It is a common belief that scripture has no place in modern, secular politics. Graham Hammill challenges this notion in The Mosaic Constitution, arguing that Moses’s constitution of Israel, which created people bound by the rule of law, was central to early modern writings about government and state. Hammill shows how political writers from Machiavelli to Spinoza drew on Mosaic narrative to imagine constitutional forms of government. At the same time, literary writers like Christopher Marlowe, Michael Drayton, and John Milton turned to Hebrew scripture to probe such fundamental divisions as those between populace and multitude, citizenship and race, and obedience and individual choice. As these writers used biblical narrative to fuse politics with the creative resources of language, Mosaic narrative also gave them a means for exploring divine authority as a product of literary imagination. The first book to place Hebrew scripture at the cutting edge of seventeenth-century literary and political innovation, The Mosaic Constitution offers a fresh perspective on political theology and the relations between literary representation and the founding of political communities.

A book about Mosaic Law and Constitutional Law with emphasis on Article 4. Section 4. of the US Constitution.

What would the Law of Moses look like if enacted by a modern-day government? This beautiful volume answers that question. For the first time, each and every provision of the Law found in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers has been painstakingly organized and codified in a manner similar to what one would find in a modern statute book. With an excellent cross-reference table, and numerous comments and annotations, this volume is ideal for anyone interested in the ancient code of Moses. This unique statute book makes it easy to grasp the legal system handed down at Sinai. From a methodical description of how many lambs were to be sacrificed on a particular holiday, to the penalties for various crimes, to the laws on environmental protection, and provisions relating to inheritance and the family, this book contains every element of the Law of Moses. Like a modern legal code, the book is organized into 23 Titles, including a Family Code, Probate Code, Penal Code, Rules of Judicial Procedure, Business and Commerce Code, and many others. Each Title is catergorized into chapters, sections, and subsections. Never before has the Law of Moses been presented in such a clear manner. This book makes the perfect gift for a law student, a leader of bible studies, or anyone curious about this ancient body of Law that has so shaped our world.

Uncovers connections between modern Jewish philosophers and classical rabbinic thought, arguing for rethinking of Judaism, politics, and violence.