose texts turned into theTen Commandments. The Israelites did not bind themselves to Moses as their leader though and Moses was not a part of the covenant. The Israelites followed the form of the suzerainty treaty, a particular type of covenant common in the Near East and were bound to obey stipulations that were set by God, not Moses.[4]
M. Weinfeld argues that there are two forms of covenants in theHebrew Bible: the obligatory type and the promissory type. These correspond to a “political treaty” as evidenced by theHittite Empire, and a "royal grant" as shown through the covenants tied to Abraham and David. Atreaty entails a promise to the master by thevassal and ultimately protects the rights of the master. This consequently works in a manner that promotes future loyalty of the vassal since thesuzerain had previously done favors for them. A grant, on the other hand, pertains to an obligation from the master to his servant, thus ensuring protection of the servant's rights.[5]
In theHebrew Bible, God established the Mosaic covenant with theIsraelites after he saved them from slavery in Egypt in thebook of Exodus. Moses led the Israelites to the promised land known as Canaan after which Joshua led them to its possession. The Mosaic covenant played a role in defining theKingdom of Israel.
Rabbinic Judaism asserts that the Mosaic covenant was presented to theJewish people andconverts to Judaism and does not apply toGentiles, with the notable exception of theSeven Laws of Noah which apply to all people.[citation needed]
The Mosaic covenant or Law of Moses, which Christians generally call the "Old Covenant" in contrast to theNew Covenant, has played an important role in theshaping of Christianity. It has been the source of serious dispute and contention seen inJesus'expounding of the Law during hisSermon on the Mount, thecircumcision controversy in early Christianity, and theIncident at Antioch which has led scholars to dispute the relationship betweenPaul of Tarsus and Judaism. TheBook of Acts says that after theascension of Jesus,Stephen, the firstChristian martyr, was killed when he was accused of speaking against theSecond Temple and the Mosaic Law.[7] Later, inActs 15:1–21, theCouncil of Jerusalem addressed the circumcision controversy in early Christianity.