Collections, Codes, and Torah

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.

Scholars of biblical law are already widely agreed that ancient Israel did not draft law-texts for legislative purposes. Little attention has yet been given to explaining how and when later Judaism did come to regard Torah as legislative. As a result, the current consensus (that Ezra introduced legislative uses of Torah) is based on assumptions which have been never tested. This study steps into that crucial gap, critiques and challenges the current consensus, and presents an alternative hypothesis. .