Exodus 22:6-8 and the question of the authority of the law in the Bible and the Ancient Near East

Abstract

This thesis is an examination of Exodus 22:6-8 and parallels in Codex Hammurabi with a special focus on what it has to say for the question of authority. The purpose such an examination is to gain a greater understanding of the text of Exodus 22:6-8 and other passages of the Book of the Covenant, as well as understanding the authority of the Biblical law code.