Gott als Gesetzgeber

The Torah is God's law. This biblical concept is so prominent and is considered so self-evident that it has hardly been perceived as a historical problem until now. Traditionally, it was considered to be a basic element of the Bible within its historical context. But in fact, it represents an innovation in the ancient Near East, and for this very reason it should be investigated historically – after all, in the ancient world, kings, not deities, were lawgivers. Only the legal tradition of ancient Israel developed the idea that God himself formulated laws and passed them on to his people. In the Torah, Moses plays a prominent role in this mediation. Divine laws then became a central element of religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But what historical circumstances and factors gave rise to them? The loss of kingship in Israel might have been a major impact, but in addition to political and socio-historical developments, fundamental transformations in ancient Israel's intell